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can back seat head restraints be removed?

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Main Forum' started by Hannah Andersen, May 28, 2023.

  1. Hannah Andersen

    Hannah Andersen New Member

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    Can the head restraints on the back seats of the 2023 Prius be removed?

    I have my back seats down to create more cargo space. There's a nice space between the back of the front seats and the back seats that are down. I'm uncomfortable taking long road trips with family members with no spare tire and am considering buying an extra tire and sliding it in that space to prevent it from bouncing around in the cargo area.

    I would only need to remove the head restraint of one of the back seats to do this.

    Does anyone know:
    1. if the head restraint can be removed and, if so

    2. would there be room for a full-sized extra tire to fit in there
     
  2. CruisnGrrl

    CruisnGrrl Member

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    two of the 3 rear head restraints can be removed. I can't tell you if a spare tire would fit or not.
     
    Hannah Andersen likes this.
  3. Hannah Andersen

    Hannah Andersen New Member

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    Do you know how to remove them or how I could find out how to remove them? The owner's manual is worthless.
     
  4. CruisnGrrl

    CruisnGrrl Member

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    They slide up and out much like any adjustable headrest I've experienced in a car. Press a little clip and you can adjust up/down or remove the headrest.
     
  5. aforkosh

    aforkosh Active Member

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    The manual is not totally useless, although cluttered by clauses to escape liability for anything gone wrong. In particular, many, if not most, of the links in the PDF version are broken (i.e., clicking on a section reference in the Table of Contents thumbnail or a highlighted page reference in the main text goes nowhere).

    The information on adjusting and removing head restraints is on pages 140-143 of the manual. Note that because of the low roofline, the manual recommends lowering the rear seats to remove the restraints.
     
    Tom_06 likes this.
  6. Sharol

    Sharol Member

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    Just a comment on the pdf manual. Be sure to open it in Acrobat DC (or whatever your free version is called), and then the search (ctrl +F) works great to track down the info you need. If you open it in an Internet browser, there is less search functionality. You can also move directly to a page if you know the number by just changing the page number at the top of the document.
     
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  7. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I can enter page numbers with Firefox's pdf reader, but yes, a standalone one will give better functionality. I'm going to plug Sumatra PDF. It is a 'lighter' reader than Adobe's.
     
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  8. Blackat

    Blackat Member

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    Took mine out first day. Only the left and right can be removed.
    Pretty easy.
     
  9. GeoJ

    GeoJ Member

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    Did you determine if a full-sized spare tire would fit in the space? Thanks.
     
  10. GeoJ

    GeoJ Member

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    repeat
     
  11. Blizzard_Persona

    Blizzard_Persona Senior Member

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  12. GeoJ

    GeoJ Member

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    Interesting. Wondering if having the front seat in that position is more comfortable for long distance driving.
     
  13. Blizzard_Persona

    Blizzard_Persona Senior Member

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    I set them up like this when someone asked about camping in the back of the new prime, and asked for pictures with the head rests off and seats all the way back.
     
  14. Blizzard_Persona

    Blizzard_Persona Senior Member

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    Duplicate. This website is nuts again.
     
  15. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    For hauling purposes, I like front passenger seat that folds flat forward.
     
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  16. GeoJ

    GeoJ Member

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    I wonder if I can fit a small kayak inside with the front seat flat forward like the picture in this thread? Anyone know
     
  17. Sharol

    Sharol Member

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    I wish there was a laugh icon for the like button. I know you are serious, but who would have thought about that. My gen 3 could take 8' 2x4's with the front seatback reclined if that helps. Not sure how the measurements coincide, though.
     
  18. Teleplayer

    Teleplayer New Member

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    Seems like it would be a lot harder to see out the windshield with the seat in that position :D
     
    #17 Teleplayer, Oct 10, 2023
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2023