I Want To Remove My 2012 Toyota Tundra's Rear Seats To Gain MPG. Will It Affect The MPG?

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Can removing the rear seats in your Toyota Tundra really boost fuel economy? While shedding weight is a known strategy for improving MPG, is ditching 30 lbs of unused seats worth it?

Today I read a very interesting question in the Tundras.com forum, where one 2012 Toyota Tundra owner was asking about a unique way to improve his MPG: removing the rear seats because he hardly uses them.

"I own a crew cab and I was wondering if removing the rear seats will affect my mpg because I know the more weight you shed the better your mpg. Barely do I ever use my back seats," asked John (let's call him by that name) wondering about this original way to boost the MPG of his Toyota Tundra.

The short answer is no, and you will improve your Tundra's MPG by as much as losing 30 lbs.

Removing rear seats from your Toyota Tundra might have a slight impact on fuel efficiency, but the effect will likely be minimal. Shedding 30 lbs of weight could theoretically improve fuel economy because less weight means the engine doesn't have to work as hard to move the vehicle. However, the amount of improvement is usually very small when it comes to light trucks like the Tundra, which weighs around 5,000-6,000 lbs, depending on the trim and configuration.

In general, a rough estimate suggests that for every 100 lbs of weight reduction, you might see an increase of about 1-2% in fuel economy. Since you’re only removing 30 lbs, you’d be looking at less than a 1% increase in MPG—likely too small to be noticeable in real-world driving.

In terms of numbers:

  • If your Tundra currently gets around 15 MPG, removing 30 lbs could theoretically give you an extra 0.1-0.2 MPG. However, factors like driving habits, terrain, and overall vehicle condition will have a much more significant impact on fuel economy than this small weight reduction.

If you're looking for more substantial improvements, focusing on things like tire pressure, aerodynamics, or even driving behavior will likely have a bigger impact on MPG.

Now, before you go, look at this. 2022 Toyota Tundra owners share how this one simple addition to your truck will improve looks, functionality, and gas mileage.

 

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and Youtube. He has more than a decade of expertise in the automotive industry with a special interest in Tesla and electric vehicles.