2020 CHEVROLET SONIC airbag

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Seats and Restraints 63
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal may keep the airbag system
from working properly.
The operation of the airbag system
can also be affected by changing,
including improperly repairing or
replacing, any parts of the following:
.Airbag system, including airbag
modules, front or side impact
sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module, or airbag wiring
. Front seats, including stitching,
seams or zippers
. Seat belts
. Steering wheel, instrument
panel, ceiling trim, or pillar
garnish trim
. Inner door seals, including
speakers
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag modules and sensors, sensing and diagnostic module, and
airbag wiring along with the proper
replacement procedures.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position,
which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat
trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery, or trim; or with
GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any
object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort-enhancing pad
or device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of the
passenger sensing system. This
could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly
turning off the passenger airbag(s).
See
Passenger Sensing System
0 58. If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail
airbags, see
Different Size Tires
and Wheels 0249 for additional
important information.
If the vehicle must be modified
because you have a disability and
have questions about whether the
modifications will affect the vehicle's
airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag
system will be affected if the vehicle
is modified for any other reason, call
Customer Assistance. See
Customer Assistance Offices 0296.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. See
Airbag Readiness Light 098.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged,
opened, or broken, the airbag
may not work properly. Do not
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Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
64 Seats and Restraints
Caution (Continued)
open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag
coverings, have the airbag
covering and/or airbag module
replaced. For the location of the
airbags, seeWhere Are the
Airbags? 054. See your dealer
for service.
Replacing Airbag System
Parts after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the airbag
systems in the vehicle.
A damaged airbag system may
not properly protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting
in serious injury or even death. To
help make sure the airbag
systems are working properly
after a crash, have them
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See
your dealer for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after the vehicle is started or comes
on when you are driving, the airbag
system may not work properly. Have
the vehicle serviced right away. See
Airbag Readiness Light 098.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the
vehicle’s seat belts.
The manufacturer instructions that
come with the booster seat state the
weight and height limitations for that
booster. Use a booster seat with a
lap-shoulder belt until the child
passes the fit test below:

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Seats and Restraints 67
appropriate child restraints. Neither
the vehicle's seat belt system nor its
airbag system is designed for them.
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{Warning
Never hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb)
infant will suddenly become a
110 kg (240 lb) force on a person's
arms. An infant or child should be
secured in an appropriate child
restraint.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the front
outboard seat. Secure a
rear-facing child restraint in a rear
seat. It is also better to secure a
forward-facing child restraint in a
rear seat. If you must secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the front outboard seat, always
move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go.
Child restraints are devices used to
restrain, seat, or position children in
the vehicle and are sometimes
called child seats or car seats.
There are three basic types of
child restraints:
.Forward-facing child restraints
. Rear-facing child restraints
. Belt-positioning booster seats
The proper child restraint for your
child depends on their size, weight,
and age, and also on whether the
child restraint is compatible with the
vehicle in which it will be used.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
70 Seats and Restraints
When securing an add-on child
restraint, refer to the following:1. Instruction labels provided on the child restraint
2. Instruction manual provided with the child restraint
3. This vehicle owner's manual
The child restraint instructions are
important, so if they are not
available, obtain a replacement
copy from the manufacturer.
Keep in mind that an unsecured
child restraint can move around in a
collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to
properly secure any child restraint in
the vehicle —even when no child is
in it.
In some areas Certified Child
Passenger Safety Technicians
(CPSTs) are available to inspect
and demonstrate how to correctly
use and install child restraints. In the U.S., refer to the National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) website to
locate the nearest child safety seat
inspection station. For CPST
availability in Canada, check with
Transport Canada or the Provincial
Ministry of Transportation office.
Securing the Child Within the
Child Restraint
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or
killed in a crash if the child is not
properly secured in the child
restraint. Secure the child
properly following the instructions
that came with that child restraint.
Where to Put the
Restraint
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in an appropriate
child restraint secured in a rear
seating position.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in
a rear seating position.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front. This is because
the risk to the rear-facing child is so
great if the airbag deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the front passenger
airbag inflates. This is because
the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to
the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the
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Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Seats and Restraints 71
Warning (Continued)
front passenger airbag inflates
and the passenger seat is in a
forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the airbag
is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the front seat, always move the
front passenger seat as far back
as it will go. It is better to secure
the child restraint in a rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
0 58 for additional information. When securing a child restraint with
the seat belts in a rear seat position,
study the instructions that came with
the child restraint to make sure it is
compatible with this vehicle.
Child restraints and booster seats
vary considerably in size, and some
may fit in certain seating positions
better than others.
Depending on where you place the
child restraint and the size of the
child restraint, you may not be able
to access adjacent seat belts or
LATCH anchors for additional
passengers or child restraints.
Adjacent seating positions should
not be used if the child restraint
prevents access to or interferes with
the routing of the seat belt.
Wherever a child restraint is
installed, be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child
restraint and secure the child
restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured
child restraint can move around in a
collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to
properly secure any child restraint in
the vehicle
—even when no child is
in it.
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH System)
The LATCH system secures a child
restraint during driving or in a crash.
LATCH attachments on the child
restraint are used to attach the child
restraint to the anchors in the
vehicle. The LATCH system is
designed to make installation of a
child restraint easier.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
82 Seats and Restraints
6. If the child restraint has a toptether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 071.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To
check, grasp the child restraint
at the seat belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and back and forth. When the
child restraint is properly
installed, there should be no
more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it. If the
head restraint was removed,
reinstall it before the seating
position is used. See “Head
Restraint Removal and Reinstallation”
underLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 071 for additional
information on installing the head
restraint properly.
Securing Child Restraints
(With the Seat Belt in the
Front Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint 070.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag under certain
conditions. See Passenger Sensing
System 058 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
0 99 for more information, including
important safety information.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great if the
airbag deploys.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is
in a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints
in a rear seat, even if the
airbag(s) are off. If you secure a
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Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Seats and Restraints 83
Warning (Continued)
forward-facing child restraint in
the front outboard passenger
seat, always move the seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
SeePassenger Sensing System
0 58 for additional information.
If the child restraint uses a top
tether, see Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 071 for top tether anchor
locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top tether
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached. When using the lap-shoulder belt to
secure the child restraint in this
position, follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint and the
following instructions:
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
Move the seat upward or the
seatback to an upright position,
if needed, to get a tight
installation of the child
restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal
airbag and knee airbag, the
OFF indicator on the
passenger airbag status
indicator should light and stay
lit when you start the vehicle.
See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator 099.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 3. Pick up the latch plate, and run
the lap and shoulder portions
of the vehicle seat belt through
or around the child restraint.
The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
Tilt the latch plate to adjust the
belt if needed.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Seats and Restraints 85
7. Before placing a child in thechild restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To
check, grasp the child restraint
at the seat belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and back and forth. When the
child restraint is properly
installed, there should be no
more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement.
If the airbags are off, the OFF
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator will come on and
stay on when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the ON indicator is lit, see “If
the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing
System 058.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.