2008 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
49
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
3. Pull and hold the seat lock releasestrap and lift up the seat rearward.
Then push the seat down.
If the seat does not lift up when the seat
lock release strap is pulled, lift the seat-
back by pulling the seatback lock release
strap, and push the seatback down again.
4. Push the seat on the front side against the floor and push the seat
on rear side against the floor. Make
sure it is locked securely.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
50
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
RETURNING THIRD SEATS1. Pull and hold the seat lock release strap, then lift up the seat forward.
Push the seat down. Push the seat
on the rear side against the floor
and push the seat on the front side.
Make sure it is locked securely.
If the seat does not lift up when the seat
lock release strap is pulled, lock the seat-
back again.
To lock the seatback, lift the seatback by
pulling the seatback lock release strap
and push the seatback down.2. Pull the seatback lock release strap and raise the seatback.
CAUTION
When stowing or returning the seat,
observe the following precautions in
order to prevent death or serious in-
jury:
Make sure the seat is free of people
or luggage. Then, hold the seat and
slowly move it. Otherwise, people
may be injured or luggage may be
damaged if the seat hits them.
Be careful not to get your hands or
feet pinched in the seat.
Do not stow and return the seats
when you are inside the vehicle in
order to prevent pinching your
hands or feet in the seat. Be sure
to stow and return the seats from
outside the vehicle.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
51
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
When returning seats to their original
position, observe the following pre-
cautions in order to prevent death or
serious 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 in the seatback
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.To use the armrest, lower the center
head restraint. Pull the strap and pull
the armrest down.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the armrest,
avoid putting heavy loads on it.
Front seats
Rear/second seats
ArmrestHead restraints

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
52
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
Third seats
For your safety and comfort, adjust the
head restraint before driving.
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
The rear/second seats and third seats
head restraints—When an occupant sits
on the rear seats, always pull up the head
restraint to the lock position.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, using
a cushion on the seatback is not recom-
mended.
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.
To turn on the seat heater, push the
switches (“L” switch for driver ’s seat
and “R” switch for passenger ’s seat).
At this time, the indicator light will illu-
minate to indicate the seat heater is
operating.
To turn off the seat heater, push the
switch once again.
The engine switch must be in the “ON”
position to operate seat heaters.
Seat heaters

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
53
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
CAUTION
Occupants must use caution when op-
erating the seat heater because it
may make them feel too hot or cause
burns at low temperatures (erythema,
varicella). Use extra caution for;
Babies, small children, elderly per-
sons, sick persons or persons with
physical disabilities
Persons who have sensitive skin
Persons who are exhausted
Persons who have taken alcohol or
drugs which induce sleep (sleeping
drug, cold remedy, etc.)
To prevent the seat overheating, do
not use the seat heater with a blan-
ket, cushion, or other insulating ob-
jects which cover the seat.
NOTICE
 Do not put unevenly weighed ob-
jects on the seat and do not stick
sharp objects (needles, nails, etc.)
into the seat.
 When cleaning the seats, do not
use organic substances (paint thin-
ner, benzine, alcohol, gasoline,
etc.). They may damage the heater
and seat surface.
 To prevent the battery from being
discharged, turn the switch off
when the engine is not running.
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.
The seat belts provided for your vehicle
are designed for people of adult size,
large enough to properly wear them.
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 “Child restraint”
on page 85 in this Section for details.
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. 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.
Seat belts—
—Seat belt precautions

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
54
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
Do not allow any children 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. Holding a child in your arms
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.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 death or serious bodily inju-
ry, 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 people—even children.
Avoid reclining the seatback any
more than needed. The seat belts
provide maximum protection in a
frontal or rear collision when the
driver and the front passenger 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 co llision, the
more the seat is reclined, the great-
er the risk of death or serious inju-
ry.
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-
ers, or allow them to come into
contact with the belts—they may
severely weaken the belts. (See
“Cleaning the interior” on page 386
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.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
55
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
Ta b
Buckle
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. When a passenger ’s shoulder belt is com-
pletely extended and is then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that
position and cannot be extended. This fea-
ture is used to hold the child restraint
system securely. (For details, see “Child
restraint” on page 85 in this Section.) To
free the belt again, fully retract the belt
and then pull the belt out once more.
If the seat belt cannot be pulled out of the
retractor, firmly pull the belt and release
it. You will then be able to smoothly pull
the belt out of the retractor.CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the belt is not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer. Do not use the seat
until the seat belt is fixed, because
it cannot protect an adult occupant
or your child from death or serious
injury.
Ta k e u p
slack
To o h i g h
Keep as low on
hips as possible
Adjust the position of the lap and
shoulder belts.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips—not on your waist, then ad-
just it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder
portion upward through the latch plate.
—Fastening front and rear
seat belts

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
56
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
CAUTION
Both highpositioned lap belts and
loosefitting belts could cause
death or serious injuries due to
sliding under the lap belt during a
collision or other unintended event.
Keep the lap belt positioned as low
on hips as possible.
Do not place the shoulder belt un-
der your arm.
Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder
anchor—
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to
your size.
To raise: Slide the anchor up.
To lower: Push in the lock release button
and slide the anchor down.
After adjustment, make sure the anchor is
locked in position.
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder belt
is positioned across the center of
your shoulder. The belt should be
kept away from your neck, but not
falling off your shoulder. Failure to
do so could reduce the amount of
protection in an accident and cause
death or serious injuries in a colli-
sion.