2021 BUICK ENCORE belt

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
52 Seats and Restraints
Child Restraint Systems
Rear-Facing Infant Restraint
A rear-facing child restraint provides
restraint with the seating surface against
the back of the infant.
The harness system holds the infant in place
and, in a crash, acts to keep the infant
positioned in the restraint.
Forward-Facing Child Restraint
A forward-facing child restraint provides
restraint for the child's body with the
harness.Booster Seats
A belt-positioning booster seat is used for
children who have outgrown their
forward-facing child restraint. Boosters are
designed to improve the fit of the vehicle's
seat belt system until the child is large
enough for the vehicle seat belts to fit
properly without a booster seat. See the
seat belt fit test in Older Children048.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Seats and Restraints 53
Securing an Add-On Child Restraint in
the Vehicle
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or killed
in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle. Secure
the child restraint properly in the vehicle
using the vehicle seat belt or LATCH
system, following the instructions that
came with that child restraint and the
instructions in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury, the
child restraint must be secured in the
vehicle. Child restraints must be secured in
vehicle seats by lap belts or the lap belt
portion of a lap-shoulder belt, or by the
LATCH system. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 054 for
more information. Children can be
endangered in a crash if the child restraint is
not properly secured in the vehicle.
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.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
54 Seats and Restraints
{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 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 044 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.
Do not install a child restraint in any rear
seating position where it cannot be installed
securely.
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.
The seat in front of an installed child
restraint should be adjusted to ensure
proper installation according to the child
restraint manual.
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.
In order to use the LATCH system in your
vehicle, you need a child restraint that has
LATCH attachments. LATCH-compatible
rear-facing and forward-facing child seats can
be properly installed using either the LATCH
anchors or the vehicle’s seat belts. Do not
use both the seat belts and the LATCH
anchorage system to secure a rear-facing or
forward-facing child seat.
Booster seats use the vehicle’s seat belts to
secure the child and the booster seat. If the
manufacturer recommends that the booster
seat be secured with the LATCH system, this

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Seats and Restraints 55
can be done as long as the booster seat can
be positioned properly and there is no
interference with the proper positioning of
the lap-shoulder belt on the child.
Make sure to follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint, and also the
instructions in this manual.When installing a child restraint with a top
tether, you must also use either the lower
anchors or the seat belts to properly secure
the child restraint. A child restraint must
never be installed using only the top tether
and anchor.
For a forward-facing 5-pt harness child
restraint where the combined weight of the
child and restraint are up to 29.5 kg (65 lb),use either the lower LATCH anchorages with
the top tether anchorage, or the seat belt
with the top tether anchorage. Where the
combined weight of the child and restraint
are greater than 29.5 kg (65 lb), use the seat
belt with the top tether anchorage only.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
56 Seats and Restraints
Recommended Methods for Attaching Child Restraints
Restraint Type Combined Weight ofthe Child + Child
Restraint Use Only Approved Attachment Methods Shown with an X
LATCH
–Lower
Anchors Only Seat Belt Only LATCH
–Lower
Anchors and Top
Tether Anchor Seat Belt and Top
Tether Anchor
Rear-Facing Child
Restraint Up to 29.5 kg (65 lb)
X X
Rear-Facing Child
Restraint Greater than
29.5 kg (65 lb) X
Forward-Facing Child
Restraint Up to 29.5 kg (65 lb)
X X
Forward-Facing Child
Restraint Greater than
29.5 kg (65 lb) X
See Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat
Belt in the Rear Seat) 062 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Front Seat) 064. Child restraints built after March 2014 will
be labeled with the specific child weight up
to which the LATCH system can be used to
install the restraint. The following explains how to attach a child
restraint with these attachments in the
vehicle.
Not all vehicle seating positions have lower
anchors. In this case, the seat belt must be
used (with top tether where available) to
secure the child restraint. See
Securing Child
Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear
Seat) 062 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Front Seat) 064.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
58 Seats and Restraints
To assist in locating the lower anchors, each
seating position with lower anchors has two
labels, near the crease between the seatback
and the seat cushion.
To assist in locating the top tether anchors,
the top tether anchor symbol is on the trim
near the anchor.
The top tether anchors are on the back of
the rear seatbacks. Be sure to use an anchor
located directly behind the seating position
where the child restraint will be placed.
Do not secure a child restraint in a position
without a top tether anchor if a national or
local law requires that the top tether be
attached, or if the instructions that come
with the child restraint say that the top
tether must be attached.
According to accident statistics, children and
infants are safer when properly restrained in
a child restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating position.
SeeWhere to Put the Restraint 053 for
additional information.
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System
{Warning
A child could be seriously injured or killed
in a crash if the child restraint is not
properly attached to the vehicle using
either the LATCH anchors or the vehicle
seat belt. Follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint and the
instructions in this manual.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of serious or fatal
injuries during a crash, do not attach
more than one child restraint to a single
anchor. Attaching more than one child
restraint to a single anchor could cause
the anchor or attachment to come loose
or even break during a crash. A child or
others could be injured.

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
Seats and Restraints 59
{Warning
Children can be seriously injured or
strangled if a shoulder belt is wrapped
around their neck. The shoulder belt can
tighten but cannot be loosened if it is
locked. The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the retractor.
It unlocks when the shoulder belt is
allowed to go all the way back into the
retractor, but it cannot do this if it is
wrapped around a child’s neck. If the
shoulder belt is locked and tightened
around a child’s neck, the only way to
loosen the belt is to cut it.
Buckle any unused seat belts behind the
child restraint so children cannot reach
them. Pull the shoulder belt all the way
out of the retractor to set the lock, and
tighten the belt behind the child restraint
after the child restraint has been
installed.
Caution
Do not let the LATCH attachments rub
against the vehicle’s seat belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary, move
buckled seat belts to avoid rubbing the
LATCH attachments.
Do not fold the rear seatback when the
seat is occupied. Do not fold the empty
rear seat with a seat belt buckled. This
could damage the seat belt or the seat.
Unbuckle and return the seat belt to its
stowed position, before folding the seat.
If you need to secure more than one child
restraint in the rear seat, see Where to Put
the Restraint 053.
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the lower anchors. If the
child restraint does not have lower
attachments or the desired seating
position does not have lower anchors,
secure the child restraint with the top
tether and the seat belt. Refer to the
child restraint manufacturer instructions
and the instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired seating position. 1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
For rear outboard seating positions,
if the head restraint interferes with
the proper installation of the child
restraint, the head restraint may be
removed. See “Head Restraint
Removal and Reinstallation” at the
end of this section.
When installing a rear-facing child
restraint, it may be necessary to
move the front seat forward to
properly install the child restraint
per the child restraint manufacturer
instructions. See Seat Adjustment
0 25.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the child restraint
to the lower anchors.
2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that the top tether be
attached, attach and tighten the top
tether to the top tether anchor,
if equipped. Refer to the child restraint
instructions and the following steps:
2.1. Find the top tether anchor.
2.2. Remove the cargo cover, if equipped, before installing the
top tether. Place the cargo cover on

Buick Encore Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-14607636) -
2021 - CRC - 8/18/20
62 Seats and Restraints
New parts and repairs may be necessary
even if the LATCH system was not being
used at the time of the crash.
Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat)
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.
If the child restraint has the LATCH system,
seeLower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) 054 for how and where to
install the child restraint using LATCH. If a
child restraint is secured in the vehicle using
a seat belt and it uses a top tether, see
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) 054 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.
If the child restraint or vehicle seat position
does not have the LATCH system, you will
be using the seat belt to secure the child
restraint. Be sure to follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
If more than one child restraint needs to be
installed in the rear seat, be sure to read
Where to Put the Restraint
053.
1. Put the child restraint on the seat. For outboard second row seating
positions, remove the seat belt from the
guide. Do not secure the child restraint
with the seat belt routed through the
guide.
When installing a rear-facing child
restraint, it may be necessary to move
the front seat forward to properly install
the child restraint per the child restraint
manufacturer instructions.
If the head restraint interferes with the
proper installation of the child restraint,
the head restraint may be removed. See
"Head Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation" under Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH System) 054. 2. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap
and shoulder portions of the vehicle seat
belt through or around the restraint. The
child restraint instructions will show
you how.
3. Push the latch plate into the buckle untilit clicks.
Position the release button on the
buckle, away from the child restraint, so
that the seat belt could be quickly
unbuckled if necessary.