Systems and methods are described herein for automatically monitoring a status or position of a vehicle component. Both powered and non-powered (or passive) systems are contemplated. The systems and methods utilize a sensor that signals when a vehicle component, such as an arm rest, a tray table, a seat back, or a window shade is in a predetermined position. The signal can be received by a processor and transmitted to a central server that can provide a report of the status of the various vehicle components to an attendant or crew member to quickly apprise them of the status of the various components without requiring manually checking each component.