The Buckle to Drive feature that prevents drivers from shifting out of Park until the seat belt is buckled will be included as standard equipment on more upcoming GM models, including 2022 full-size trucks and SUVs. On some earlier models, the feature was a setting of Teen Driver Mode.
Technicians, service consultants, porters and other service department personnel should be aware of the Buckle to Drive feature and how it works. This information should be shared with customers who have questions about the feature as well.
Buckle to Drive Operation
The Buckle to Drive setting may be turned on at the factory, depending on the make and model, and will prompt the driver to buckle the seat belt when the ignition is on, the driver’s seat belt is unbuckled and the brake pedal is applied. Audible chimes will sound and a message will display on the Driver Information Center (DIC). (Fig 12)
Fig. 12
The driver cannot shift out of Park until the driver’s seat belt is bucked. If the seat belt remains unbuckled, the vehicle can be shifted out of Park once the feature times out and the DIC message is no longer displayed. The feature will remind driver’s to buckle up once during each ignition cycle.
Buckle to Drive can be turned off through the Settings menu on the infotainment screen; go to Settings > Vehicle > Buckle to Drive. On vehicles that include the feature as part of Teen Driver Mode, go to Settings > Vehicle > Teen Driver. The vehicle may need to be restarted to register the setting change.
TIP: If there is a concern about the transmission not shifting out of Park intermittently, check the Buckle to Drive setting before performing other diagnostic procedures.
For some fleet vehicles, Buckle to Drive will always be on and cannot be turned off. Shifting from Park will be prevented each time the vehicle is started if the driver’s seat belt is not buckled.
Production Rollout
Buckle to Drive was introduced as a feature of Teen Driver Mode on the following models:
- 2020 Colorado, Traverse, Malibu, Canyon
- 2021 Equinox
- 2022 Blazer
Buckle to Drive is a standard feature on the following models:
- 2021 CT4, CT5, Malibu, Corvette and Envision
- 2022 Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, Silverado, Sierra, Yukon, Hummer, and Escalade
Beginning in the 2023 model year, the Buckle to Drive feature on some models will also include the front passenger’s seat. The seat belts of the driver and front passenger will need to be buckled to shift out of Park. On these models, be sure that a briefcase, grocery bag, laptop or other device on the front passenger seat is not preventing the vehicle from being shifted out of Park.
– Thanks to Mike Waszczenko
You guys need to come out with how to put your transmission push button in to neutral when there’s no power to the vehicle