I’ve had my Toyota Fortuner for quite a while, and one issue I’ve kept having is the lack of storage space in the back. At this point, I just want to remove the darn things because I don’t need the extra seats anyways. I need to know how to remove Toyota Fortuner rear seats.

Michael Miserendino · Updated on Jan 7, 2022

Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.

Removing the rear seats from your Toyota Fortuner can be very tricky, especially if you don’t have the right tool for the job. You will need a 14mm socket wrench (preferably with a short extension) to remove the bolts that anchor each car seat. The seats are attached to the car by a plastic-covered, hinge-like mechanism on each side of the car (one for each seat).

To remove your rear Toyota Fortuner seats, you need to do the following:

Lift your Toyota Fortuner seats and strap them to the grab handle using the hook at the bottom of the seat. This prevents them from accidentally falling on you once you loosen their bolts.

Remove the left and right panels of the 2 against the rear wall of the car, adjacent to the seat. The cover is easily identifiable by the middle plastic piece which has two black “buttons” on it. Use light, upward pressure to shimmy the covers off.

Bring the seatback down to the floor, secure it, and remove the cover you loosened.

Push out the small rectangular cover in the middle of the now-exposed seat-hinge mechanism by placing your hand behind it and lightly pushing toward you.

Remove the remaining cover piece by repeating the previous step.

There will be one last plastic piece in the hinge mechanism that is clipped on the left and right sides to two metal pieces (near where the now-visible bolts are). Remove this by unclipping the plastic from the metal pieces and pushing the plastic slightly forward. This part should not be completely removed.

Use your 14mm socket wrench to remove the bolts on both sides of the frame.

Lift the seat back up. Make sure to clip the seat in again.

Remove the middle cover that is blocking access to the last remaining bolt. Push then pull lightly until it unclips from its restraints.

Put the seatback down. You should now be able to look down into the mechanism and see the last bolt.

Finally, take your 14mm socket wrench and remove the final bolt.

You will now have one seat completely out of the housing and ready for removal. Simply repeat the same process for your other seat and you will have created some respectable trunk space in your Toyota Fortuner.

Doing work on your car can be very dangerous, not just for you, but for your savings if you break something you can’t fix. Most repairs can cost a Fortuner, but with the right insurance you don’t have to worry about hearing any accidental snaps or pops.

It’s this simple: download the Jerry app or go to getjerry.com. In less than 45 seconds, Jerry collects all of your information from your existing insurer. Choose from competitive quotes from 50-plus top insurance companies and Jerry takes care of the rest—securing your new policy and helping you cancel your old one. The average Jerry user saves $879 a year on car insurance.

MORE:

Minivan vs SUV: Which one should I choose?

View full answer

WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY

Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.