
GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Door Locks
{Warning
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
.Passengers, especially children, can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. The doors can be
unlocked and opened while the vehicle
is moving. The chance of being thrown
out of the vehicle in a crash is
increased if the doors are not locked.
So, all 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 a door from the outside
press
QorKon the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter or use the key in the
driver door.
To lock a door from the inside, push down
on the door lock knob. To unlock, pull the
door handle once to unlock the door and
again to unlatch it. The power door lock
switch on the interior of the door can also
be used to lock or unlock the doors from
the inside.
Free-Turning Locks
The door key lock cylinder turns freely when
either the wrong key is used, or the correct
key is not fully inserted. The free-turning
door lock feature prevents the lock from
being forced open. To reset the lock, turn it
to the vertical position with the correct key
fully inserted. Remove the key and insert it
again. If this does not reset the lock, turn
the key halfway around in the cylinder and
repeat the reset procedure.Power Door Locks
Crew Cab Shown, Extended Cab Similar
If equipped with power door locks:
Q: Press to lock the doors.
K:Press to unlock the doors.
Delayed Locking
This feature delays the actual locking of the
doors until five seconds after all doors are
closed.
Delayed locking can only be turned on when
the Open Door Anti-Lockout feature has
been turned off.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
14 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Doors
Tailgate
{Warning
It is extremely dangerous to ride on the
tailgate, even when the vehicle is
operated at low speeds. People riding on
the tailgate can easily lose their balance
and fall in response to vehicle maneuvers.
Falling from a moving vehicle may result
in serious injuries or death. Do not allow
people to ride on the tailgate. Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
On vehicles with a lock on the tailgate, use
the key to lock or unlock the tailgate.
If equipped, to lock or unlock the tailgate,
use the RKE transmitter or the key. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 09
Open the tailgate by lifting up on its handle
while pulling the tailgate down.
To shut the tailgate, firmly push it upward
until it latches. After closing the tailgate, pull it back to be
sure it latches securely.
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent features;
however, they do not make the vehicle
impossible to steal.
Vehicle Alarm System
If equipped with the anti-theft alarm
system, the indicator light, on the
instrument panel near the windshield,
indicates the status of the system.
Off :
Alarm system is disarmed. On Solid :
Vehicle is secured during the
delay to arm the system.
Fast Flash : Vehicle is unsecured. A door or
the hood is open.
Slow Flash : Alarm system is armed.
Arming the Alarm System
1. Turn off the vehicle.
2. Lock the vehicle with one of the
following:
.Use the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter.
.With a door open, pressQon the
interior of the door.
3. After 30 seconds the alarm system will arm, and the indicator light will begin to
slowly flash indicating the alarm system
is operating. Pressing
Qon the RKE
transmitter a second time will bypass
the 30-second delay and immediately
arm the alarm system.
The theft-deterrent alarm system will not
arm if the doors are locked with the key.
If the driver door is opened without first
unlocking with the RKE transmitter, the horn
will chirp and the lights will flash to indicate
pre-alarm. If the vehicle is not started,

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
Seats and Restraints 21
Seats and Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . 25
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Seat Belts
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Buckle To Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . 28
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Seat Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . 33
Seat Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Seat Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . 37 What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . 37
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . 38
What Will You See after an Airbag
Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children(LATCH System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Head Restraints
The vehicle's front seats have adjustable
head restraints in the outboard seating
positions.
{Warning
With head restraints that are not
installed and adjusted properly, there is a
greater chance that occupants will suffer
a neck/spinal injury in a crash. Do not
drive until the head restraints for all
occupants are installed and adjusted
properly.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
24 Seats and Restraints
Reclining Seatbacks
{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.
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.
{Warning
You can lose control of the vehicle if you
try to adjust a driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. Adjust the driver seat
only when the vehicle is not moving.
{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.
To recline the seatback:1. Lift 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.
To return the seatback to the upright
position: 1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the seatback.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14430430) - 2021 - CRC - 9/9/20
28 Seats and Restraints
Questions and Answers About Seat Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after acrash if I am wearing a seat belt?
A: You could be— whether you are
wearing a seat belt or not. Your chance
of being conscious during and after a
crash, so you canunbuckle and get out,
is much greater if you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear seat belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental systems only.
They work withseat belts —not instead
of them. Whether or not an airbag is
provided, all occupants still have to
buckle up to get the most protection.
Also, in nearly all states and in all
Canadian provinces, the law requires
wearing seat belts.
Buckle To Drive
If equipped, this feature prevents the vehicle
from being shifted out of P (Park) when
Teen Driver is active, and the driver seat
belt is not buckled. See Teen Driver0153.
If the engine is running, the driver seat belt
is not buckled, and the brake pedal is
pressed with the vehicle in P (Park), a
message displays in the Driver Information Center (DIC). Buckle the driver seat belt to
shift out of P (Park). Shifting from P (Park)
will be prevented once for each ignition
cycle.
For some fleet vehicles, shifting from
P (Park) will be prevented each time the
above conditions exist whether Teen Driver
is ON or OFF.
On some models, Buckle to Drive may also
prevent shifting out of P (Park) if a front
passenger is unbuckled under similar
conditions. A message displays in the DIC.
Buckle the front passenger seat belt to shift
out of P (Park). This feature may not allow
the vehicle to shift out of P (Park) if an
object, such as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop, or other electronic device, is on
the front passenger seat. If this happens,
remove the object from the seat or buckle
the seat belt to shift out of P (Park).
If the driver, or on some vehicles, the
present front passenger, remains unbuckled,
the DIC message will turn off after several
seconds and the vehicle can be shifted out
of P (Park). See
“Seat Belts”and“Child
Restraints” in the Index for information
about the importance of proper
restraint use. If the driver seat belt, and in some vehicles
the front passenger seat belt, are unbuckled
when driving, the seat belt reminder chime
and/or light(s) will come on. See
Seat Belt
Reminders 085.
This feature may not function properly if
the airbag readiness light is on. See Airbag
Readiness Light 086.
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly
Follow these rules for everyone's protection.
There are additional things to know about
seat belts and children, including smaller
children and infants. If a child will be riding
in the vehicle, see Older Children044 or
Infants and Young Children 045. Review
and follow the rules for children in addition
to the following rules.
It is very important for all occupants to
buckle up. Statistics show that unbelted
people are hurt more often in crashes than
those who are wearing seat belts.
There are important things to know about
wearing a seat belt properly.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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32 Seats and Restraints
To unlatch the belt, push the button on the
buckle. The belt should return to its stowed
position.
Always stow the seat belt slowly. If the seat
belt webbing returns quickly to the stowed
position, the retractor may lock and cannot
be pulled out. If this happens, pull the seat
belt straight out firmly to unlock the
webbing, and then release it. If the webbing
is still locked in the retractor, see your
dealer.
Before a door is closed, be sure the seat belt
is out of the way. If a door is slammed
against a seat belt, damage can occur to
both the seat belt and the vehicle.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
The vehicle has a shoulder belt height
adjuster for the driver and front outboard
passenger seating positions.
Adjust the height so the shoulder portion of
the belt is on the shoulder and not falling
off of it. The belt should be close to, but not
contacting, the neck. Improper shoulder belt
height adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the seat belt in a crash. See
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly028.
Push up on the release button and move
the height adjuster to the desired position. After the adjuster is set to the desired
position, try to move it down without
pushing the release button to make sure it
has locked into position.
Seat Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has seat belt pretensioners for
the front outboard occupants. Although the
seat belt pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the seat belt assembly. They can
help tighten the seat belts during the early
stages of a moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner activation are
met. Seat belt pretensioners can also help
tighten the seat belts in a side crash or a
rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash, the
pretensioners and probably other parts of
the vehicle's seat belt system will need to
be replaced. See
Replacing Seat Belt System
Parts after a Crash 034.
Do not sit on the outboard seat belt while
entering or exiting the vehicle or at any
time while sitting in the seat. Sitting on the
seat belt can damage the webbing and
hardware.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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34 Seats and Restraints
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 085.
Keep seat belts clean and dry. See Seat Belt
Care 034.
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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 086.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver
.A frontal airbag for the front outboard
passenger
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the
driver
.A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the
front outboard passenger
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the
passenger seated directly behind the
driver
.A roof-rail airbag for the front outboard
passenger and the passenger seated
directly behind the front outboard
passenger

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 35
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 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(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
replace them. Also, airbags are not
designed to inflate in every crash. In
some crashes seat belts are the only
restraint. SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate? 037.
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 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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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.
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 044 or
Infants and Young Children 045.