DIY Remove the Rear Seat in a Saturn Ion
by Blaze JohnsonThe Saturn Ion was built between 2003 and 2007. Much like its Chevrolet Cobalt cousin, the Ion was based off of GM's delta platform and featured a 2.2-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine. Although the small nature of the vehicle prohibits an extremely large cargo capacity, the split-folding rear seats offer greater versatility when transporting large items. If you need to completely remove the rear seat for an a little added space or need to retrieve a lost item that was accidentally dropped underneath the rear cushion, you can perform the task without much effort.
Step 1
Move the front seats up for added workspace when removing the rear seat cushion. Push in the passenger side of the rear seat cushion towards the trunk area of the vehicle. Lift up on the cushion so the locking tabs on the floor will disengage from the metal bar located attached to the seat. Repeat the process on the driver’s side. Once the metal bar is disengaged from both the driver- and passenger-side locking tabs, simply lift the cushion out of the vehicle.
Step 2
Open the trunk and pull the seat-release handles (one for each seat, located near the underside of the rear deck). Fold the seats down and locate the metal release tab on the outer hinge assembly. Press in the metal release tab with a screwdriver and lift up on the outboard seat back corner to release that end from the hinge assembly. Once the outboard side is released, slide off the other side of the seat back from the center pin located on the lower anchor assembly.
Step 3
Remove the folding seats from the vehicle and store them away inside your home or garage. Installation of the seat cushion and folding seat backs is the reverse of disassembly.
References
Things You'll Need
- Flat-head screwdriver
Writer Bio
In the spring of 2008, Blaze Johnson decided to share his expertise through writing. He studied business administration at a local community college and runs his own driveway mechanic service, specializing in computer-controlled vehicles and custom car audio installs. Johnson also serves as the de facto computer repair person for his family, friends and coworkers.
