2001 TOYOTA RAV4 seats

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
352001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
CAUTION
When returning seats to their original
position:

Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.

Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback or
by trying to pull up the edge of the
bottom cushion. Failure to do so
will prevent seat belt from operat-
ing properly.
ÐRemoving rear seats
1. Fold up rear seats. (See ªÐFolding
up rear seatsº on page 32 in this
section for instructions.)2. Unlock the seat by pulling the lock
release lever. Pull the seat toward
you slightly and lift.
Removing the rear seats will enlarge the
luggage compartment. See ªLuggage stow-
age precautionsº on page 162 in Section
2 for precautions in loading luggage.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
362001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
CAUTION
When removing the seat, observe the
following to prevent personal injury:

Be careful not to get your hands or
feet pinched in the seat.

Be careful not to hit the removed
seat against a person or drop it on
yourself.
NOTICE
Avoid putting heavy loads on the re-
moved seat. The metallic tips of the
seat leg may be damaged and the
seat cannot be reinstalled.
ÐReinstalling rear seats
1. While pulling up the lock release le-
ver, place the rear hinge into the
rear hook on the floor.2. Push the seat forward until it locks.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
372001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
3. To unlock the seat, hold the upper
back of the seat with your hand and
pull the lock release strap up. Swing
the whole seat down and set the
rear legs to the hooks on the floor.
Make sure the rear legs are securely
set to the hooks by trying to pull up
the rear part of the seat.4. Pull the seatback release strap and
swing the seatback up.
CAUTION
When returning seats to their original
position:

Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.

Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback or
by trying to pull up the edge of the
bottom cushion. Failure to do so
will prevent seat belt from operat-
ing properly.
When removing or reinstalling the
seat, observe the following to prevent
personal injury:

Do not fold or remove the seat
while the vehicle is moving.

Be careful not to get your hands or
feet pinched in the seat.

Be careful not to hit the removed
seat against a person or drop it on
yourself.

After folding or installing the seat,
push it forward and backward to
make sure it is locked in position.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
402001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
CAUTION

Adjust the center of the head re-
straint so that it is closest to the
top of your ears.

After adjusting the head restraint,
make sure it is locked in position.

Do not drive with the head re-
straints removed.
Toyota strongly urges that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase
the chance of injury and/or the severity of
injury in accidents.
Child. Use a child restraint system ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle's seat belts. See ªChild restraintº
on page 57 for details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child should sit in the rear
seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle's seat belt. According to accident
statistics, the child is safer when properly
restrained in the rear seat than in the
front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the
seat belts should be worn properly. If an
accident occurs and seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause death or
serious injury to the child.Do not allow the child to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. An
unrestrained child could suffer serious in-
jury or death during emergency braking or
a collision. Also, do not let the child sit
on your lap. It does not provide sufficient
restraint.
Pregnant woman. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips and not on the
waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-
ry, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
Seat beltsÐ
ÐSeat belt precautions
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
412001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
CAUTION
Persons should ride in their seats
properly wearing their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely
to suffer serious bodily injury or
death in the event of sudden braking
or a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe
the following:

Use the belt for only one person at
a time. Do not use a single belt for
two or more peopleÐeven children.

Avoid reclining the seatbacks too
much. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection when the seatbacks
are in the upright position. (Refer
to the seat adjustment instructions.)

Be careful not to damage the belt
webbing or hardware. Take care that
they do not get caught or pinched
in the seat or side doors.

Inspect the belt system periodically.
Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Damaged parts should be re-
placed. Do not disassemble or
modify the system.

Keep the belts clean and dry. If
they need cleaning, use a mild soap
solution or lukewarm water. Never
use bleach, dye, or abrasive clean-
ersÐthey may severely weaken the
belts. (See ªCleaning the interiorº
on page 205 in Section 5.)

Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage
is not obvious.
ÐFront and rear seat belts
Adjust the seat as needed and sit up
straight and well back in the seat. To
fasten your belt, pull it out of the re-
tractor and insert the tab into the
buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
The seat belt length automatically adjusts
to your size and the seat position.
The retractor will lock the belt during a
sudden stop or on impact. It also may
lock if you lean forward too quickly. A
slow, easy motion will allow the belt to
extend, and you can move around freely.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
462001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
2. Insert the round end tab into the
cover. You will hear a click when the
tabs are locked in the seat belt cov-
er. Make sure the tabs are securely
locked in the cover.
Seat belt must be stowed before you fold
the seatback. (See ªÐFolding up rear
seatsº on page 32 or ªÐRemoving rear
seatsº on page 35 in this section.)
NOTICE
Stow the rear center seat belt except
when you are wearing it.
PULLING OUT THE REAR CENTER SEAT
BELT
To use the rear center seat belt, pull
the belt out a little and then pull the
tabs out from the cover.
ÐSeat belt extender
If your seat belt cannot be fastened se-
curely because it is not long enough, a
personalized seat belt extender is avail-
able from your Toyota dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Toyota dealer so
that the dealer can order the proper re-
quired length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for prop-
er measurement and selection of length.
Additional ordering information is available
at your Toyota dealer.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
612001 RAV4 (OM42483U)

Do not put a rear±facing child re-
straint system on the rear seat if it
interferes with the lock mechanism
of the front seats. This can cause
severe injury to the child and front
passenger in case of sudden brak-
ing or a collision.

If your driving position is not satis-
factory, install the child restraint
system at another position.
Same angle Same position

When installing a child restraint
system in the rear center position,
adjust both seat cushions to the
same position and align both seat-
backs at the same angle. Otherwise,
the child restraint system cannot be
securely restrained and this may
cause serious injuries in a collision.1. Run the lap and shoulder belt through
or around the infant seat following the
instructions provided by its manufactur-
er and insert the tab into the buckle
taking care not to twist the belt. Keep
the lap portion of the belt tight.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
642001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
CAUTION

Never put a rear±facing child re-
straint system on the front passen-
ger seat because the force of the
rapid inflation of the front passen-
ger airbag can cause death or seri-
ous injury to the child.
Move seat
fully back

A forward±facing child restraint sys-
tem should be allowed to be put on
the front passenger seat only when
it is unavoidable. Always move the
seat as far back as possible, be-
cause the force of the deploying
front passenger airbag could cause
death or serious injury to the child.
Do not put a rear±facing child re-
straint system on the rear seat if it
interferes with the lock mechanism
of the front seats. This can cause
severe injury to the child and front
passenger in case of sudden brak-
ing or a collision.

If your driving position is not satis-
factory, install the child restraint
system at another position.
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