KMiller13

I am new to this forum so I hope that this question hasn't been asked. Or, if it has, that some will kindly direct me to the responses on that thread. I have a 2013 LX 570 which should be a very roomy vehicle. And I also have 2 Great Dane year-old "puppies" - more like mini-horses - that need space for one of their favorite activities...car rides. While I like that I can put the 3rd row up electronically and they stay upright, I have yet to figure out how to get the 2nd row/middle row out of the way. The seats will fold forward and lock, staying put; however it doesn't maximize the "floor space" for the pups to roam. They want to stand on the backs of the seats, which I really don't want given their weight and their likelihood of damaging the seat. I can flip the seat into an upright position like I am letting someone gain access to the 3rd row, but it doesn't lock upright. As soon as the car accelerates, the seat comes tumbling down...scaring my wimpy pups. I've called the local Lexus dealer and they have no idea, but don't think the middle row can be locked upright. Is this truly the case? If so, my car went from being my dream car to a nightmare, giving me much less room for the dogs than several other cars I looked at where the rows fold flat. I've tried to rig a ratchet strap to make the seats stay upright, but not only is it pretty trashy looking in a vehicle as nice as a Lexus, it's a pain in the back side to do every time I want to take them for a quick ride...and pretty annoying during the ride because the seat isn't "locked" and rubs against the front seat, making a squeaking sound. First world problems, I know, but this one has me annoyed.....
Any help or thoughts? Thanks in advance!

hzhao

The second row seats should be fold and standup against back of the front seat. Just folding the setback, you have only done half of the folding.

hzhao

Here is the instruction on fully folding the second row seats:

hzhao

Not sure the definition of "upright locking". It should be pretty tight when it is in upright position. I never had the issue when car accelerates and seats came off the upright position. It is spring loaded and you may want to check if the spring has broken or loose.

REDHORSE

The piece you are missing I believe is tucked in the bottom of the second row seats is a fabric strap with a hook on the end. To keep the seats upright you unravel the strap and place the hook around the hand hold next to the door frame. You then secure the strap to itself with velcro. It is a terrible design, but it is what it is.

hzhao

You are correct. I have never used stripe and felt it is pretty secure. Here is the illustration:

Reggie1

Yep, the strap and hooks that are rolled up under the seats are the key. The system is pretty cheesy for a supposed luxury vehicle, but I'll bet Toyota went with the straps thinking that so few people carry cargo in the area that they would save a few dollars for the profit column.

Getting the straps re-rolled and stowed properly takes some trial and error. Roll too tight or too loose and the hook is in the wrong orientation to snap into the retaining clip under the seat.

docboy

Good to know, I was wondering about this too. A few times my daughter and her friend would sit in the 3rd row for fun, and this fold up 2nd row chair would come flying down onto their toes every time I stopped the truck!

vgg659

My 2006 Lexus GX470's rear seat locking mechanism was MUCH better than this. Disappointed.

UZ214

this has been the LX and LC method since the 1998 I think. the GX460 isn't any better as well. I have not owned the 470 so can't tell.