GXL Middle Row Seat Latch

[qkevinto Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close qkevinto]

Hi everyone! Just got my 2013 facelifted GXL last week and absolutely love the thing!

I've got a question about the middle row left seat latch at the back that's accessible from the third row or the cargo area – does anyone have a hard time getting the seat to fold from using that latch?

I feel like I'm going to snap that plastic latch if I try to release the seat using it and have yet to come up with the courage to really wrench on it to try and fold the seat so I've just been using the lever on the top of the seat instead. The latch definitely works as when the seat is released from its locked position, the latch loosens up and I can lift and hold the latch all the way up to prevent the seat from locking back into place, but if I lower it back down until the seat lock into place, it becomes really hard to release it again using the back latch. Do I really just need to pull it hard?

[CamJam Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CamJam]

Hi everyone! Just got my 2013 facelifted GXL last week and absolutely love the thing!

I've got a question about the middle row left seat latch at the back that's accessible from the third row or the cargo area – does anyone have a hard time getting the seat to fold from using that latch?

I feel like I'm going to snap that plastic latch if I try to release the seat using it and have yet to come up with the courage to really wrench on it to try and fold the seat so I've just been using the lever on the top of the seat instead. The latch definitely works as when the seat is released from its locked position, the latch loosens up and I can lift and hold the latch all the way up to prevent the seat from locking back into place, but if I lower it back down until the seat lock into place, it becomes really hard to release it again using the back latch. Do I really just need to pull it hard?

I find that I needed to really lift it all the way out and up - and then it's easier. If you don't rotate it to it's maximum then for some reason it's got a little bit still stuck and will break.

I found that out when looking at it when I bought mine - I went to fold the seat down and (because it wasn't mine at that stage) ripped the bloody surrounding plastic off. Needless to say, I identified it when it became clear that this was going to be my car and got them to replace or repair it before I picked it up.