
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 27
Seats and Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . 34
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Rear Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Seat Belts
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Buckle To Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . 39
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Seat Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . 43
Seat Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Seat Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . 47
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . 48
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . 48
What Will You See after an AirbagInflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children(LATCH System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Head Restraints
{
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.
Adjust the head restraint so that the top of
the restraint is at the same height as the
top of the occupant's head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a
crash.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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36 Seats and Restraints
alert even when there is nothing in the rear
seat; for example, if a child entered the
vehicle through the rear door and left the
vehicle without the vehicle being shut off.
The feature can be turned on or off. Select
Settings > Vehicle > Rear Seat Reminder >
ON or OFF.
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.
The release levers for folding the rear
seatbacks are located in the trunk. To fold
the seatback down: 1. Lower the rear seat head restraints completely. See Head Restraints027.
2. Lift the rear seat armrest and place it in the folded position, if necessary. See
Rear Seat Armrest 037.
3. Disconnect the rear seat belt mini-latch,
using a key in the slot on the
mini-buckle.
Let the belt retract.
4. Open the trunk and pull the seatbackrelease lever to fold the rear seat.
5. Fold the seatback forward.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 57
{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.
For each type of child restraint, there are
many different models available. When
purchasing a child restraint, be sure it is
designed to be used in a motor vehicle and
is designed by a genuine child restraint
manufacturer. If it is, the child restraint will
have a label saying that it meets federal
motor vehicle safety standards.
The instruction manual that is provided with
the child restraint states the weight and
height limitations for that particular child
restraint. In addition, there are many kinds
of child restraints available for children with
special needs.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of neck and head
injury in a crash, infants and toddlers
should be secured in a rear-facing child
restraint until age two, or until they
reach the maximum height and weight
limits of their child restraint.
{Warning
A young child's hip bones are still so
small that the vehicle seat belt may not
remain low on the hip bones, as it
should. Instead, it may settle up around
the child's abdomen. In a crash, the belt
would apply force on a body area that is
unprotected by any bony structure. This
alone could cause serious or fatal injuries.
To reduce the risk of serious or fatal
injuries during a crash, young children
should always be secured in an
appropriate child restraint.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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166 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage. Here
are some driving tips to get the best fuel
economy possible:
.Set the climate controls to the desired
temperature after the engine is started,
or turn them off when not required.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long periods
of time.
.When road and weather conditions are
appropriate, use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed limits or
drive more slowly when conditions
require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
.Combine several trips into a single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with the same
TPC Spec number molded into the tire's
sidewall near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms and can
take your focus from the task of driving.
Exercise good judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away from
the road. Many local governments have
enacted laws regarding driver distraction.
Become familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep your eyes
on the road, keep your hands on the
steering wheel, and focus your attention on
driving.
.Do not use a phone in demanding driving
situations. Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read, take notes,
or look up information on phones or
other electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat passenger to
handle potential distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle features
before driving, such as programming
favorite radio stations and adjusting
climate control and seat settings. Program
all trip information into any navigation
device prior to driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked to
retrieve items that have fallen to the
floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend to
children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate carrier or
restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations while
driving, whether with a passenger or on a
cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too long or
too often could cause a crash resulting in
injury or death. Focus your attention on
driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for more
information on using that system and the
navigation system, if equipped, including
pairing and using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always expect the
unexpected.” The first step in driving
defensively is to wear the seat belt. See
Seat Belts 037.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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174 Driving and Operating
3.Available Cargo Weight = 113 kg
(250 lbs).
Example 3
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 3 = 453 kg (1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight @ 91 kg
(200 lbs) × 5 = 453 kg (1,000 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight =
0 kg (0 lbs).
Refer to the vehicle's Tire and Loading
Information label for specific
information about the vehicle's capacity
weight and seating positions. The combined weight of the driver,
passengers, and cargo should never
exceed the vehicle's capacity weight.
Certification Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Certification label is
attached to the vehicle's center pillar
(B-pillar). The label may show the gross
weight capacity of the vehicle, called
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and
cargo.
{Warning
Things inside the vehicle can strike
and injure people in a sudden stop or
turn, or in a crash.
.Put things in the cargo area of the
vehicle. In the cargo area, put
them as far forward as possible.
Try to spread the weight evenly.
.Never stack heavier things, like
suitcases, inside the vehicle so
that some of them are above the
tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an unsecured child
restraint in the vehicle.
.Secure loose items in the vehicle.
.Do not leave a seat folded down
unless needed.

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324 Index
FuelAdditives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Economy, Driving for Better . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 213
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Fuses Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . 245
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . 249
G
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
GaugesEngine Coolant Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Warning Lights and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . 80 General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Global Positioning System (GPS) . . . . . . . . . . 131
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Guidance Problems with the Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . 104
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 239
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Heated
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157, 159
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . 242
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . 39
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157, 159
I
If the System Needs Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Indicator
Pedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Indicators Warning Lights and Gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . 56

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328 Index
Reporting Safety DefectsCanadian Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Restraints Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . 179
Reverse Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Roads
Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Roof
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . 181
S
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Safety Defects Reporting
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Seat Belts (cont'd)
Buckle To Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . 39
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Heated and Ventilated, Front . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67, 69
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 221
Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Service (cont'd)
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . 289
Parts Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Services
Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Servicing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Special Application Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13