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1Gen-SequoiaGeneral discussion forum for the first generation 2001 to 2007 Toyota Sequoia.
This is a discussion thread titled "New Owner with Question on Third Row Seat Removal", within the 1Gen-Sequoia forum, part of the SUV Forums category.
This is my first post here and I appreciate the wealth of information I've already found at the site. We recently traded my wife's '01 Acura MDX on an '01 Sequoia SR5 4X4. We needed a vehicle with more room and a better 4WD system to get to our vacation home in Lake Tahoe during the winter. I was not impressed with the MDX's abilities in deep snow and lack of stability control. Meanwhile my '03 4Runner V8 Sport 4X4 does wonderfully in deep snow. Since this was a safety issue and we've been so happy with the 4Runner, it seemed like a "no brainer" trade. We found an '01 in excellent condition with 51K miles at a good price. So far we've been very happy with it.
One issue we've had, however, is that it seems impossible to remove the third row seats. When pulling up on the two levers to actuate the "hooks" that secure the seats to the cleats in the floor, it appears that the "hooks" don't retract enough to allow the seats to be removed. I was able to get one seat out using a screwdriver to push down the "hook" enough to remove the seat. The other one won't budge no matter what I do. Seems like the cable inside the seats may need adjustment to provide for more actuation of the mounting "hooks"? I was wondering if anyone else has run into this and if it's possible to fix on your own? I'm sure having the dealer tear apart both seats to adjust the cable mechanisms would not be cheap! Or, is there some trick to removal of the third row seats that I'm missing? I have several friends that have Sequoias so I intend to compare removal of our third row seats to theirs. I did a forum search and couldn't come up with any information on this topic. Any advice that could be offered would be greatly appreciated!
When you mean the two levers, you don't mean the two big black metal hoops at the back of the seat do you?
If so that is your problem. You push down on the red lever and then pull up on the left of the two black hoops. The seats should slide right out.
I took both seats out of my '01 this weekend and it was pretty easy. The left one slid right out, but the right one stuck when the clasp didn't release properly.
Yes - I was following the directions labelled on the back of the seat (and in the manual) by pushing up on the red lever and pulling up on the middle black handle, as you described. When doing that the seats would not release. It seems like the 2 levers are not actuating the engagement mechanism at the front of the seat enough to clear it from the cleats in the floor. I was wondering if anyone had encountered this and if there's an adjustment for the engagement mechanism at the front of the seat? It's kind of hard to describe what's going on so I hope I'm clearly articulating the problem. Thanks!
Tom
Quote:
Originally Posted by Desertnate
When you mean the two levers, you don't mean the two big black metal hoops at the back of the seat do you?
If so that is your problem. You push down on the red lever and then pull up on the left of the two black hoops. The seats should slide right out.
I took both seats out of my '01 this weekend and it was pretty easy. The left one slid right out, but the right one stuck when the clasp didn't release properly.
I agree, sometimes, they come right out, sometimes it takes some elbogrease. Make sure they are all the way to the back because they do slide forward, as if you didn't know. I find that a good swift jerk while holding the levers kind of breaks them loose. I also have the 2001 SR5 and it has taken me awhile to get use to taking them in and out, but it is getting easier. It might be tha the previous owner never had them out that much and the locking meccanism is just tight....wd40 baby!
Yes - I was following the directions labelled on the back of the seat (and in the manual) by pushing up on the red lever and pulling up on the middle black handle, as you described. When doing that the seats would not release. It seems like the 2 levers are not actuating the engagement mechanism at the front of the seat enough to clear it from the cleats in the floor. I was wondering if anyone had encountered this and if there's an adjustment for the engagement mechanism at the front of the seat? It's kind of hard to describe what's going on so I hope I'm clearly articulating the problem. Thanks!
Tom
My right side 3rd row seat hangs like you describe. It was a royal pain when pulling the seat out last weekend.
I tried soaking the locking mechanism at the front of the rear seats with WD40. Didn't seem to help at all. It really seems to me that an adjustment is required on my rear seats to allow the locking mechanism to retract enough to clear the mounting points in the floor. I'm going to run it by the dealer today for a quick look to see what they say. It doesn't help that I have a bad back either and can't really apply a lot of force to pull the seats out. That's one thing we definitely miss about the MDX - the third row seats that fold into the floor. I guess that's the price you have to pay for a more durable body-on-frame design like the Sequoia's. We'll need to pull the third row seats fairly often to haul our 2 large dogs and luggage up to our vacation home, so I need to get this sorted out. Thanks for the help/suggestions!
I found that it seems harder if the seat is tilted up. I have no problem removing either side but the seats need to be all the way down just before latching on the rear. I lift the red lever and pull straight back, not up, and they slide right out. Try it maybe it will help.
I found that it seems harder if the seat is tilted up. I have no problem removing either side but the seats need to be all the way down just before latching on the rear. I lift the red lever and pull straight back, not up, and they slide right out. Try it maybe it will help.
Agree, I've found they come out much easier if the backs are folded down first.
I agree with the last posts as well. I just went out and tried various combination with my 2001 Sequoia third row seats.
If you have the back folded down and the seat latched into the floor at the back, and then lift up both the red lever and the black handle next to it simultaneously (while it is latched to the floor), you can then lift up a little on the back (which disengages the rear-most latches) and pull rearward to disengage the seat from the front latches. It take a minor bit of effort to do this, but it isn't strenuous.
However, I cannot get the seat out if the back isn't folded all the way down or if I disengage the seat from its rear latching before using the red and black handles.
Hope this helps.
__________________
2001 Sequoia SR5 4X4
with Colgan Car Mask, JBA Headers, Nokian WR A.W.P. 2 SUV Tires, Exact Fit Seat Covers, Cargo Net
Thanks everybody! I took it to the dealer and he was able to yank them right out, so I guess nothing is wrong. I think I had the seatback angle too steep when trying to remove before. I was able to get them out (with difficulty) when the back locks were just unlatched and pulling straight back, rather than up. I'll try Achilles Heal's suggestion and see if that improves things, as I believe I always had the rear seat locks unlatched prior to trying to pull it out. I've had 2 back surgeries and I need to be really careful with operations like this. I probably wasn't appyling enough force before, combined with too steep of an angle for effective removal. Sounds like a good job to train my strong 14 year old son to do! Thanks again for the suggestions
Don't forget that the seat has to be slid all the way back. I have tugged and tugged at many different angles, only to re-read the instructions to be reminded to slide the seat back. Usually, I then use the black handle on the far right to pull the seat back all the way. The seat seems to slide forward a bit when I put the seats in.
Once the seats are all the way back, using the left black handle and the red lever pulls the seat out pretty easily when pulling with the back of the seat about 6 inches off the floor.
If you're still having problems after you've tried all the suggestions, take the seats out and adjust them. Taking the bottom apart is just a matter of unsrewing a few screws and bolts and removing the plastic cover. Underneath you'll find the slider assembly which consist of quiete a few metal parts which could be out of allignment or bent from someone pulling on them in the wrong way. Hope this helps.
Both the second and third row seats are a pain. Even if you manage to get them unattached from the brackets on the first try, you have to lift them out(they're heavy and awkward) and then find a place to store them. We like our seq., except for the seat situation. My wife has been out and about several times where she found an oversized object that she couldn't live without, and she had to call me to bring my 98 exploder since she couldn't create enough room in the seq. (Don't suggest we leave the seats sitting in the parking lot until we can come back and get 'em). Even the Expedition has power fold down seats in the back rows. Wake up Toyota! This is even more important than second row captains chairs!
Re: New Owner with Question on Third Row Seat Removal
I searched this site 1st for a solution and found this thread. While it appears that most of you are simply commenting on the difficulty of removing the 3rd seat, I encountered a problem disengaging the rear seat hooks (3rd row, right seat, right side) taht someone else may encounter. After working with the dealer, we found the push plate to release the roller mechanism for the latch had inverted. If you find yourself with this problem, use the opposite seat for reference points. The solution was to use a long screwdriver (actually one with some bend would have been more helpful) to engage the roller and release the seat. Then adjusting the roller back below the push plate fixed the problem. Hopefully, someone else finds this of value. Cost me $30 but worth it.
New Owner with Question on Third Row Seat Removal
Linear Mode
