Lockout Assembly for Folding Vehicle Seats

The technology provides a lockout assembly that covers a latching mechanism, where the latching mechanism would enable a passenger to fold down the rear seat(s) of a vehicle. This can be particularly beneficial when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous driving mode, because certain areas within the vehicle may be restricted from passenger access. For instance, access to the trunk or cargo area may be limited to authorized service personnel. The lockout assembly includes a base unit and a cover. The cover is releasably secured to the base unit using one or more clip members. The base unit is fixedly secured to a receptacle of the latching mechanism using one or more fastener members, such as a screw. Once the cover is releasably secure, it may be completely or substantially flush with an inner edge of the receptacle.