Buick Encore: Airbag System / 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 instrument panel when the vehicle is started.

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The words ON and OFF, or 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, or the symbol for on or off, will be visible. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.

The passenger sensing system turns off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag (if equipped) 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. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a properly seated occupant and determine if the front outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag (if equipped) should be allowed to inflate or not.

According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly secured in a rear seat in the correct child restraint for their weight and size.

Whenever possible, children aged 12 and under should be secured in a rear seating position.

Never put a rear-facing child seat in the front. This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great if the airbag inflates.

Warning

A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the passenger frontal 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 passenger frontal airbag inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward position.

Even if the passenger sensing system has turned off the front outboard passenger airbag(s), no system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though the airbag(s) are off.

Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front seat, even if the airbag is off. If securing a forward-facing child restraint in the front outboard passenger seat, always move the seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure child restraints in the rear seat. Consider using another vehicle to transport the child when a rear seat is not available.

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag (if equipped) if:

• The front outboard passenger seat is unoccupied.
• The system determines that an infant is present in a rear-facing infant seat.
• The system determines that a small child is present in a child restraint.
• The system determines that a small child is present in a booster seat.
• A front outboard passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of time.
• A front outboard passenger seat is occupied by a smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown child restraints.
• There is a critical problem with the airbag system or the passenger sensing system. When the passenger sensing system has turned off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag (if equipped), the OFF indicator will light and stay lit as a reminder that the airbags are off. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn on the front outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag (if equipped) anytime the system senses that a person of adult size is sitting properly in the front outboard passenger seat. When the passenger sensing system has allowed the airbags to be enabled, the ON indicator will light and stay lit as a reminder that the airbags are active.

For some children who have outgrown child restraints and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system may or may not turn off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag (if equipped), depending upon the person's seating posture and body build. Everyone in the vehicle who has outgrown child restraints should wear a seat belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that person.

Warning

If the airbag readiness light ever comes on and stays on, it means that something may be wrong with the airbag system. To help avoid injury to yourself or others, have the vehicle serviced right away. See Airbag Readiness Light for more information, including important safety information.