2021 TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID brake

1894-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the hybrid system
 P.210, 212
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal
depressed, shift the shift
lever to D. ( P.219)
2 Release the parking brake.
( P.224)
If the parking brake is in automatic
mode, the parking brake is
released automatically when shift-
ing the shift lever to any position
other than P. ( P.224)
3 Gradually release the brake
pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to acceler-
ate the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 With the shift lever in D,
depress the brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking
brake. ( P.224)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the
shift lever to P. ( P.219)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D,
depress the brake pedal. 2
Set the parking brake
( P.224), and shift the shift
lever to P ( P.219).
3 Turn the power switch to
OFF to stop the hybrid sys-
tem.
4 Lock the door, making sure
that you have the key on your
person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels
as needed.
■Starting off on a steep
uphill
1 With the brake pedal
depressed, shift the shift
lever to D. ( P.219)
2 Pull the parking brake switch
and parking brake is set
manually. ( P.224)
3 Release the brake pedal and
gently depress the accelera-
tor pedal to accelerate the
vehicle.
Parking brake automatic release
function ( P.225)
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will acti-
vate. ( P.369)
■For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybrid vehicles
are similar to conventional vehicles,
and it is necessary to refrain from
activities such as sudden accelera-
tion, etc. Refer to “Hybrid vehicle
driving tips”. ( P.376)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully whe n it is raining,
because visibility will be reduced,
the windows may become fogged-
up, and the road could be slip-
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures
should be observed to
ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

1904-1. Before driving
pery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to
rain, as the road surface could be
especially 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 surface, preventing
the steering and brakes from
operating properly.
■ECO Accelerator Guidance
(  P.105)
It is easier to drive in an Eco-friendly
manner by driving while referring to
the ECO Accelerator Guidance dis-
play. Also, by using the ECO Accel-
erator Guidance it is easier to
increase the “Eco Score” evaluation.
●When starting off:
While staying within the ECO
Accelerator Guidance range,
gradually depress the accelerator
pedal and accelerate to the
desired speed. If excessive accel-
eration is avoid ed, the “Start”
score will increase.
●When driving:
After accelerating to the desired
speed, release the accelerator
pedal and drive at a stable speed
within the ECO Acce lerator Guid-
ance range. By keeping the vehi-
cle within the E CO Accelerator
Guidance range, the “Cruise”
score will increase.
●When stopping:
When stopping the vehicle, early
releasing the accelerator pedal
will cause the “Stop” score to
increase.
■Restraining the hybrid system
output (Brake Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake
pedals are depressed at the same
time, the hybrid system output
may be restrained.
●A warning message is displayed
on the multi-information display
while the system is operating. (
 P.648)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-
Start Control)
●When the following unusual oper-
ation is performed, the hybrid sys-
tem output may b e restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from
R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D
*, or
P to R* (D includes S) with the
accelerator pedal depressed, a
warning message appears on the
multi-information display. If a
warning message is shown on the
multi-information d isplay, read the
message and follow the instruc-
tions.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed too much while the
vehicle is in reverse.
*: Depending on the situation, the
shift lever may not be changed.
●While Drive-Start Control is being
activated, your v ehicle may have
trouble escaping from the mud or
fresh snow. In such case, deacti-
vate TRAC ( P.370) to cancel
Drive-Start Cont rol so that the
vehicle may be able to escape
from the mud o r fresh snow.
●Drive-Start Contro l does not work
when Trail Mode is turned on.
■Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle,
observing the following precautions
is recommended:
●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.

1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■Operating your vehicle in a for-
eign country
Comply with the re levant vehicle
registration laws and confirm the
availability of the correct fuel.
(  P.685)
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so m ay result in
death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the
brake pedal while stopped with
the “READY” indi cator is illumi-
nated. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if y ou are unfamil-
iar with the location of the brake
and accelerator pedals to avoid
depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the
brake pedal will result in sudden
acceleration that may lead to an
accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a
difficulty in operating the pedals.
Make sure to operate the pedals
properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when mov-
ing the vehicle only slightly. This
allows you to depress the brake
and accelerator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the
brake pedal using your left foot
may delay respon se in an emer-
gency, resulting in an accident.
●The driver should pay extra
attention to pedestrians when
the vehicle is powered only by
the electric motor (traction
motor). As there is no engine
noise, the pedestrians may mis-
judge the vehicle’s movement.
Even though the vehicle is
equipped with the vehicle prox-
imity notification system, drive
with care as pedestrians in the
vicinity may still not notice the
vehicle if the surrounding area
is noisy.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or
stop the vehicle near flammable
materials such as leaves, paper
or rags.
The exhaust system and
exhaust gases can be
extremely hot. These hot parts
may cause a fire i f there is any
flammable material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not
turn off the hybr id system. Turn-
ing the hybrid s ystem off while
driving will not cause loss of
steering or braking control, how-
ever, power assist to the steer-
ing will be lost. This will make it
more difficult to steer smoothly,
so you should pull over and stop
the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so. In the event of an
emergency, such as if it
becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way:
 P.635
●Use engine braking (downshift)
to maintain a safe speed when
driving down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously
may cause the brakes to over-
heat and lose effectiveness.
( P.219)

1924-1. Before driving
WARNING
●Do not adjust the position of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the
inside or outside rear view mir-
rors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of
vehicle control.
●Always check that all passen-
gers’ arms, head or other parts
of their body are not outside the
vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the
speed limit. Even if the legal
speed limit permits 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 con-
trol and possible injury. Be sure
to consult a tire dealer to deter-
mine whether the tires on your
vehicle are high-speed capabil-
ity tires or not before driving at
such speeds.
■When driving on slippery
road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration
and steering may cause tire
slippage and reduce your ability
to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine
braking due to shifting, or
changes in engine speed could
cause the vehicle to skid.
●After driving through a puddle,
lightly depress the brake pedal
to make sure that the brakes
are functioning properly. Wet
brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning prop-
erly. If the brakes on only one
side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may
be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll back-
ward while a fo rward driving
position is selected, or roll for-
ward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may result in an acci-
dent or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the sh ift lever to P
while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the sh ift lever to R
while the vehicle is moving for-
ward.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a
driving position while the vehicle
is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Moving the shift lever to N while
the vehicle is moving will disen-
gage the hybrid system. Engine
braking is not a vailable with the
hybrid system disengaged.
●Be careful not to shift the shift
lever with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear
other than P or N may lead to
unexpected rapid acceleration
of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or
serious injury. Doing so can
damage the transmission and
may result in a loss of vehicle
control.

1934-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
■If you hear a squealing or
scraping noise (brake pad
wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and
replaced by your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the
pads are not replaced when
needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle
when the wear lim its of the brake
pads and/or those of the brake
discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not depress t he accelerator
pedal unnecessarily.
If the vehicle is in any gear other
than P or N, the vehicle may
accelerate suddenly and unex-
pectedly, causing an accident.
●In order to prev ent accidents
due to the vehicle rolling away,
always keep depressing the
brake pedal while stopped with
the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated, and appl y the parking
brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an
incline, in order to prevent acci-
dents caused by the vehicle roll-
ing forward or backward, always
depress the brake pedal and
securely apply the parking
brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the
engine.
Running the engine at high
speed while the vehicle is
stopped may cause the exhaust
system to overheat, which could
result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave gla sses, cigarette
lighters, spray cans, or soft
drink cans in the vehicle when it
is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the fol-
lowing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may
lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic
lenses and plastic material of
glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray
over the interior of the vehicle,
and may also cause a short cir-
cuit in the vehicl e’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in
the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter
is in a place such as the glove
box or on the floor, it may be lit
accidentally when luggage is
loaded or the se at is adjusted,
causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to
the windshield or windows. Do
not place containers such as air
fresheners on the instrument
panel or dashboard. Adhesive
discs or containers may act as
lenses, causing a fire in the
vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window
open if the curved glass is
coated with a metallized film
such as a silver-colored one.
Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act a s a lens, caus-
ing a fire.

1944-1. Before driving
WARNING
●Always apply the parking brake,
shift the shift lever to P, stop the
hybrid system and lock the vehi-
cle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat-
tended while the “READY” indi-
cator is illuminated.
If the vehicle is parked with the
shift lever in P but the parking
brake is not set, the vehicle may
start to move, possibly leading
to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes
while the “READY” indicator is
illuminated or immediately after
turning the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the
vehicle
Always turn the hyb rid system off.
Otherwise, if you accidentally
move the shift lever or depress
the accelerator p edal, this could
cause an accident or fire due to
hybrid system ove rheating. Addi-
tionally, if the vehicle is parked in
a poorly ventilated area, exhaust
gases may collect and enter the
vehicle, leading to death or a seri-
ous health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes a re 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 electronically controlled
brake system does not operate,
do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid hills or sharp
turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still pos-
sible, but the brake pedal
should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have
your brakes fixed immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2
or more individual hydraulic sys-
tems; 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. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels exces-
sively when any of the tires is up
in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, etc. This may damage
the driveline components or pro-
pel the vehicle forward or back-
ward, causing an accident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator
and brake pedals at the same
time during driving, as this may
restrain the hybrid system out-
put.
●Do not use the accelerator
pedal or depress the accelera-
tor and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on
a hill.

1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
NOTICE
■Avoiding damage to vehicle
parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel
fully in either direction and hold
it there for an extended period
of time.
Doing so may damage the
power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the
road, drive as slowly as possible
to avoid damaging the wheels,
underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driv-
ing
A flat or damaged tire may cause
the following situations.
●It may be difficult to control your
vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal
sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnor-
mally.
Hold the steering wheel firmly and
gradually depress the brake pedal
to slow down the vehicle.
Information on what to do in case
of a flat tire ( P.658)
■When encountering flooded
roads
Do not drive on a road that has
flooded after heavy rain, etc.
Doing so may cause the following
serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by
water immersion
In the event that you drive on a
flooded road and the vehicle is
flooded, be sure to have your
Toyota dealer c heck the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality
of oil and fluid used for the
engine, hybrid transaxle (front
and rear), etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bear-
ings and suspension joints
(where possible), and the func-
tion of all joints, bearings, etc.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and
shift the shift lever to P. Failure to
do so may cause the vehicle to
move or the vehicle may acceler-
ate suddenly if t he accelerator
pedal is accidentally depressed.

2004-1. Before driving
■Before towing
Check that the fo llowing conditions
are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires
are properly inflated. ( P.690)
●Trailer tires are inflated according
to the trailer manufacturer’s rec-
ommendation.
●All trailer lights work as required
by law.
●All lights work each time you con-
nect 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 th e 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 mirr ors conform to
all applicable fede ral, state/provin-
cial or local regulations. If they do
not, install rear view mirrors
appropriate for towing purposes.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed
primarily as a passenger-
and-load-carrying vehicle.
Towing a trailer can have an
adverse impact on handling,
performance, braking, dura-
bility, and fuel consump-
tion. For your safety and the
safety of others, you must
not overload your vehicle or
trailer. You must also
ensure that you are using
appropriate towing equip-
ment, that the towing equip-
ment has been installed
correctly and used properly,
and that you employ the
requisite driving habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and
braking performance are
affected by trailer stability,
brake performance and set-
ting, trailer brakes, the hitch
and hitch systems (if
equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the
vehicle in accordance with
your trailer’s characteris-
tics and operating condi-
tions.
Toyota warranties do not
apply to damage or mal-
function caused by towing a
trailer for commercial pur-
poses.
Contact your Toyota dealer for
further information about addi-
tional requirements such as a
towing kit, etc.