How to Fold Down Rear Seats in a Car? | The Manual Release Steps

Folding rear seats requires locating your vehicle’s specific release lever, strap, or power switch before pushing the backrest forward.

Whether you’re hauling lumber, packing for a road trip, or giving your dog more room to sprawl, the routine is simple once you know what to look for. Most rear seats fold by lowering the head restraints, clearing the seat belts, and using a release lever, strap, or trunk/cargo-area latch to unlock the backrest. The exact spot of that release varies by make, model, and trim level — so knowing the three common locations covers nearly every car on the road.

Before You Start: The Three Prep Steps

Skip these steps and the mechanism might jam, or you’ll trap a seat belt behind the seatback for weeks. The prep takes under a minute.

• Lower or remove the rear head restraints. Many seats won’t fold flat with them fully extended, and several owner’s manuals require this step outright.
• Move the front seats forward. If you’re folding a rear seatback that’s long, sliding the front seats ahead gives the backrest room to swing down without hitting anything.
• Unbuckle and route the seat belts outboard. Folded seats with buckled or twisted belts won’t latch correctly, and the belt webbing can get pinched and damaged.

On many vehicles, the seat belt webbing routes through a dedicated guide on the seatback itself to keep it clear of the folding mechanism — tuck it there if yours has one.

Where Is The Fold Release On My Seat?

Car makers mount the release in one of three places, and sometimes more than one. Walk around the rear of your vehicle and check these spots first.

Side-of-seat lever or strap. Look at the top outer edge of the seatback, near the head restraint. A small lever, loop, or pull strap is the most common manual release across sedans, hatchbacks, and crossovers — you pull it forward, then push the seatback down.

Trunk or cargo-area handle. Open the tailgate or trunk and look at the back side of the seatback for a latch, handle, or release. Some cars have one release that drops both sides of the split seat; others have two, one per side.

Seatback button or power switch. Hyundai’s 2026 owner’s manual describes a power-fold variant where you fold the seatback forward by pressing the seatback angle control switch and holding it until the seat locks. On the same platform, a cargo-area switch folds and unfolds the seat with the press of a button — with the vehicle in Park and the seat belt unfastened.

Folding And Locking It Flat — Step By Step

The mechanism varies, but the motion is the same once you find the release. Here’s the reliable sequence, drawing on the Hyundai and Honda owner’s manual procedures that spell it out most clearly.

1. Pull the release lever or strap — or press and hold the power switch in the cargo area until the seat stops moving.
2. Push the backrest forward toward the front seat. Don’t force a power seat; if it doesn’t complete the fold on its own, some manuals direct you to gently push it the rest of the way.
3. Confirm it locks. Manuals repeatedly tell owners to verify the seatback is fully latched before driving. A folded seat that isn’t locked can shift in a sudden stop, or snap back up while you’re loading cargo around it.

If you’re carrying cargo and then plan to fit a passenger next to it, remember you can fold just one side of a 60/40 split seat and leave the other side upright for a person. For rides that need a flat load floor in a compact package, our top-rated folding car seat roundup breaks down which models offer the lowest load-in height and easiest one-hand releases.

Putting The Seat Back Up Without Damage

Raising the seat is the reverse, with one extra step people often skip. Pull the backrest upright (or press the power switch rearward) until you hear or feel a click — then tug lightly on the seatback to confirm the latch engaged. Walking away after a silent, partial engagement is how a seat ends up loose on the next drive. Re-route the seat belts through their guides and raise the head restraints while you’re at it, so the seat is actually ready for a passenger.