possible to buy and install a middle seat for second row for United States Mazda 5?

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calbear88

Member
Hello, I own a 2012 Mazda 5 Grand Touring. I really love the car, but it would be nice to have a third seat in the second row, which is offered in Japanese and European Models. I was wondering if anyone knows of a mazda parts supplier who could sell the second row seats with the fold out 3rd seat. Would it be legal for me to install those, or do they not meet safety standards in the US?

Thank so much.
 
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Fellow CALBEAR here!! There is discussion on another thread, but didn't see any results. I will be in Japan at the end of the year, and will be looking to source one from there.
 
my guess is that you will need to purchase the whole drivers side middle seat assembly, as the third seat folds out from it - similar to the way the center console folds out of the passenger side seat assembly.
 
I've got a 2006, and looked into it a while ago, and unfortunately it isn't a simple change... I don't know if the 2012 is different or not, but for 06-10:
The seats are both different in the second row, to allow the mounting/attaching bracket on the passenger side as well. Additionally, you have to get the seat-belt tensioner mounted to the 'roof' of the car - I think the mounting holes would still be under the headliner, just a matter of locating.

Finally, unless the connection methodology changed, I heard a major reason the seat wasn't offered here is because of crash-test rules. As I heard it, the rule required that the seat be mounted directly to the frame of the car, being connected to another seat in a temporary/removable fashion didn't pass muster... don't recall exactly how that one worked, as now the Toyota Sienna has a similar configuration. Don't know if it's because it connected to BOTH movable chairs, one on each side, Sienna only connects to passenger side seat...
Think both middle-row seats were near $1k for parts, plus installation if you don't do it yourself, but it's still not legal... I'd feel comfortable from an engineering standpoint, but if you were ever in an accident, the insurance company would probably not cover anything due to 'tampering'
 
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calbear88 said:
Hello, I own a 2012 Mazda 5 Grand Touring. I really love the car, but it would be nice to have a third seat in the second row, which is offered in Japanese and European Models. I was wondering if anyone knows of a mazda parts supplier who could sell the second row seats with the fold out 3rd seat. Would it be legal for me to install those, or do they not meet safety standards in the US?

Thank so much.
Click to expand...

i need to know as well where we can get middle seat for mazda 5
like this

aaron-mazda-5-interieur-sitze-innenraum-6.jpg
 
There are standards in this country for seat width. Due to this I don't think the MZ5 can have 3 across in the 3rd row. Only way this is possible is if the hard points in the ceiling are there for the shoulder harness. Besides the seats, you'd also need a new headliner. All those bulky parts won't be cheap to ship from Europe/Asia to NA for sure.
 
I would love to see a photo of that middle seat in the "up" position. I know the distance between the second row chairs in my 5 is so small I can barely fit through. I can't imagine you would be able to comfortably seat anything bigger than a chihuahua on that sucker...
 
Mazda_5.jpg
It indeed is a small seat, but good enough for short trips. The advantage of a small middle seat are those two full size seats adjacent to it :)
 
I also would love to have this middle seat so my large dog would have more seat to stand on on the second row.
 
:: Thread resurrection bump ::

Has anyone considered whether it's possible to use the second-row seats from an Explorer or Transit Connect? Though the middle seats in those cars don't slide, my kids and I looked at a Transit Connect in person and the flip-forward second row seems extremely handy.
 
With enough time spent on fabbing up new mounts I imagine almost anything is possible. But again, what will that do to your crash-worthiness? As neat as the idea is I wouldn't want to gamble with the safety factor.
 
Not sure buy this explanation - I have the UK gen 2 and the width of the seat is larger than say, a VW Golf etc. There is no difference in its safety or utility compared with similar cars with a rear seat bench.

The real sticking point in this potential upgrade for you USA owners is not the seat itself: It is the middle seat belt. The belt comes down from the roof through a special unit in the headlining. You need all the seat belt assembly and headliner + trim. It would be a complete nightmare to do.
 
Bodgerx said:
Not sure buy this explanation - I have the UK gen 2 and the width of the seat is larger than say, a VW Golf etc. There is no difference in its safety or utility compared with similar cars with a rear seat bench.

The real sticking point in this potential upgrade for you USA owners is not the seat itself: It is the middle seat belt. The belt comes down from the roof through a special unit in the headlining. You need all the seat belt assembly and headliner + trim. It would be a complete nightmare to do.
Click to expand...

For USA I'd really not do any retrofit at all.
If you have injury in a crash the lovely insurance company pay deny coverage from injuries as this was not tested or passed USA/Canadian safety tests and we all know that insurance like to collect buy not pay.
So be very, very, very careful about your choices. It may not be your fault in the accident that causes this headache.
 
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