Rear Seat Back Release.....PICS of what you want to hook

I recently bought a used '07 Tacoma double cab and the '40' side of the rear seat back couldn't be released to fold down due to no pull strap. I took the back off the '60' side to get a visual of what I was dealing with and what to manipulate to get the latch to release. The pics below show the tools I used and the rod that opens the latching mechanism............Hopefully the pics will help others with this issue

Tools I used....

The Rod that you need to hook with the coat hanger is only about 1" below the opening above it that you'll be fishing thru .......where the strap is supposed to be....

Another couple of views.........


Once you have hooked the rod and released the seat you can get into the back of it and tie something on to the rod to function as the strap did. You will have to remove the 2 corner bolt covers to access the 2 screws that hold the back panel in place. You will break a couple of the tabs off these covers when you remove them but they'll hold just fine with 1 tab when you put them back on.


This pic shows the hooks on the back of the panel that allows it to be slid out/in for removal/installation after the 2 screws are removed

I just put a black zip tie around the rod and run the tag end up thru the opening for the strap for now

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good to know. thanks for posting this

 

The tab on my 2010 broke off.... I tried following your pictures but i guess they redesigned it for the 2010. In mine it's literally a rod with a tiny hole at the end of it. it was impossible to fish out with a clothes hanger, so I ended up pulling the plastic piece on the hole and then I could put my fingers down to pull up on the latch.

I ended up putting a ziptie through the tiny hole at the end of the rod and then used that.

What a poor redesign in the 2010.... I guess it's a tiny rivet that attaches that little hole to the strap, and that's what broke off.