Passengers (In a 2-Door)

[ArcadeTracks]

I know, a lot of us have removed the backseat completely, and some never have passengers. BUT ... some of us do. And, I don't think the JL backseat is all that bad for them, actually. I've never actually ridden in there, but I've sat there. And I have had a few backseat passengers. Here are some of my (their) observations:

Bad: Getting in and out is awkward, even unlifted
Bad: The front seats need to go the whole way back after being slid forward - leg crushing!
Minor Bads: Lack of cupholders, can't roll the windows up/down, leg room (I mostly have short kids back there, and they don't care)

Good: (Surprisingly) Comfortable seats
Good: Soft top "Sunrider" position gives open air to the back, too - maybe even more than the front
Good: The (stock soft top) back windows are large and unobstructed
Good: Only two seats, so no getting squished by a third person
Good: Bright "reading" lights which don't bug the driver
Minor Good: Easy access to power and USB outlets
*Good: You get to ride in a Jeep Wrangler, and it's not even yours. Dude, that's pretty awesome right there

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[rohdawg]

30+ years of driving a two door Jeep and I’ve had exactly one passenger in the back… once. ?

We’re divorced now. ?

 

[ellunchboxo]

Lack of cupholders

I have cupholders in the back of mine

 

[Jeep Wick]

I know, a lot of us have removed the backseat completely, and some never have passengers. BUT ... some of us do. And, I don't think the JL backseat is all that bad for them, actually. I've never actually ridden in there, but I've sat there. And I have had a few backseat passengers. Here are some of my (their) observations:

Bad: Getting in and out is awkward, even unlifted
Bad: The front seats need to go the whole way back after being slid forward - leg crushing!
Minor Bads: Lack of cupholders, can't roll the windows up/down, leg room (I mostly have short kids back there, and they don't care)

Good: (Surprisingly) Comfortable seats
Good: Soft top "Sunrider" position gives open air to the back, too - maybe even more than the front
Good: The (stock soft top) back windows are large and unobstructed
Good: Only two seats, so no getting squished by a third person
Good: Bright "reading" lights which don't bug the driver
Minor Good: Easy access to power and USB outlets
*Good: You get to ride in a Jeep Wrangler, and it's not even yours. Dude, that's pretty awesome right there

I've been in the back, had passengers back there. It's not so bad.
Also, front seat does not need to go all the way back...it should stop where you had the seat before or part of the mechanism is broken.

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

I have cupholders in the back of mine

Me, too. 2018 Rubicon. Also, I don’t have to slide seats back to make them go forward.

I have 17, 20, and 22 year old kids that ride back there (only two at a time, obviously). The boys are tall. Getting in and out sucks, but once in they’re comfortable enough.

 

[ArcadeTracks]

You guys really don't have to slide back your seats to get them upright? I know my manual says I'm not supposed to need to do it. I don't want to take it to a dealer, but that would be a major improvement.
We couldn't/can't even put a cooler in the rear foot well when the backseat was flipped forward. Plus ... passengers getting their legs smashed.
Maybe I'll have my kids make a video and see if it looks right to you guys before I take it to the dealership and they tell me it's user error

 

[ArcadeTracks]

I have cupholders in the back of mine

True. I guess it's just a Jeep thing, not really 2-door specific. Two is often not enough -- up front, too. (Which I never realized until I got the Jeep. lol) It's been more of an issue up front, actually. I was trying to think of things to pad the Cons list. lol

 

[J.Ferreira]

I know, a lot of us have removed the backseat completely, and some never have passengers. BUT ... some of us do. And, I don't think the JL backseat is all that bad for them, actually. I've never actually ridden in there, but I've sat there. And I have had a few backseat passengers. Here are some of my (their) observations:

Bad: Getting in and out is awkward, even unlifted
Bad: The front seats need to go the whole way back after being slid forward - leg crushing!
Minor Bads: Lack of cupholders, can't roll the windows up/down, leg room (I mostly have short kids back there, and they don't care)

Good: (Surprisingly) Comfortable seats
Good: Soft top "Sunrider" position gives open air to the back, too - maybe even more than the front
Good: The (stock soft top) back windows are large and unobstructed
Good: Only two seats, so no getting squished by a third person
Good: Bright "reading" lights which don't bug the driver
Minor Good: Easy access to power and USB outlets
*Good: You get to ride in a Jeep Wrangler, and it's not even yours. Dude, that's pretty awesome right there

You don't have to push the front seats all the way back before sliding them forward.
You can hold the bottom of the seat still and lean the seat back till it locks, and then have control of the seat again. It's...difficult but it works.

 

[Bandit59]

30+ years of driving a two door Jeep and I’ve had exactly one passenger in the back… once. ?

We’re divorced now. ?

 

[Old Jeeper]

30+ years of driving a two door Jeep and I’ve had exactly one passenger in the back… once. ?

We’re divorced now. ?

LOL, and I bet you are sure gonna miss her!


I have had some passengers in my SWBs over the years and they just sat on the FLOOR!

 

[rohdawg]

LOL, and I bet you are sure gonna miss her!

Hasn’t been the case yet.
Let’s look in on her livestream, shall we?

 

[jf99]

On the topic of having to slide the seats all the way back.... On my 2022 the original seat position return mechanism that lives in the channel of the outboard seat rail, it would allow the seat to return the the driver position that it was in prior to folding the seat forward to allow rear passenger ingress. That mechanism exploded (like many others). I ordered a new one and its the correct (new) part number but it does not function like my original seat, I now have to push the seat all the way back to get the seatback upright, then I have to re set my driving position. It kind of sucks compared to the "memory" function of the original part. Maybe all the newer two doors use this new part as the old one was pretty much guaranteed to fail.

 

[ArcadeTracks]

On the topic of having to slide the seats all the way back.... On my 2022 the original seat position return mechanism that lives in the channel of the outboard seat rail, it would allow the seat to return the the driver position that it was in prior to folding the seat forward to allow rear passenger ingress. That mechanism exploded (like many others). I ordered a new one and its the correct (new) part number but it does not function like my original seat, I now have to push the seat all the way back to get the seatback upright, then I have to re set my driving position. It kind of sucks compared to the "memory" function of the original part. Maybe all the newer two doors use this new part as the old one was pretty much guaranteed to fail.

My seats never returned to the original position, but last month a couple of parts were replaced when it was at a dealership, and the TSB says that functionality (which never existed for me) was not a part of the new parts.

 

[STW]

On the topic of having to slide the seats all the way back.... On my 2022 the original seat position return mechanism that lives in the channel of the outboard seat rail, it would allow the seat to return the the driver position that it was in prior to folding the seat forward to allow rear passenger ingress. That mechanism exploded (like many others). I ordered a new one and its the correct (new) part number but it does not function like my original seat, I now have to push the seat all the way back to get the seatback upright, then I have to re set my driving position. It kind of sucks compared to the "memory" function of the original part. Maybe all the newer two doors use this new part as the old one was pretty much guaranteed to fail.

Interesting--my very early 2022 JLR (ordered Oct '21 delivered Jan '22) requires I think that I slide the seat back all the way back before I can put the seatback upright. I noticed this first day but haven't thought about it much since because it's pretty easy. but I see what you mean about the extra step.

Which mechanism is it that explodes? From previous threads I thought it was the release lever on the top shoulder of the seat that has a reputation for breaking, but it sounds like there is a return mechanism in the channel of the outboard seat rail that breaks? I may have that wrong.

If I understand your post, I probably don't have that mechanism in the outboard seat rail if my seat never had the capability of seatback return to upright without the seat being slid all the way back.

Could you post a photo of the mechanism in the outboard seat rail if you get a chance?

Has any running change been made to improve the shoulder lever release lever so it doesn't break? Mine hasn't broken but I notice I'm careful with it because I've read this accounts.

That shoulder lever is vulnerable since it's liable to be operated by passengers who are not familiar with it--since you may not be the one pulling the seat forward for backseat passengers. They may rush out from Cafe Rio and make it to the Jeep first to get in, then carelessly break the lever.

Not just for passengers though, since I use fold the passenger seat forward a lot just for access to that area of the back of the Jeep, even if I don't have the back seat installed.

To me having a robust and reliable seat fold mechanism is an absolute necessity for a two door Jeep for access to the rear, even for those of us who very seldom have the back seat installed. My back seat is rarely installed (only when my daughter and son-in-law visits) but access to the back through the side-door is always a necessity. It would be a serious mistake in thinking if Jeep believes they can skimp on that release lever or seat fold mechanism because the believe "nobody rides in the back of a two door."

 

[ArcadeTracks]

That shoulder lever is vulnerable since it's liable to be operated by passengers who are not familiar with it--since you may not be the one pulling the seat forward for backseat passengers. They may rush out from Cafe Rio and make it to the Jeep first to get in, then carelessly break the lever.

Not just for passengers though, since I use fold the passenger seat forward a lot just for access to that area of the back of the Jeep, even if I don't have the back seat installed.

Mine became loose within the first week -- I think it was from the instinct of people exiting from the back seat to pull the front of the lever housing towards the back, even though there's no handle on that side

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