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Rear seat fold flat?

77K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  John S  
#1 ·
I'm new to the forum and saw my first Transit yesterday (a cargo). From reading here and talking to my salesman, I understand the rear bench can't be removed.

Does anyone know if the seat backs can fold forward and lay flat so that things can be stacked on top? I think the eight passenger standard length mid roof will be best, but likely won't make much use of the rear bench.
 
#2 ·
All the rear seats are removable. I need to remove my seats to do some testing this weekend. I will take pictures.
 
#4 ·
#7 ·
See pp. 102 et seq. of this PDF of the Owner's Manual:

http://www.fordservicecontent.com/F...log/owner_information/2015-Transit-Owners-Manual-version-3_om_EN-US_10_2014.pdf

In other threads, it has been shown that the forward rows of bench seats can be removed by using a screwdriver to mimic the Quick Release handles shown here, and dado6 has confirmed on the Actual Delivery . . . thread that the seat brackets in the floor are recessed after removal of the bench seats.

http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/...aforum.com/purchasing-ordering/3986-actual-delivery-custom-ordered-transit.html
 
#8 ·
Thanks Peter. From the manual, it looks like only seats from 12 and 15 passenger versions are meant to be removable - my guess is only for the configurations where one is left with little cargo space (standard length 12 seat or mid length 15). My presumption then is the rear seat on the 8 seat variant lacks levers.

I find it funny that there is a warning about placing things on a folded seat since those items can become projectiles in a crash. As if items in the cargo area can't become projectiles? For real safety a cage or other bulkhead is necessary.
 
#11 ·
There is certainly no doubt that product liability tort lawyers and vehicle manufacturing company lawyers are now part of the equation in vehicle design in recent years --- in some ways good and other ways just annoying.

We all know that all sorts of things can become projectiles inside a vehicle that stops abruptly. But tort lawyers will sue a company for making seats, just as one example, that can be folded flat to increase the chance that an 8ft stepladder laid flat on top of folded rear steats might fly into the back of the head of the driver in a front impact crash.

The auto companies try to protect themselves from possible product liability lawsuits by limiting our conveniences. It is the world we live in.