Oddly enough, Ford abandoned the solution to the gap
between the folded 2nd and 3rd row seats after the
first gen. I had both a '97 and '05 and miss some of the
small detail features of the '97 that they eliminated,
I guess, in exchange for the better engineering of the
later models. On the '97, they had neat fold down
panels that locked into the second row seatbacks
but came down to fill the gaps. They were carpeted
to match the floor. Now, with the '05, I better fill the
gaps or my dog might break his leg moving back &
forth. I have a gray interior, so the factory looking
solution for me to mimmick the solution of my '97
is to make gray carpeted luan plywood panels that
adhere to the matching gray industrial Velcro you
can get in the box stores. Stick four corners of the
felt loop side to the 2nd row seatbacks and top of the
third and the coarse hook side to the downward side
of the panel you make. Now it will store behind the
2nd row seatback when upright and bridge the gap
between 2nd & 3rd when folded down, just like first
gen '97 to '02.
Stephen