Page 598 of 741
RAV4_OM_OM42A41U_(U)
5977-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
■Stop/tail lights, rear side marker lights (bulb type) and rear turn
signal lights
Open the back door and
remove the bolts, and
remove the lamp assembly
by pulling it directly backward
from the rear of the vehicle.
Turn the bulb base counterclockwise.
Remove the light bulb.
When installing, reve rse the steps listed.
1
2
Stop/tail lights and rear side
marker lightsRear turn signal lights
3
Stop/tail lights and rear side
marker lightsRear turn signal lights
4
Page 599 of 741
598
RAV4_OM_OM42A41U_(U)
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■Tail lights (bulb type)Open the back door and
remove the cover.
To prevent damage, cover the
tip of the screwdriver with rag.
Turn the bulb base counter-
clockwise.
Remove the light bulb.
When installing, reve rse the steps listed.
1
2
3
4
Page 600 of 741
RAV4_OM_OM42A41U_(U)
5997-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
■Back-up lightsTurn the bulb base counter-
clockwise.
Remove the light bulb.
When installing, reverse the
steps listed.
After installing the bulb base,
make sure that the rubber cover
is installed securely.
1
2
Rubber
cover
3
Page 601 of 741
600
RAV4_OM_OM42A41U_(U)
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■License plate lightsOpen the back door and
remove the cover.
To prevent damage, cover the
tip of the screwdriver with rag.
Turn the bulb base counterclockwise.
Remove the light bulb.
When installing, reve rse the steps listed.
1
2
Left sideRight side
3
4
Page 603 of 741

602
RAV4_OM_OM42A41U_(U)
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
WARNING
■Replacing light bulbs
● Turn off the lights. Do not attempt to replace the bulb immediately after
turning off the lights.
The bulbs become very hot and may cause burns.
● Do not touch the glass portion of the light bulb with bare hands. When it is
unavoidable to hold the glass portion, use and hold with a clean dry cloth
to avoid getting moisture and oils on the bulb.
Also, if the bulb is scratched or dropped, it may blow out or crack.
● Fully install light bulbs and any parts used to secure them. Failure to do so
may result in heat damage, fire, or water entering the headlight unit. This
may damage the headlights or cause condensation to build up on the lens.
● Do not attempt to repair or disassemble light bulbs, connectors, electric
circuits or component parts.
Doing so may result in death or serious injury due to electric shock.
● When replacing the back up light of the right side, be careful not to touch
the exhaust pipes until they have cooled down sufficiently, as touching hot
exhaust pipes can cause burns.
■ To prevent damage or fire
● Make sure bulbs are fully seated and locked.
● Check the wattage of the bulb before installing to prevent heat damage.
Page 607 of 741
6068-1. Essential information
RAV4_OM_OM42A41U_(U)
WARNING
■If the engine has to be turned off while driving
● Power assist for the brakes and steering wheel will be lost, making the
brake pedal harder to depress and the steering wheel heavier to turn.
Decelerate as much as possible before turning off the engine.
● Vehicles without smart key system: Never attempt to remove the key, as
doing so will lock the steering wheel.
Page 612 of 741

6118-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RAV4_OM_OM42A41U_(U)
8
When trouble arises
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
■ While towing
● When towing using cables or chains, avoid sudden starts, etc. which place
excessive stress on the towing eyelets, cables or chains. The towing eye-
lets, cables or chains may become damaged, broken debris may hit peo-
ple, and cause serious damage.
● Do not turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position (vehicles without
smart key system) or off (vehicles with smart key system).
There is a possibility that the steering wheel is locked and cannot be oper-
ated.
■ Installing towing eyelets to the vehicle
Make sure that towing eyelets are installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelets may come loose during towing.
2WD models:
Be sure to transport the vehicle with the
front wheels raised or with all four wheels
raised off the ground.If the vehicle is
towed with the front wheels contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and related
parts may be damaged.
AWD models:
Be sure to transport the vehicle with all
four wheels raised off the ground. If the
vehicle is towed with the tires contacting
the ground, the drivetrain or related parts
may be damaged, the vehicle may fly off
the truck.
Page 613 of 741

6128-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RAV4_OM_OM42A41U_(U)
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the vehicle when towing using a wheel-lift type
truck
● Vehicles without smart key system: Do not tow the vehicle from the rear
when the engine switch is in the “LOCK” position or the key is removed.
The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
● Vehicles with smart key system: Do not tow the vehicle from the rear when
the engine switch is off. The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough
to hold the front wheels straight.
● When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed.
■ To prevent damage to the vehicle wh en towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or rear.
■ To prevent damage to the vehic le during emergency towing
Do not secure cables or chains to the suspension components.
■ Recreational towing (beh ind motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to prevent
causing serious damage to the Dynamic
Torque Control AWD system (AWD mod-
els) and transmission. (→P. 195)