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2015 Sedona SXL - Can't remove 2nd row seats

44K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  BodegaBay 
#1 ·
Just ordered a 2015 SXL and now found out the 2nd row reclining seats are not removable. I'm assuming this means that the average person can't remove/reinstall them easily. Does anyone know if they can be removed/reinstalled at all (i.e. with tools/time)? We had an '06 Sienna and removed a 2nd row seat to put a power wheelchair in and need to do the same with the Sedona. Thanks!
 
#2 · (Edited)
As this is a totally brand new vehicle, you will have to wait some time for someone to respond to that. If you need more space, you need the model that has the stow and slide seats which is a lower model. Details is in appropriate thread in this section covering either US or Canada. But if you need the 2nd row removed then it kind of defeats the purpose of getting the SXL version.

If they put the seats in the vehicle at the factory, then they should be removable but may not be easy as its not designed that way. Its like anyone trying to remove seats in any vehicle that is not normally designed for instant removal - like if you have to replace a seat that is damaged, etc.

 
#4 ·
according to the KIA media site the outside chrome door handles are only on the SXL version, all the others are body-coloured.
You would have to phone KIA Motors America and ask them. In small print at the bottom of all print and sites "subject to change without notice"

In Canada its standard on the SX model (we don't have an EX model)
 
#5 ·
Body colored handles looks cheap though. The elegance is gone at that point. Perhaps US market don't care of the looks or Making it chrome it does add the cost of the vehicle. We'll see what happen after 4 months.
 
#6 ·
Funny as many think chrome "cheapens" the look or makes them look older so many customize their vehicle and often remove the chrome.
No one is ever happy, but that's what "Making your vehicle, yours" is for.
To me it's a vehicle by vehicle on if the chrome enhances the look or not.
 
#7 ·
Update on 2nd row seat removal...

I went into our local dealer today and checked the 2015 Sedona owner's manual. Only reference is to sliding the 2nd row seats forward. No mention of how to remove the 2nd row seats from the van - either the lower models or the SXL captains' chairs.

Also... local sales manager put a request into Kia a week ago to ask how to remove them and hasn't heard back yet.

If anyone knows how to remove the 2nd row seats I'd still be interested in hearing.

Thanks!
 
#8 ·
We got our sxl+ sedona about 3 weeks ago and I can confirm that it is relatively easy to remove the 2nd row captains seats. There are four 14mm bolts hidden behind plastic caps that must be removed in each seat. The captains seats are not heated and don't have any power so there is no power cable to disconnect. Once the 4 bolts are removed the seat can be lifted out. There are 4 pins that align the seat to make it easier to put back in. It really only takes about 10 minutes to remove and reinstall each seat.

It is a bit annoying but the seat tracks stick out when the seat is removed so passengers need to watch where they step.

For our application the sedona works very well... we can remove one seat and drive a full size electric wheelchair in on a ramp through the side door. We can have 6 people in the van with the wheelchair. The only thing we haven't yet figured out yet is how to safely tie do the wheelchair... our 2006 sienna had metal loops in the floor for straps.
 
#10 ·
You might check to see how the door handles come off. If it's easy to do call around and see what you can find in chrome to replace them . If there interchangeable with previous chrome handles I'd call some auto yards and see if they have any . They might you never know . Or maybe they can be ordered through a parts place . If you like that idea I'm sure a body shop would tell you how to replace them . Hope you can find a fix. I like chrome too. Or, If you can get them off take them to a chrome shop and have them chromed. How about that?
 
#12 ·
...cont'd...

although the 2nd row seat removal can be done it really is quite awkward. The captains seat is very heavy and unbalanced - no easy handholds. I'm a big guy and it's hard so really tricky for someone smaller. Also - the last time I did it the temp was VERY cold outside (-25 Celsius) and I found it tricky to line up the mounting pins and get the slider lever to work properly. Ultimately we had to go to the dealer to get them to lube all the cables and reinstall the seat.

So... I am now going to talk to a mobility van conversion company about replacing the bolts with some sort of quick release pins - and maybe have them make the pins easier to line up. Kia is supposed to cover $750 for mobility enhancements so I'm hoping they'll do this.

I'll keep providing updates.
 
#13 ·
Thought I'd update this in case anyone else is interested in removing their 2nd row captains chairs.

Summary:
- After removing / reinstalling a captains chair 10-15 times over the past 9 months I must say I really don't enjoy it - heavy and awkward - that being said it only takes me 5 minutes to remove or reinstall the seat. It's not really even much of a help to have a 2nd person because there isn't really enough room for two people to work on it through the side sliding door.
- I really should get a seat cover or some sort of canvas-like bag to protect the seat when I remove it - and to help move it around - the last time I took it out I think I pulled some of the seat stitching out by grabbing onto a chunk of the leather.
- It really is the worst when it is -20C outside in the winter - much more pleasant any other time of year
- I think the problems I was having with the slider not locking after install was actually do to the seat being folded forward when I installed it - not the mechanism sticking. The seat won't lock when folded forward because it "thinks" you're sliding the seat forward to let someone in the back.
- I had no luck with any mobility modders wanting to help with some quick detach bolts - liability of course.
- We really need to find a solution for safely anchoring the wheelchair while transporting... but luckily we haven't had a problem yet.

Overall - the van has worked VERY well transporting a full-size electric wheel-chair once a captain's chair is removed. We have a 6' fold-up ramp we put in the back. We transfer the person from the chair to the front passenger seat and then put the chair in. We often have the chair and six people in the van.
 
#14 ·
My issue is not so much that the seats can't be removed, but that the headrests can't. I have 5 car seats installed and one forward-facing in the 2nd row. The headrest gets in the way of the seat's headrest. Since the headrest folds when you put it in the "walk-in" position, there is a cable in one of the headrest posts.

My workaround was to remove the post without the cable in it and swing the headrest around to clear it from the car seat. It works, but is not pretty.
 
#15 ·
my wife will prob kill me if i bring this up with her, after all the looking around we did, but i have been thinking about it all morning...

are the tracks the same for first class and stow and go between 2016 ex and limited? in other words, can i remove first class chairs and put stow and go in the same floor slots?

i just bought a 2016 sedona limited... and i'm obsessing over the seats in the 2nd row- the stow and go... we have 3 kids... I'm wondering if the dealer can sell me the "stow and go" seats (was an option) and swap them out with the first class seats that i have now, if they would fit in the same tracks. or maybe down the road, i can find the stow and go seats and buy them used and install them later into the same tracks.... I had to decide between 2016 ex with package including stow n go, or the limited with no package (you get a lot of the same tech) but standard comes w the first class seating. I just dont know how much more useful the stow n go seats are with 3 kids. I would hardly need to stow them forward, and so we decided it was more useful to have the sunroof since price was about the same. between the two choices, we gave up some extra features like collision warning, adaptatve cruse control, 360 parking view but with the limited, we gained sun roof. i guess the captian "first class" seats was a good idea but now that i understand the differences better, i wonder if the stow and go would be more useful during the life of the van (for moving large stuff).

finally, I wonder what is the extra space gained by stow n go seats in the stow position would give you vs the first class seats all the way up. i'm guessing about 12 - 18 inches, and so that's why i'm obsessing about it, i think i would have rather get the stow and go and i would be okay giving up the sunroof.

I wonder if the dealer could swap out the chairs for me since i have not had the car more then 24 hours yet.
 
#16 ·
Sorry but...



Sorry to say, but i think you did not do enough of the "looking around" as you say you did...
... otherwise you would have known...

The 2016 SXL can come in either 7 passenger or 8 passenger configuration, which was not the case for 2015.
You might as well get the 2015 SXL for much cheaper...

For the track, i cannot answer you.
But even if the tracks are the same, your main problem would be to fit the 8th seat belt for the 2nd row center position.
Since your car has the double moonroof (i would have love to get that too, but our priority was an 8-seater), then i think you are pretty much stuck with 7 pax configuration.


Just a month ago, i was in your same situation, debating on whether to get the EX or go up to the SX...
We went with the SXL 8 pax, losing the captain chair and moonroof...

I hope you can change your situation, please let us know.
 
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