The seatbacks of the rear seats in the Toyota Tacoma can be folded down to provide additional interior flexibility when carrying items.
The rear bottom cushions can also be raised, allowing the available space behind the front seats to be configured as needed.
Folding down and returning the rear seatbacks
Folding down the rear seatbacks
1. Move the front seats forward far enough to provide sufficient clearance for the rear seatbacks to fold down without interference.
2. Stow the rear seat belt buckles and the rear center seat belt in their designated positions before folding the seats.
3. Use the seat belt hangers to keep the belts properly positioned and prevent them from becoming tangled while the Toyota Tacoma rear seatbacks are being folded.
4. Lower the head restraint on the rear center seat to its lowest position, and fold the head restraints on the rear outboard seats before lowering the seatbacks.
5. Pull the seatback lock release strap, release the locking mechanism, and carefully fold the seatback down.
Each rear seatback can be folded separately, allowing part of the rear seating area to remain available when only additional cargo space is required on one side.
Returning the rear seatbacks
1. Raise the rear seatback carefully until it reaches the upright position and locks securely into place.
Check that the seat belts are not twisted, pinched, or caught between the seatback and surrounding components before using the rear seats.
2. Return the head restraints on the rear outboard seats to their original positions before the seats are occupied.
WARNING
Observe all of the following precautions when operating the Toyota Tacoma rear seats.
Failure to follow these precautions may result in death or serious injury.
When folding the rear seatbacks down
- Do not fold the rear seatbacks down while the vehicle is being driven.
- Stop the Toyota Tacoma on level ground, set the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to P (automatic transmission) or N (manual transmission) before folding the rear seats.
- Do not allow anyone to sit on a folded seatback while driving, as the folded surface is not intended to be used as a passenger seat.
- Do not allow anyone to sit on the rear center seat if the rear right seat is folded down, because the seat belt buckle for the rear center seat belt is concealed under the folded seat and cannot be used correctly.
- Be careful not to get your hand, fingers, or clothing caught when folding the rear seatbacks.
- Adjust the position of the front seats before folding down the rear seatbacks so that the front seats do not interfere with the rear seatbacks during the folding operation.
After returning the rear seatback to the upright position
- Make sure that the seatback is
securely locked in position by
lightly pushing it back and forth before allowing anyone to occupy the seat.
If the seatback is not securely locked, the red marking will be visible on the seatback lock release strap. Confirm that the red mark is no longer visible before driving the Toyota Tacoma.
- Check that all rear seat belts are not twisted, trapped, or caught in the seatback after it has been returned to the upright position.
Raising and returning the bottom cushions
Raising the bottom cushions
1. Move the front seats forward to provide enough clearance for raising the Toyota Tacoma rear bottom cushions.
2. Stow the rear seat belt buckles properly so they are not trapped beneath or between the cushions.
3. Use the seat belt hangers to keep the belts organized and prevent them from becoming tangled during the cushion raising procedure.
4. Lift the seat cushion carefully and secure the strap button A to the seat back so that the raised cushion remains in the intended position.
Each bottom cushion may be raised separately, allowing the Toyota Tacoma rear seating and storage area to be configured independently on either side.
Returning the bottom cushions
Release the strap button A from the seat back and, while supporting the cushion with the other hand, carefully lower the bottom cushion back into its normal seating position.
Stow the retaining strap neatly in the bottom cushion after the cushion has been lowered.
Check that the seat belts are not twisted, pinched, or caught in the seatback or beneath the bottom cushion before the rear seats are used.
WARNING
Observe all of the following precautions when raising or returning the rear bottom cushions.
Failure to follow these precautions may result in death or serious injury.
When raising the bottom cushion
- Do not raise the bottom cushion while the Toyota Tacoma is being driven.
- Stop the vehicle on level ground, set the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to P (automatic transmission) or N (manual transmission) before operating the rear bottom cushions.
- Do not allow anyone to sit on the storage box while driving, as it is not designed to serve as a passenger seating position.
- Do not allow anyone to sit on the rear center seat if the rear right seat is raised, because the seat belt buckle for the rear center seat belt is then concealed on the bottom cushion and cannot be used correctly.
- Adjust the position of the front seats before raising the bottom cushions so that the front seats do not interfere with the bottom cushions during the raising operation.
When returning the bottom cushions
- Be careful not to get your hands, fingers, feet, or clothing pinched in the seat while lowering the cushion.
- Check that the rear seat belts are not twisted, trapped, or caught in the bottom cushions before allowing passengers to use the seats.
- Do not drive the Toyota Tacoma with the rear bottom cushion raised unless the seating configuration is being used as intended and no passenger is occupying that raised seating position.
