
Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Seats and Restraints 37
Seats and Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Folding Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Rear Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Seat Belts
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Buckle To Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . 49
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Seat Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . 54
Seat Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Seat Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . 58
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . 59
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . 59
What Will You See after an AirbagInflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Infants and Young Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children(LATCH System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
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.
Front Seats
The vehicle's front seats have adjustable
head restraints in the outboard seating
positions.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
54 Seats and Restraints
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.
Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides
Rear seat belt comfort guides may provide
added seat belt comfort for older children
who have outgrown booster seats and for
some adults. When installed on a shoulder
belt, the comfort guide positions the
shoulder belt away from the neck and head.
Comfort guides are available through your
dealer for the rear outboard seating
positions. Instructions are included with the
guides.
Seat Belt Use During Pregnancy
Seat belts work for everyone, including
pregnant women. Like all occupants, they
are more likely to be seriously injured if
they do not wear seat belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap portion should
be worn as low as possible, below the
rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to
protect the mother. When a seat belt is
worn properly, it is more likely that the
fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to
making seat belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Seat Belt Extender
If the vehicle seat belt will fasten around
you, you should use it.
But if a seat belt is not long enough, your
dealer will order you an extender. Only a
GM dealer issued extender should be used.
When you go in to order it, take the
heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender
will be long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone else use
it, and use it only for the seat it is made to
fit. The extender has been designed for
adults. Never use it for securing child
restraints. For more information on the
proper use and fit of seat belt extenders see
the instruction sheet that comes with the
extender.
Safety System Check
Periodically check the seat belt reminder,
seat belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors,
shoulder belt height adjusters (if equipped),
and seat belt anchorages to make sure they
are all in working order. Look for any other
loose or damaged seat belt system parts
that might keep a seat belt system from
performing properly. See your dealer to
have it repaired. Torn, frayed, or twisted
seat belts may not protect you in a crash.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
70 Seats and Restraints
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
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 Children066.
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 the lap belt portion of a
lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH system.
See Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) 072 for more information.
Never use a seat belt extender when
installing a child restraint. Never use
non-regulated aftermarket anchors or
attachments to secure a child restraint.
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:
.Instruction labels provided on the child
restraint
.Instruction manual provided with the
child restraint
.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.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Seats and Restraints 71
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 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 061 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.
Adjust the seat in front of a child restraint
to ensure proper installation according to
the child restraint manual. Move the front
seat forward to avoid contact between the
child restraint and the seat or any
accessories mounted to the seat.
Wherever a child restraint is installed, be
sure to follow the instructions that came
with the child restraint and secure the child
restraint properly.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
72 Seats and Restraints
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. This 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 restraint. 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
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 attached using only the top tether.
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 GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
Seats and Restraints 73
Recommended Methods for Attaching Child RestraintsRestraint Type Combined Weight of
the Child + Child Restraint Use Only Approved Attachment Methods Show with an X
LATCH-Lower
Anchors Only Seat Belt OnlyLATCH-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) 078 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Front Seat) 080. Child restraints built after March 2014 are
labeled with the maximum child weight,
with which the LATCH system can be used
for installing the child 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) 078 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Front Seat) 080.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
16897608) - 2024 - CRC - 1/23/23
74 Seats and Restraints
Lower Anchors
Lower anchors (1) are metal bars built into
the vehicle. There are two lower anchors for
each LATCH seating position that will
accommodate a child restraint with lower
attachments (2).
Top Tether Anchor
A top tether (3, 4) is used to secure the top
of the child restraint to the vehicle. A top
tether anchor is built into the vehicle. The
top tether attachment hook (2) on the child
restraint connects to the top tether anchor
in the vehicle in order to reduce the forward
movement and rotation of the child restraint
during driving or in the event of a crash.
The child restraint may have a single
tether (3) or a dual tether (4). Either will
have a single attachment hook (2) to secure
the top tether to the anchor.
Some child restraints with a top tether are
designed for use with or without the top
tether being attached. Others require thetop tether always to be attached. In Canada,
the law requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top tether, and that the
tether be attached. Be sure to read and
follow the instructions for your child
restraint.
Lower Anchor and Top Tether Anchor
Locations
Rear Seat
}:
Seating positions with top tether
anchors.
H: Seating positions with two lower
anchors.

Buick Encore GX Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Seats and Restraints 75
To assist in locating the lower anchors, each
row anchor position has a label, near the
crease on the seat cushion.
The lower anchors are behind the vertical
openings in the seat cushion trim located
below the anchor label.
To assist in locating the top tether anchors,
the top tether anchor symbol is near the
top tether anchors.
Top Tether Anchors
The top tether anchors for each rear seating
position are on the back of the rear
seatback. For models with a cargo cover,
remove the cargo cover before installing the
top tether. The cargo cover should remain
off while the top tether is in use. Be sure touse an anchor on the same side of the
vehicle as 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.
See
Where to Put the Restraint 071 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.