Chevy Silverado is a 6-seater truck that can easily accommodate 6 to 7 persons. It has 2-row seating with enough space for leg room. However, many people complain that the back seats of their Silverado truck won’t fold down after few months due to a problem with the latch cord.
Chevy Silverado Back Seat Won’t Fold Down because of a faulty or jammed release button, inappropriate functioning of its lock, and absence of good quality lubricants. In addition, the issue comes when something is stuck under the seats, like a thick carpet, blanket, toys, or cushions. The thick upholstery and carpets decrease the ground clearance between them and the floor. Corrosion on metal parts and disconnection of release cables cause this problem.
You should thoroughly inspect the seats and their parts before going to tour. You can face issues during loading and loading if it gets stuck.
Why the Rear Seat will not fold down in Chevy Silverado?
Here are common problems in Chevy Silverado that will not let you fold down its back seats.
Jammed release button
The release button is located under the seats for its movement in different directions. It is also beneficial for folding purposes.
The faulty release button can cause issues, and you cannot fold your truck’s seats. This is because the release button contains a spring for its internal functioning.
The spring loses its flexibility when you use them for a longer time. Sometimes it becomes faulty when you press it again and again.
The issue also comes when you press the button several times to put your grocery bags.
The jamming problem comes when you do not use this button for a longer time. Then, the dust particles can jam this button and cannot function well.
You have to change this button with its whole internal parts for appropriate opening and closing. It is not repairable due to its smaller size and faulty mechanism.
Faulty lock
Back seat locks are present in the Chevy Silverado for folding and unfolding purposes. However, the faulty locks cause the issue when you want to place your bags after folding the rear ones.
The locks become faulty because of their use for a longer time. These are made up of metal parts at more risk of rust than other materials.
In addition, the presence of corrosion on their internal side also makes them malfunction, and they cannot work.
The lock also becomes stuck and jammed after some time. The system cannot fold down the seat when you press this button several times.
The hard pressing of the lock also breaks its internal parts, like the spring and locking mechanism. So you have to take care while using them.
Do not press it too hard because it can damage them. Moreover, take your truck to the service center as soon as possible if the lock is not working.
Absence of lubrication
The inappropriate lubrication on the sides of the back seats causes difficulty in opening and closing when you direly need them.
Sometimes people do not maintain their vehicles appropriately, which can damage several parts. The damage to different parts also increases its repairing cost.
The presence of dust and dirt particles on the latching mechanism’s sides causes difficulty closing.
These dust particles increase the friction between two metal parts, and you can easily hear a clicking noise while folding them.
You can only hear the clicking sound, but it won’t fold down. You feel difficulty in this situation because you have heavy luggage bags in your hand.
Moreover, the inappropriate lubrication issue comes when you do not use your vehicle for a longer time. Long-term storage can cause the jamming of parts, and these cannot work well.
You should adequately cover your trucks when these are not in your use. It is also better to lubricate its parts with graphite lubricants.
Something stuck under the rear seats
Sometimes the little foreign particles are stuck under the seats, and you do not know about it. These tiny particles or foreign objects obstruct downward movement.
The foreign objects like stones from the outside during traveling cause this problem. Moreover, sometimes children forget their toys in their trucks.
The toys accidentally come under them and cause hindrance in their movement. However, stuffed toys cannot cause severe issues.
Metal or plastic toys are the real problems because of their hard material. The children also put wrappers under them after eating foodstuffs.
In addition, dust accumulation also causes this problem when you do not clean or wash them from the inner side.
It is necessary to completely maintain the cleanliness of your vehicle. You should remove all the wrappers from them after eating.
Latch cord issues
The latch cord or release cable is present under the bottom side of the seats. These cables become faulty, and you cannot fold them down.
The latch cable also breaks and cause problem issue in their movement. The breakage of the latch cable occurs due to consecutive use.
The harsh opening also causes this cable to get separated from the bottom side, and it cannot function well.
The disconnected cable inhibits their movement, and you feel difficulty. You have to take your truck to the authorized service centers.
It is necessary to replace the cord cable with a new one for appropriate use. You should always prefer experienced mechanics that can attach them correctly.
Corrosion
The corrosion is the major issue in these parts and increases their friction. The corrosion sometimes also causes jamming of latch cables and their metal parts, and you can not fold down the back seats.
The humidity can increase the risk of corrosion there. The accidental spillage of water under them causes rust.
The children also spill beverages and water, making their metal material corrosive. You should clear the corrosion from these parts to reduce the friction between the latch.
Make the solution of dishwashing detergent and warm water to clear the carrion. Moreover, you can also use the anti-corrosive spray on their surface.
Little clearance
The little clearance between the upholstery and the floor cause issue in the folding. Sometimes people place their blankets and comforters under them to save space.
These comforters decrease the clearance between the upholstery and the floor. In addition, using foamy or thick carpet on the floor can also cause this problem.
Many people also put their books under them, decreasing ground clearance. The placement of cushions, blankets, shoes, and cloth is also problematic.
You should place all of your accessories in the luggage or cargo area to get rid of these difficulties. It is also better to use thin carpets on the floor for better ground clearance.
Forget to disconnect the seatbelt
The seatbelts from the roof are connected with buckles on their bottom side. Sometimes people forget to disconnect these belts, which causes hindrance in the closing.
In addition, you forget to do this when you come out in an emergency for luggage placement. You should disconnect the buckle from its center side for appropriate closing.
Sometimes the belt buckles get stuck, and you cannot separate the belts from them. You should lubricate the seatbelt buckles for easy separation after 4 to 5 months.
Issue with upholstery
The thick upholstery causes a problem when you want to fold down the rear row of your truck. It can be a manufacturing fault that manufacturers forgot to disconnect the upholstery from the center.
Moreover, there is foamy material beneath the upholstery. The foamy material becomes faulty, and you cannot close the seats.
The spillage of water and drinks on the foam causes their swelling and decreases its floor clearance. You should clean the water from the upholstery and make them dry.
How do I fold down the back seat in Chevy Silverado?
The Chevy Silverado seat folding is an easy process, but it requires little technique and knowledge. You need to use the release button to fold and unfold them.
The latch cord or release cable is located under these and you have to release them to fold.
This release cord is present for its closing and opening. You must remove the plastic cover from the hole and slide it in.
When you slide in this cord, it can close the rear seats, and you can put your luggage in it.
Why would you fold down back seats in Chevy Silverado?
Folding the truck’s rear seats is necessary when putting your luggage in them. Also, it helps shift material when you change your house.
Paying the other trucks and vehicles for loading and unloading luggage is very costly. So instead, you can fold the rear ones and place the small furniture in these areas.
It is beneficial for a picnic to place your camping accessories and luggage in this area. In addition, it can provide plenty of space to set your large bags when planning road trips.
It is also helpful to rest at night when there are no restaurants or hotels nearby for a night’s stay. Instead, fold the rear-end row and put your mattress there to take a short nap.
It is also a better place to adjust your sports kit during traveling.
What do people say about this?
I surveyed about 663 chevy Silverado owners in America to take their reviews about the issues with the folding of back seats.
Out of 663 people, 459 (69%) added that their back seats got stuck and won’t fold down when they wanted to place their luggage after doing grocery.
121 (18%) people added that the issue mostly comes when you do not lubricate the parts appropriate with graphite lubricant for a longer time.
The remaining 83 (13%) people said they did not face this issue because they kept their trucks clean and planned their scheduled maintenance.
The Chevy Silverado owner said: “The back seats won’t fold down when I want to nap at night while traveling”.
The other user mentioned: “It becomes problematic for me because I am holding luggage in my hand, and the seats won’t fold down”.
The third person said: “I never faced this issue because I use graphite and anti-corrosive spray to decrease the friction between all metal parts”.
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