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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 folded- down 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 (NHTSAº) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag
is the first 50Ð75 mm (2Ð3 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, non- slippery 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 seatsÐ
ÐFront seat precautions
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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 ÐStowage pre-
cautionsº on page 221 in Section 2 for
precautions when loading luggage.
Rear seatsÐ
ÐRear seat precautionsÐAdjusting rear seats
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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.
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 or
your neck may contact the shoulder
belt. In the event of a frontal colli-
sion, the more the seat is reclined,
the greater the risk of death or per-
sonal 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.
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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 theslot of the cover. You will hear a
click when the tabs are locked in the
seat belt cover. Make sure the tabs
are securely locked in the cover.
NOTICE
The seat belt must be stowed before
you fold the seatback.
ÐTumbling rear seats
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2005 RAV4 from Sep. '04 Prod. (OM42570U)
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 ÐStowage
precautionsº on page 221 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.
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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)
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The rear seat belt buckles can be
stowed when not in use.
Seat belt buckles must be stowed before
you fold the seatback. (See ÐTumbling
rear seatsº on page 35 or ÐRemoving
rear seatsº 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 ÐTumbling rear
seatsº on page 35 or ÐRemoving rear
seatsº on page 38 in this Section.)
NOTICE
Stow the rear center seat belt when not in use.
ÐStowing the rear seat belt
buckles ÐStowing the rear center seat
belt
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2005 RAV4 from Sep. '04 Prod. (OM42570U)
3. Outside anchor brackets onlyÐReplace the head restraint.Lower anchorages for the child restraint
systems complying with the FMVSS225
or CMVSS210.2 specifications are
installed in the rear seat.
The anchorages are installed in the clear-
ance between the seat cushion and seat-
back of both outside rear seats.
Child restraint systems complying with the
FMVSS213 or CMVSS213 specification
can be fixed to these anchorages. In this
case, it is not necessary to fix the child
restraint system with a seat belt on the
vehicle.
1st lock
position
4th lock
position
CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM
INSTALLATION
1. Fold down the seatback and back it to the 1st lock position (most up-
right position) until it locks into
place. Adjust the seatback to the 4th
lock position.
Make sure the seatback is locked secure-
ly.
ÐInstallation with child
restraint lower anchorages