2004 TOYOTA RAV4 fold seats

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
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2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow any passengers to sit on
top of a foldeddown seatback, or
in the luggage compartment or car-
go area. Persons not properly
seated and/or not properly re-
strained by seat belts can be se-
verely injured in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow any
passengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Otherwise,
severe injuries can occur in the
event of emergency braking or a
collision.
Driver seat
CAUTION
The SRS driver airbag deploys with
considerable force, and can cause
death or serious injury especially if
the driver is very close to the airbag.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag
is the first 50—75 mm (2—3 in.) of
inflation, placing yourself 250 mm (10
in.) from your driver airbag provides
you with a clear margin of safety.
This distance is measured from the
center of the steering wheel to your
breastbone. If you sit less than 250
mm (10 in.) away now, you can
change your driving position in sever-
al ways:
Move your seat to the rear as far
as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
Slightly recline the back of the
seat. Although vehicle designs vary,
many drivers can achieve the 250
mm (10 in.) distance, even with the
driver seat all the way forward, sim-
ply by reclining the back of the
seat somewhat. If reclining the back
of your seat makes it hard to see
the road, raise yourself by using a
firm, nonslippery cushion, or raise
the seat if your vehicle has that
feature.
If your steering wheel is adjustable,
tilt it downward. This points the air-
bag toward your chest instead of
your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as rec-
ommended by NHTSA above, while
still maintaining control of the foot
pedals, steering wheel, and your view
of the instrument panel controls.
Seats Front seats—
—Front seat precautions

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
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2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
CAUTION
Do not adjust the seat while the
vehicle is moving.
Be careful that the seat does not
hit a passenger or luggage.
Adjust both seat cushions to the
same position and align both seat-
backs at the same angle when a
person sits in the rear center posi-
tion. Otherwise, the person cannot
wear the seat belt properly and this
may cause serious injuries in a col-
lision.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi-
tion.
After adjusting the seatback, push
back your body to make sure it is
locked in position.
When returning seats to their origi-
nal position, observe the following
precautions in order to prevent per-
sonal injury in a collision or sud-
den stop:
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 the seat belt from oper-
ating properly.
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.
Folding the seats up will enlarge the lug-
gage compartment. See “—Stowage pre-
cautions” on page 219 in Section 2 for
precautions when loading luggage.
Rear seats—
—Rear seat precautions—Adjusting rear seats

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
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2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER
Hold the center of the lever and pull it
up. Then slide the seat to the desired
position with slight body pressure and
release the lever.
When a person sits in the rear center
position, adjust both seat cushions to
the same position. 2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING STRAP
Pull the strap up. Then lean back to the
desired angle and release the strap.
When a person sits in the rear center
position, align both seatbacks at the
same angle.CAUTION
Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving.
Adjust both seat cushions to the
same position and align both seat-
backs at the same angle when a
person sits in the rear center posi-
tion. Otherwise, the person cannot
wear the seat belt properly and this
may cause serious injuries in a col-
lision.
To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision,
avoid reclining the seatback any
more than needed. The seat belts
provide maximum protection in a
frontal or rear collision when the
passengers are sitting up straight
and well back in the seats. If you
are reclined, the lap belt may slide
past your hips and apply restraint
forces directly to the abdomen. In
the event of a frontal collision, the
more the seat is reclined, the great-
er the risk of personal injury.
After adjusting the seatback, push
back your body to make sure it is
locked in position.
NOTICE
Do not fold the seatback forward
while the luggage cover is set.

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
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2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
BEFORE TUMBLING REAR SEAT1. Stow the rear seat belt buckles as shown in the illustration.
This prevents the buckles from falling out
when you tumble the rear seat.
CAUTION
Before using the seat belt, pull out
the buckle and make sure the belt is
not twisted.
NOTICE
The seat belt buckles must be stowed
before you fold the seatback.
2. To stow the rear center seat belt, pull the belt out of its cover a little
and insert the concave end tab into
the higher slot of the cover.3. Insert the round end tab into thecover. 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.
NOTICE
The seat belt must be stowed before
you fold the seatback.
—Tumbling rear seats

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
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2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
TUMBLING REAR SEATS1. Hold the center of the lever and pull it up. Then slide the front seat fully
forward.
Tumbling the rear seats will enlarge the
luggage compartment. See “—Stowage
precautions” on page 219 in Section 2 for
precautions when loading luggage.2. Hold the center of the lever and pull it up. Then slide the rear seat fully
backward and pull it forward slightly
until it locks.3. Lower the head restraint to the low-est position. Pull up the strap to
unlock the seatback and fold the
seatback forward until it locks.
NOTICE
Do not fold the seatback forward
while the luggage cover is set.

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
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2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
CAUTION
When returning seats to their original
position, observe the following pre-
cautions in order to prevent personal
injury in a collision or sudden stop:
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 the seat belt from oper-
ating properly.
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.
When removing or reinstalling the
seat, observe the following precau-
tions in order to prevent personal in-
jury:
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.
To prevent personal injury in a colli-
sion or sudden stop:
Do not sit on or place anything on
the folded seatback while driving.
Do not leave the removed seat
loose in the vehicle.
Do not try to sit on or place any-
thing on the removed seat.
When reinstalling the seat, be care-
ful not to hit the seat against you
or inside of the vehicle.
Install each seat in the same posi-
tion from which it was removed.
Failure to do so will prevent rear
seat occupants from using seat
belts properly.
For flattening seatbacks, do the follow-
ing: 1. Hold the center of the lever and pull it up. Then slide the rear seat fully
backward and pull it forward slightly
until it locks.
Flattening seatbacks
(front seat only)

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
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2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
The rear seat belt buckles can be
stowed when not in use.
Seat belt buckles must be stowed before
you fold the seatback. (See “—Tumbling
rear seats” on page 35 or “—Removing
rear seats” on page 38 in this Section.)
CAUTION
Before using the seat belt, pull out
the buckle and make sure the belt is
not twisted.
STOWING THE REAR CENTER SEAT
BELT1. To stow the rear center seat belt, pull the seat belt out of its cover a
little and insert the concave end tab
into the higher slot of the cover.2. Insert the round end tab into thecover. 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 “—Tumbling rear
seats” on page 35 or “—Removing rear
seats” on page 38 in this Section.)
NOTICE
Stow the rear center seat belt when
not in use.
—Stowing the rear seat belt
buckles —Stowing the rear center seat
belt

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
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2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
NOTICE
Do not fold the seatback forward
while the luggage cover is set.
If the luggage cover is left to be removed,
place it somewhere other than the passen-
ger compartment. This will prevent pas-
sengers from injury in the event of a sud-
den stop or an accident.
(a) Behind the rear seats
(b) Behind the front seats
∗
(tumbling the rear
seats)
(c) Behind the front seats
∗
(removing the rear seats)
∗: Vehicles without side airbags and
curtain shield airbags only
You can separate the luggage compart-
ment by installing the separation net as
shown in the illustrations.
Separation net
(on some models)