1997 Chevrolet Malibu Owner's Manual - Page 15

Rear Seats Folding Rear Seat (If Equipped) To open the folding rear seat, open the trunk and pull one or both of the tethers locatedon the left sideof the trunk. The leaf-hand tether will open the larger of side the seatback. The right-hand tether will open the smaller side of the seatback. Once a tether pulled, the seatback is can be pushed open through the trunk, or pulled open from inside the vehicle. To close the folding rear seat from inside the car, push the seatback up until you hear a click. Then pull on the seatback to make sure itis secure.