Seat assembly for a vehicle having a vertically extended striker mechanism

A seat assembly for a motor vehicle having a floor and a structural pillar includes a seat base connected to the vehicle floor and a seatback pivotally connected to the seat base. The seatback is capable of pivoting between a stowed position wherein the seatback is folded toward the seat base and an upright position wherein the seatback is generally perpendicular to the seat base. A striker mechanism is provided on a top outboard corner of the seatback. The striker mechanism is arranged to be movable between a generally vertically extended position wherein the striker mechanism engages a latch located on the structural pillar of the vehicle when the seat is in the upright position, and a retracted position wherein the striker mechanism is pivoted toward the top outboard corner of the seatback as the seatback is pivoted from the upright position toward the stowed position.