Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
4 Introduction
Q:Keep Fuse Block Covers
Properly Installed
|: Lane Change Alert
@:Lane Departure Warning
A:Lane Keep Assist
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
X:Park Assist
~:Pedestrian Ahead Indicator
O:Power
7: Rear Cross Traffic Alert
I:Registered Technician
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>: Seat Belt Reminders
I:Side Blind Zone Alert
h:Stop/Start
7: Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak/
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
a: Under Pressure
V:Vehicle Ahead Indicator
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Liftgate (Hatchback) . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Trunk Release (Sedan) . . . . . . . . 10
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 13
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Passenger Sensing System . . . 14
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 15
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 20
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 20
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 22
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 24
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 25
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
In Brief 13
If necessary, move the seat
belt out of the way to access
the lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then release
the lever to lock the seatback
in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
To return the seatback to an upright
position: 1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback
returns to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
See Reclining Seatbacks 058.
Second Row Seats
The rear seatbacks can be folded
down to increase cargo space.
See Rear Seats 060.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position.
See Head Restraints 055 and Seat
Adjustment 056.
Seat Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
seat belts properly:
.
Seat Belts 062
. How to Wear Seat Belts Properly
063
. Lap-Shoulder Belt 065
. Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) 089
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
40 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Warning (Continued)
passengers should wear
seat belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.
. Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by
extreme heat and can suffer
permanent injuries or even
death from heat stroke.
Always lock the vehicle
whenever leaving it.
. Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
the vehicle. Locking the
doors can help prevent this
from happening.
To lock or unlock the doors from
outside the vehicle:
. Use the key in the driver door to
lock all doors or unlock the
driver door only. .
Press
QorKon the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
(Keyless Access) 029 or
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key Access)
0 35.
To lock the doors from inside the
vehicle:
.
Press
Qon the central locking
switch or on the driver door
switch. .
Press the lock knob on the driver
door to lock all doors and,
if equipped, the liftgate.
To unlock the doors from inside the
vehicle:
. Press
Kon the central locking
switch or on the driver door
switch.
. Pull the door handle. Pulling the
door handle again unlatches
the door.
. Lift the lock knob on the driver
door to unlock the driver door.
The central locking switch and
power door lock switch also lock
and unlock the liftgate/trunk.
Keyless Access
The RKE transmitter must be within
1 m (3 ft) of the door being opened.
Press the button on the door handle
to open. See “Keyless Access
Operation” underRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation
(Keyless Access) 029 orRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Key Access) 035.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
54 Seats and Restraints
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . 57
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Front Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Seat Belts
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Seat Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Seat Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 69
Seat Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . 72
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Passenger Sensing System . . . 76
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 80
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . 81
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Infants and Young Children . . . . 84
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . 86
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . 88
Lower Anchors and Tethers forChildren (LATCH System) . . . . 89
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the
Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the
Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
58 Seats and Restraints
If equipped, press the front or rear
of the switch to increase or
decrease lumbar support. Release
the switch when the desired level of
support is reached.
Reclining Seatbacks
{Warning
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
Manual Seat Shown, Power SeatSimilar
To recline a manual seatback: 1. Lift the lever. If necessary, move the seat
belt out of the way to access
the lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked in
place. To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
{Warning
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even when buckled
up, the seat belts cannot do
their job.
The shoulder belt will not be
against your body. Instead, it will
be in front of you. In a crash, you
could go into it, receiving neck or
other injuries.
The lap belt could go up over
your abdomen. The belt forces
would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious
internal injuries.
(Continued)
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Seats and Restraints 59
Warning (Continued)
For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the
seat belt properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if
the vehicle is moving.
Front Seat Armrest
There is an armrest on the inboard
side of the driver seat. To raise or
lower the armrest, push up or pull
down on the armrest.
Heated Front Seats
{Warning
If temperature change or pain to
the skin cannot be felt, the seat
heater may cause burns. To
reduce the risk of burns, use care(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Seats and Restraints 61
the vehicle through the rear door
and left the vehicle without the
vehicle being shut off.
The feature can be turned on or off.
SeeVehicle Personalization 0132.
Folding the Seatback
Either side of the seatback can be
folded down for more cargo space.
Fold a seatback only when the
vehicle is not moving.
Caution
Folding a rear seat with the seat
belts still fastened may cause
damage to the seat or the seat
belts. Always unbuckle the seat
belts and return them to their
normal stowed position before
folding a rear seat. To fold the seatback down:1. Make sure the seat belt is in
the retainer hook.
Sedan Shown, Hatchback Similar
2. Reach under the belt and pull the lever on top of the seatback
to unlock the seatback.
A tab near the seatback lever
raises when the seatback is
unlocked.
3. Fold the seatback down.
Repeat Steps 1–3 for the other
seatback, if desired.