I’ve been utilizing our long-term 2023 Toyota Sienna as a shifting car over the previous few weeks, so I’m getting quite conversant in the cargo space and the way issues work. Its cavernous quantity of area is in fact pleasant, however I’ve one specific bone to choose with the third-row seats.
For no matter cause, the third row within the Sienna doesn’t lock right into a down place. It makes use of gravity to maintain it in place when you’ve “stowed” it. I’ve been driving round with that third row down more often than not, and while you go over bumps or giant heaves, the seats will actually hop up and down. You’ll be able to hear the sections of seat shifting round, and I’ve even caught the “40” portion of the 40/60 break up fold shifting excessive sufficient to see it within the rearview mirror. This smaller portion of the third row is significantly lighter, which is presumably what’s permitting it to maneuver round extra. Quite a lot of complaints for a similar factor may be discovered on the NHTSA’s official grievance part. A few of these people declare the seats totally prolonged into the up place attributable to being jostled about, and whereas that hasn’t occurred to me but, it certain is disconcerting to see and listen to them bouncing round again there.
You’ll be able to remedy this downside by both placing sufficient weight on the third row in cargo objects or by simply placing the third row up for on a regular basis utilization. However that simply shouldn’t be the case, as a result of the third row ought to lock right into a down place such that you want to pull a latch or one thing of the kind to unlock it.
The precise loading and unloading strategy of the van is hindered by the shifting seats, too. Since they’re simply kind of floating in place, they bob up and down as you shove objects on high and over them (notably the smaller 40 part of the row), making a ground that’s something however flat. It’s notably annoying while you’re making an attempt to tug a heavy merchandise from deeper contained in the cargo space out of the van, as you first have to carry it over the vanguard of the bobbing seat, after which it would naturally slide out. A locking mechanism to maintain these seats in place would remedy all these issues, so we’d like to see that in a refresh for the Sienna down the highway.
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