2021 CADILLAC ESCALADE warning

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
60 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
.Sit up straight and always keep your
feet on the floor in front of you (if
possible).
.Always use the correct buckle for
your seating position.
.Wear the lap part of the belt low
and snug on the hips, just touching
the thighs. In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones and
you would be less likely to slide
under the lap belt. If you slid under
it, the belt would apply force on
your abdomen. This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries.
.Wear the shoulder belt over the
shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining forces.
The shoulder belt locks if there is a
sudden stop or crash.
{Warning
You can be seriously injured,
or even killed, by not wearing your
seat belt properly.
Never allow the lap or shoulder belt to
become loose or twisted.Never wear the shoulder belt under
both arms or behind your back.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 61
Always use the correct buckle for your
seating position.
Never route the lap or shoulder belt
over an armrest.
{Warning
The seat belt can be pinched if it is
routed under plastic trim on the
seat, such as trim around the rear
seatback folding handle or side
airbag. In a crash, pinched seat
belts might not be able to provide
adequate protection. Never allow
seat belts to be routed under plastic
trim pieces.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
If you are using a rear seating position
with a detachable seat belt and the
seat belt is not attached, seeThird
Row Seats 055 for instructions on
reconnecting the seat belt to the
mini-buckle.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat is adjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”in
the Index.
2. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you. Do not let it get
twisted.
The lap-shoulder belt may lock if
you pull the belt across you very
quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then
pull the belt across you more
slowly.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all the
way, the child restraint locking
feature may be engaged. See Child
Restraint Systems 080. If this
occurs, let the belt go back all the
way and start again. If the locking
feature stays engaged after letting

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 65
it replaced immediately. If a belt is
twisted, it may be possible to untwist
by reversing the latch plate on the
webbing. If the twist cannot be
corrected, ask your dealer to fix it.
Make sure the seat belt reminder light
is working. SeeSeat Belt Reminders
0 119.
Keep seat belts clean and dry. See Seat
Belt Care 065.
Seat Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
Seat belts should be properly cared for
and maintained.
Seat belt hardware should be kept dry
and free of dust or debris. As
necessary, exterior hard surfaces and
seat belt webbing may be lightly
cleaned with mild soap and water.
Ensure there is not excessive dust or
debris in the mechanism. If dust or
debris exists in the system please see
the dealer. Parts may need to be
replaced to ensure proper
functionality of the system.
{Warning
Do not bleach or dye seat belt
webbing. It may severely weaken
the webbing. In a crash, they might
not be able to provide adequate
protection. Clean and rinse seat belt
webbing only with mild soap and
lukewarm water. Allow the webbing
to dry.
Replacing Seat Belt
System Parts after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the seat belt
system in the vehicle. A damaged
seat belt system may not properly
protect the person using it,
resulting in serious injury or even
death in a crash. To help make sure
the seat belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible. After a minor crash, replacement of
seat belts may not be necessary. But
the seat belt assemblies that were
used during any crash may have been
stressed or damaged. See your dealer
to have the seat belt assemblies
inspected or replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the seat belt system
was not being used at the time of the
crash.
Have the seat belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle or
while you are driving. See
Airbag
Readiness Light 0120.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver
.A frontal airbag for the front
outboard passenger
.A front center airbag for the driver
and front outboard passenger
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag
for the driver

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
66 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag
for the front outboard passenger
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver and
for the second and third row
passengers seated directly behind
the driver
.A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger and the second
and third row passengers seated
directly behind the front outboard
passenger
All vehicle airbags have the word
AIRBAG on the trim or on a label near
the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG
is on the center of the steering wheel
for the driver and on the instrument
panel for the front outboard
passenger.
For the front center airbag, the word
AIRBAG is on the inboard side of the
driver seatback.
For seat-mounted side impact airbags,
the word AIRBAG is on the side of the
seatback or side of the seat closest to
the door.
For roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG
is on the ceiling or trim. Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by seat belts.
Even though today's airbags are also
designed to help reduce the risk of
injury from the force of an inflating
bag, all airbags must inflate very
quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things to
know about the airbag system:
{Warning
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your seat belt, even with
airbags. Airbags are designed to
work with seat belts, not replace
them. Also, airbags are not designed
to inflate in every crash. In some
crashes seat belts are the only
restraint. See
When Should an
Airbag Inflate? 068.
Wearing your seat belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or
being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the
seat belts. Everyone in the vehicle (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
should wear a seat belt properly,
whether or not there is an airbag
for that person.
{Warning
Because airbags inflate with great
force and faster than the blink of an
eye, anyone who is up against,
or very close to any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to any airbag, as you would be
if sitting on the edge of the seat or
leaning forward. Seat belts help
keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear a seat
belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible
while still maintaining control of
the vehicle. The seat belts and the
front outboard passenger airbags
are most effective when you are
sitting well back and upright in the
seat with both feet on the floor.
(Continued)

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 67
Warning (Continued)
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the front center
armrest or console in vehicles with
a front center airbag.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children 077 or
Infants and Young Children 078.
There is an airbag readiness light on
the center stack below the
infotainment screen, which shows the
airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light 0120.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger frontal
airbag is in the passenger side
instrument panel.

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
68 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
The front center airbag is in the
inboard side of the driver seatback.
Driver Side Shown, Passenger SideSimilar
The driver and front outboard
passenger seat-mounted side impact
airbags are in the side of the
seatbacks closest to the door.
Driver Side Shown, Passenger Side Similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
front outboard passenger, and second
and third row outboard passengers are
in the ceiling above the side windows.
{Warning
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the airbag
might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that
person causing severe injury or
even death. The path of an inflating
airbag must be kept clear. Do not (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
put anything between an occupant
and an airbag, and do not attach or
put anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Do not use seat or console
accessories that block the inflation
path of a seat-mounted side impact
airbag or the front center airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof of
a vehicle with roof-rail airbags by
routing a rope or tie-down through
any door or window opening. If you
do, the path of an inflating roof-rail
airbag will be blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with airbags.
SeeAirbag System 065. Airbags are
designed to inflate if the impact
exceeds the specific airbag system's
deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how
severe a crash is likely to be in time

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
70 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near
frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the
inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by seat belts by distributing
the force of the impact more evenly
over the occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help contain the head and
chest of occupants in the outboard
seating positions in the first, second,
and third rows. The rollover capable
roof-rail airbags are designed to help
reduce the risk of full or partial
ejection in rollover events, although
no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily because
the occupant's motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an
Airbag Inflate? 068. Airbags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to
seat belts.What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates?
After frontal and seat-mounted side
impact airbags inflate, they quickly
deflate, so quickly that some people
may not even realize the airbags
inflated. The front center airbag and
roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they inflate. Some components of the
airbag module may be hot for several
minutes. For location of the airbags,
see
Where Are the Airbags? 067.
The parts of the airbag that come into
contact with you may be warm, but
not too hot to touch. There may be
some smoke and dust coming from
the vents in the deflated airbags.
Airbag inflation does not prevent the
driver from seeing out of the
windshield or being able to steer the
vehicle, nor does it prevent people
from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there may
be dust in the air. This dust could
cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or
other breathing trouble. To avoid
this, everyone in the vehicle should
get out as soon as it is safe to do
so. If you have breathing problems
but cannot get out of the vehicle
after an airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a
door. If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the fuel
system after the airbags inflate. The
feature may also activate, without
airbag inflation, after an event that
exceeds a predetermined threshold.
After turning the ignition off and then
on again, the fuel system will return
to normal operation; the doors can be

Cadillac Escalade Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13690472) - 2021 - CRC - 8/10/21
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 71
locked, the interior lamps can be
turned off, and the hazard warning
flashers can be turned off using the
controls for those features. If any of
these systems are damaged in the
crash they may not operate as normal.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate the
airbags may have also damaged
important functions in the vehicle,
such as the fuel system, brake and
steering systems, etc. Even if the
vehicle appears to be drivable after
a moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could make
it difficult to safely operate the
vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate only
once. After an airbag inflates, you
will need some new parts for the
airbag system. If you do not get
them, the airbag system will not be
there to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly other
parts. The service manual for the
vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records
information after a crash. See
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
0 469 and
Event Data Recorders 0469.
.Let only qualified technicians work
on the airbag systems. Improper
service can mean that an airbag
system will not work properly. See
your dealer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
The vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the front outboard
passenger position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will light on
the overhead console when the vehicle
is started.
United States and Canada
The words ON and OFF, and the
symbols for on and off, will be visible
during the system check. When the
system check is complete, either the
word ON or OFF, and the symbol for
on or off, will be visible. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 0121.
The passenger sensing system turns
off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag under certain
conditions. No other airbag is affected
by the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works
with sensors that are part of the front
outboard passenger seat and seat belt.
The sensors are designed to detect the
presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
should be allowed to inflate or not.