5
1
8 7
6
5
4
3
2
RAV4_OM_OM42809U_(U)
9
5-4. Using the storage featuresList of storage features...... 380
• Glove box...................... 381
• Console box .................. 382
• Cup holders .................. 383
• Bottle holders ................ 384
Luggage compartment features ........................... 385
5-5. Other interior features Sun visors and vanity mirrors ............................. 395
Clock ................................. 396
Power outlets .................... 397
Seat heaters ...................... 398
Armrest.............................. 400
Coat hooks ........................ 401
Assist grips ........................ 402
6-1. Maintenance and care Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 404
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ........... 408
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ................... 412
General maintenance ........ 415
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs ......................... 419 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions ...................... 420
Hood .................................. 425
Positioning a floor jack....... 427
Engine compartment ......... 429
Tires................................... 443
Tire inflation pressure ........ 454
Wheels............................... 457
Air conditioning filter .......... 460
Wireless remote control/electronic
key battery ....................... 462
Checking and replacing fuses ................................ 465
Light bulbs ......................... 476
7-1. Essential information Emergency flashers ........... 492
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an
emergency....................... 493
6Maintenance and care
7When trouble arises
17Pictorial index
RAV4_OM_OM42809U_(U)Windshield wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 229
Precautions against winter season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 276
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer)
*1. . . . . . . . . . . P. 307
Fuel filler door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 237
Refueling method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 237
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 554
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 443
Tire size/inflation pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 561
Winter tires/tire chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 276
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system . . . . . . . . . P. 443
Coping with flat tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 519
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 425
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 425
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 555
Coping with overheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 546
Camera
*1, 2
Headlights/daytime running lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 217
Parking lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 217
Fog lights
*1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 228
Turn signal lights
*1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 214
Tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 217
Stop/tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 217
License plate lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 217
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 207
Side marker lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 217
4
5
6
7
8
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P. 476, Watts: P. 562)
*1: If equipped
*2: For vehicles with a Display Audio system, refer to “Display Audio System Owner’s Manual”.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
166
RAV4_OM_OM42809U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the win-
dows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road sur-
face, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■ Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation to
meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
● When the accelerator pedal is released
● When the brake pedal is depressed while sport mode is selected
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom-
mended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 600 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
RAV4_OM_OM42809U_(U)
1694-1. Before driving
4
Driving
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
●During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 493
● Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 208)
● Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
● Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle.
● Do not drive the vehicle off-road.
This is not an AWD vehicle designed for off-road driving. Proceed with all
due caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.
● Do not drive across river crossings or through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic components to short circuit, damage
the engine or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph ( 140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on y our vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
RAV4_OM_OM42809U_(U)
1734-1. Before driving
4
Driving
CAUTION
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire
due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to
death or a serious health hazard.
■ When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause
one side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also, the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
● If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other\
vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.
● Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
● The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking distance will
increase.
If this happens, do not continue to drive the vehicle. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
■ If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or
the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline com-
ponents or propel the vehicle forward or backward, causing an accident.
180
RAV4_OM_OM42809U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
Vehicle load limits
◆Total load capacity (vehicle capacity weight): P. 5 5 2
Total load capacity means the combined weight of occupants, cargo
and luggage.
◆Seating capacity: 5 occupants (Front 2, Rear 3)
Seating capacity means the maxi mum number of occupants whose
estimated average weight is 150 lb. (68 kg) per person.
◆TWR (Trailer Weight Rating): P. 185, 552
TWR means the maximum gross trailer weight (trailer weight plus
its cargo weight) that your vehicle is able to tow.
◆Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or decrease depending on the weight
and the number of occupants.
■ Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire and loading information label.
( P. 454)
Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating capacity,
TWR (Trailer Weight Rati ng) and cargo capacity.
CAUTION
■Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to the tires, but also degrade steering and
braking ability, resulting in an accident.
188
RAV4_OM_OM42809U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid
an accident, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when
towing:
● Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not
exceed the posted to wing speed limit.
● Toyota recommends that the vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65 mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this limit, the
posted towing speed limit or the spe ed limit for your trailer as set
forth in your trailer owner’s manual, whichever is lowest. Instability
of the towing vehicle-trailer combination (trailer sway) increases as
speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of control.
● Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-
trailer connections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
● Practice turning, stopping and reve rsing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel
of the vehicle-trailer combination.
● Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires practice.
Grip the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the
left to move the traile r to the left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to right. (This is generally opposite to reversing
without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when reversing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
Trailer towing tips
RAV4_OM_OM42809U_(U)
1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■Matching trailer ball height to trailer coupler height
■ Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 561)
● Trailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacturer’s recommen-
dation.
● All trailer lights work as required by law.
● All lights work each time you connect them.
● The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
● The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for improper tongue weight,
overloading, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
● The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
● The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or
local regulations. If they do not, install rear view mirrors appropriate for tow-
ing purposes.
No matter which class of tow hitch
applies, for a more safe trailer hookup,
the trailer ball setup must be the proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
1
2