It’s not terribly difficult to remove the seats from a Toyota Highlander—just remove the four bolts that attach the seat to the floor and lift the seat out. But before you do this, it’s important to follow some safety tips.

Maybe you need extra room for camping gear or a cross-country move. Whatever your reason is, you need some extra space in your Highlander, and removing the second row of seats creates that beautifully—this modular functionality is one of the great benefits of driving an SUV.

Stick around with our handy guide on how to remove the second row of seats from your Toyota Highlander step-by-step. We’ve even got some tips on cutting down on your

Toyota Highlander insurance costs

MORE:

How to find car insurance

Make safe driving pay

Get rewarded for safe driving. Earn points and unlock benefits. Totally free.

Start earning now

Can you remove the second-row seats from a Toyota Highlander?

Yes, but it’ll take a little effort. These seats aren’t designed to be taken in and out like those of a minivan, so you’ll need to be careful when taking them out.

Consider these safety tips before you take out the second row of seats:

Triple-check your airbags. There’s a chance the side airbags won’t work properly if you have a passenger in the backseat after you’ve removed the second row of seats. Make sure your backseat passengers are wearing their seatbelts and check your owner’s manual to ensure the airbags will still be effective.

Add a tarp or rug. Removing the second row of seats can expose metal brackets on the floor that can pose a hazard. Consider putting down a rug or tarp to keep those covered.

Hang on to those bolts. Keep the bolts and other parts stored safely for when you want to reinstall those seats.

Remember that you can always fold down the rear seats if you only need extra space temporarily.

How to remove the second-row seats from a Toyota Highlander

To add some extra space, follow these steps:

Locate the bolts underneath the seat. There are four in total: two in the front and two in the back.

Use a Torx bit. The Torx bit will help you unscrew the nuts in the front and back. You might need to apply some force.

Remove the bolts. Once the nuts are loosened and the bolts are freed, pull them out and tuck them away someplace safe for future use.

Lift the seats out of your Highlander. First, pull the seats straight up to free them from the floor. Then, carefully lift them out of the car so they don’t snag on anything.

Say bye to debris and add a floor cover. Your car’s floor might not look so cute after the seats are taken out. Spruce it up by adding a rug or other floor covering.

With all that extra space in your Highlander, you’re ready for anything: camping trips, work obligations, band practice, or just carting around some extra groceries.

MORE:

17 SUVs to avoid when buying a used vehicle

"I’m earning

awesome rewards

every week, just for driving safe!”

How do you put the back seats down in a Toyota Highlander?

If you only need a little extra space for a short time and don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can put the seats down instead of taking them out altogether. This is much easier than removing the seats, though it doesn’t give you quite as much space.

Here are the steps for folding down the seats:

Find your seat’s mechanism. It could be a string and strap model, one with a knob, or a model with a lever—your car’s manual will have this information.

Reach between the seats to grab the strings and pull on them while pushing the seat down.

Push the button/knob on the headrest while pushing the seat down.

Locate the lever near the seat belt locking clip and pull it while pushing the seat down.

MORE:

How to protect cloth car seats

How to find affordable Toyota insurance

Phew! Now that that’s all done, it’s time to make even more room—this time in your monthly budget by comparing

car insurance quotes online

with

Jerry

. Here’s how:

Download the Jerry app. We’re top-rated in the app store!

Sign up for free in less than a minute. All you need to provide is some information about yourself and your vehicles.

Chill while Jerry works wonders. Now you’ve got access to a network of over 50 insurance providers.

Jerry will show you only the best, most relevant quotes that will maximize your savings—users save $800 or more a year on average! It’s not a joke and is free to use.

“My
Jerry
rep was efficient and professional. It took about 10 minutes for them to find me my new Nationwide plan. Thank you, Jerry, for a wonderful, stress-free experience.” —Tonya R.