2008 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
81
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
Any of the SRS side airbags and cur-
tain shield airbags have been inflated.
The portion of the doors (shaded in the
illustration) was involved in an accident
that was not severe enough to cause
the SRS side airbags and curtain
shield airbags to inflate.
The surface of the seats with the side
airbag (shaded in the illustration) is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.
The portion of the front, center and
roof side garnish containing the curtain
shield airbags inside (shaded in the
illustration) is scratc hed, cracked, or
otherwise damaged.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables
before contacting your Toyota dealer.
Your vehicle is equipped with a front
passenger occupant classification sys-
tem. This system detects the conditions
1—4 in the table on page 83 and based
on these conditions activates or deacti-
vates the following systems;
Front passenger airbag
Side airbag on the front passenger
seat
Front passenger ’s seat belt pretension-
er
The system monitors the weight and
load on the front passenger seat, and
the seat belt buckle switch to determine
conditions 1—4.
In order for the system to detect the
conditions correctly, do not do any of
the following:
Apply a heavy load to the front pas-
senger seat or equipment (e.g. seat-
back pocket).
Attach a commercial seatback table,
etc. to the front passenger seatback.
Put weight on the front passenger seat
by putting your hands or feet on the
seatback from the rear passenger seat.
The “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights indicate the actuation of
the front passenger airbag, side airbag
on the front passenger seat and front
passenger ’s seat belt pretensioner.
The “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light will be
illuminated when the engine switch is in
the “ON” position with the condition 2 in
the table shown below.
—Front passenger occupant
classification system

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
82
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
If the front passenger occupant classifica-
tion system determines that a person of
adult size sits in the front passenger seat
but the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is
illuminated, one of the following is likely
to have occurred:
A rear passenger lifts the front passen-
ger seat cushion with their legs.
Objects are placed under the front pas-
senger seat.
The front passenger seatback is in
contact with the rear/second seat.
To ensure the system correctly detects an
adult sitting in the front passenger seat,
make sure the above do not occur.
Make sure that the “AIR BAG ON” indica-
tor light is illuminated when an adult is
seated in the front passenger seat. If the
“AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illumina-
ted, ask the passenger to sit up straight,
well back in the seat, and with the seat
belt worn correctly. If the “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator light still remains illuminated, ei-
ther ask the passenger to move to the
rear seat, or if that is not possible, move
the front passenger seat fully rearward. The “AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator lights will be illuminated ini-
tially when the engine switch is turned
to the “ON” position. After about four
seconds, they will go off. After that, the
front passenger occupant classification
system operates and judges which indi-
cator light be illuminated.
The SRS warning light and “AIR BAG
OFF” indicator light will come on if
there is a malfunction in the front pas-
senger occupant classification system.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
83
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant classification systemCondition detected bythe front passenger
occupant classification system
Indicator/warning lightDevices
“AIR BAG
ON” and “AIR BAG OFF”indicator lights
SRS warning light
Front
passenger ’s seat belt
reminder lightFront
passenger airbagSide airbag
on the front passenger seatCurtain shieldairbag in the front
passenger sideFront
passenger ’s seat belt
pretensioner
1. Adult∗ 1“AIR BAG
ON”OffFlashing∗4Activated
2. Child∗2 or child
restraint system∗ 3“AIR BAG
OFF”∗5OffFlashing∗4Deactivated
Activated
Activated
3. UnoccupiedNot
illuminatedOffOffDeactivatedDeactivated
4. There is a
malfunction in the
system“AIR BAGOFF”OnOffDeactivatedActivated
∗1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may
recognize him/her as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
∗2: When a larger child who has outgrown a child restraint system sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/h er
as an adult depending on his/her physique or posture.
∗ 3: Never install a rear −facing child restraint system on the front passenger seat. A forward −facing child restraint system should only be
installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable. (See “Child restraint” on page 85 in this Section as for installi ng the
child restraint system.)
∗ 4: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.∗5: In case the indicator is not illuminated, see “Child restraint” on page 85 as for installing the child restraint system proper ly.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
84
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
CAUTION
To avoid potential death or serious
injury when the front passenger occu-
pant classification system does not
detect the conditions correctly, ob-
serve the following.
Make sure the “AIR BAG ON” indi-
cator light is illuminated when us-
ing the seat belt extender for the
front passenger seat. If the “AIR
BAG OFF” indicator light is illumi-
nated, disconnect the extender
tongue from the seat belt buckle,
then reconnect the seat belt. Recon-
nect the seat belt extender after
making sure the “AIR BAG ON” in-
dicator light is illuminated. If you
use the seat belt extender while the
“AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is
illuminated, the front passenger air-
bag and side airbag on the front
passenger side may not activate
correctly, which could cause death
or serious injury in the event of
collision.
Do not recline the front passenger
seatback so far that it touches a
rear/second seat. This may cause
the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator to be
illuminated, which indicates that the
passenger ’s airbags will not deploy
in the event of a severe accident.
If the seatback touches the rear/
second seat, return the seatback to
a position where it does not
touches the rear/second seat.
Keep the front passenger seatback
as upright as possible when the ve-
hicle is moving. Reclining the seat-
back excessively may lessen the ef-
fectiveness of the seat belt system.
If an adult sits in the front passen-
ger seat, the “AIR BAG ON” indica-
tor light should be illuminated. If
the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator is illu-
minated, ask the passenger to sit
up straight, well back in the seat,
feet on the floor, and with the seat
belt worn correctly. If the “AIR BAG
OFF” indicator still remains illumi-
nated, either ask the passenger to
move to the rear/second seat, or if
that is not possible, move the front
passenger seat fully rearward.
Wear the seat belt properly.
Make sure the front passenger ’s
seat belt tab has not been left in-
serted into the buckle before some-
one sits in the front passenger
seat.
Do not apply a heavy load to the
front passenger seat or equipment
(e.g. seatback pocket).
Do not put weight on the front pas-
senger seat by putting your hands
or feet on the front passenger seat
seatback from the rear/second pas-
senger seat.
Do not let a rear/second passenger
lift the front passenger seat with
their feet or press on the seatback
with their legs.
Do not put objects under the front
passenger seat.
Child restraint systems installed on
the rear/second seat should not
contact the front seatbacks.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
85
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
When it is unavoidable to install the
forwardfacing child restraint sys-
tem on the front passenger seat,
install the child restraint system on
the front passenger seat in the
proper order. (As for the installation
order, see “—Installation with seat
belt” on page 88 in this Section.)
Do not remove the front seats.
Do not kick the front passenger
seat or subject it to severe impact.
Otherwise, the SRS warning light
may come on to indicate a malfunc-
tion of the detection system. In this
case, contact your Toyota dealer im-
mediately.
The “AIR BAG ON” indicator light may be
illuminated (the front passenger airbag and
side airbag on the front passenger seat
may deploy) even if observing the above
cautions, when a child sits in, or a for-
ward −facing child restraint system is
installed on the front passenger seat. Re-
fer to all the cautions in “SRS airbags” on
page 65 and “Child restraint” on page 85
in this Section. Toyota strongly urges the use of ap-
propriate child restraint systems for
children.
The laws of all 50 states in the U.S.A.
and Canada now require the use of a
child restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAEJ1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s
hould sit in the rear
seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle’s seat belt. See “Seat belts” on
page 53 in this Section for details.
CAUTION
For effective protection in automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops, a
child must be properly restrained,
using a seat belt or child restraint
system depending on the age and
size of the child. Holding a child in
your arms is not a substitute for a
child restraint system. In an acci-
dent, the child can be crushed
against the windshield, or between
you and the vehicle’s interior.
Toyota strongly urges use of a
proper child restraint system which
conforms to the size of the child,
installed on the rear seat. Accord-
ing to accident statistics, the child
is safer when properly restrained in
the rear seat than in the front seat.
Never install a rearfacing child re-
straint system on the front passen-
ger seat even if the “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated. In the
event of an accident, the force of
the rapid inflation of the front pas-
senger airbag can cause death or
serious injury to the child if the
rearfacing child restraint system is
installed on the front passenger
seat.
Child restraint—
—Child restraint precautions

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
86
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
A forwardfacing child restraint sys-
tem should be allowed to be
installed on the front passenger
seat only when it is unavoidable.
Always move the seat as far back
as possible even if the “AIR BAG
OFF” indicator light is illuminated,
because the front passenger airbag
could inflate with considerable
speed and force. Otherwise, the
child may be killed or seriously in-
jured.
On vehicles with side airbags and
curtain shield airbags, do not allow
the child to lean his/her head or
any part of his/her body against the
door or the area of the seat, front
or center and roof side garnish
from which the side airbags or cur-
tain shield airbags deploy even if
the child is seated in the child re-
straint system. It is dangerous if
the side airbag and/or curtain shield
airbag inflate, and the impact could
cause death or serious injury to the
child.
Do not use the seat belt extender
when installing a child restraint
system on the front or rear passen-
ger seat. If installing a child re-
straint system with the seat belt
extender connected to the seat belt,
the seat belt will not securely hold
the child restraint system, which
could cause death or serious injury
to the child or other passengers in
the event of collision.
Make sure you have complied with
all installation instructions provided
by the child restraint manufacturer
and that the system is properly se-
cured. If it is not secured properly,
it may cause death or serious injury
to the child in the event of a sud-
den stop or accident.
A child restraint system for a small
child or baby must itself be properly
restrained on the seat with the lap por-
tion of the lap/shoulder belt. You must
carefully consult the manufacturer ’s
instructions which accompany the child
restraint system.
To provide proper restraint, use a child
restraint system following the manufactur-
er ’s instructions about the appropriate age
and size of the child for the child restraint
system.
Install the child restraint system correctly
following the instructions provided by its
manufacturer. General directions are also
provided under the following illustrations.
The child restraint system should be
installed on the rear seat. According to
accident statistics, the child is safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than
in the front seat.
—Child restraint system

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
87
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
CAUTION
When the child restraint system is
not in use:
Keep the child restraint system
properly secured on the seat even
if it is not in use. Do not store the
restraint unsecured in the passen-
ger compartment.
If it is necessary to detach the
child restraint system, remove it
from the vehicle or store it securely
in the luggage compartment. This
will prevent it from injuring passen-
gers in the event of a sudden stop
or accident.
Child restraint systems are classified into
the following 3 types depending on the
child’s age and size.
(A) Infant seat
(B) Convertible seat
(C) Booster seat
Install the child restraint system following
the instructions provided by its manufac-
turer.
Your vehicle has anchor brackets for se-
curing the top strap of a child restraint
system.
For instructions about how to use the an-
chor bracket, see “—Using a top strap” on
page 100 in this Section.
The child restraint lower anchorages ap-
proved for your vehicle may also be used.
See “—Installation with child restraint low-
er anchorages” on page 104 in this Sec-
tion.
(A) Infant seat
(B) Convertible seat
—Types of child restraint
system

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
88
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
(C) Booster seat(A) INFANT SEAT INSTALLATION
An infant seat must be used in rear
facing position only.CAUTION
Never install a rearfacing child re-
straint system on the front passen-
ger seat even if the “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated. In the
event of an accident, the force of
the rapid inflation of the front pas-
senger airbag can cause death or
serious injury to the child if the
rearfacing child restraint system is
installed on the front passenger
seat.
—Installation with seat belt