2021 TOYOTA RAV4 brakes

1864-1. Before driving
■Unbraked TWR (Unbraked
Trailer Weight Rating)
The trailer weight rating for tow-
ing a trailer without a trailer ser-
vice brake system.
(Without brakes)
■Tongue Weight
The load placed on the trailer
hitch ball. ( P.188)
Vehicles without towing pack-
age
Vehicles with towing package 
The gross trailer weight must
never exceed the TWR
described below.
Without towing package
1500 lb. (680 kg)
With towing package
3500 lb. (1590 kg)
 The gross combination weight
must never exceed the
GCWR described below.
Without towing package
Vehicles without Dynamic Torque
Vectoring AWD system: 6110 lb.
(2770 kg)
Vehicles with Dynamic Torque Vec-
toring AWD system: 6205 lb. (2815
kg)
With towing package
8205 lb. (3725 kg)
 The gross vehicle weight
must never exceed the
GVWR indicated on the Certi-
fication Regulation Label.
 The gross axle weight on
each axle must never exceed
the GAWR indicated on the
Certification Regulation Label.
A
Weight limits

1874-1. Before driving
4
Driving
If the gross trailer weight is
over the unbraked TWR,
trailer service brakes are
required.
 Vehicles with towing package:
If the gross trailer weight is
over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway
control device with sufficient
capacity is required.
Confirm that the gross trailer
weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and tongue
weight are all within the limits.
■GCWR*
Without towing package
Vehicles without Dynamic
Torque Vectoring AWD system:
6110 lb. (2770 kg)
Vehicles with Dynamic Torque
Vectoring AWD system: 6205 lb.
(2815 kg)
With towing package
8205 lb. (3725 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi- cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
■TWR*
Without towing package
1500 lb. (680 kg)
With towing package
3500 lb. (1590 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi- cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
■Unbraked TWR*
1000 lb. (450 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi-cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
 A recommended tongue
weight varies in accordance
with the types of trailers or
towing as described below.
 To ensure the recommended
values shown below, the
trailer must be loaded by
referring to the following
instructions.
• Tongue Weight
The gross trailer weight should be
distributed so that the tongue
weight is 9% to 11%.
(Tongue weight /Gross trailer
weight x 100 = 9% to 11%)
Vehicles without towing pack-
age
Gross trailer weight
GCWR, TWR and
Unbraked TWR
Trailer Tongue Weight
A

1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
vehicle control. This is espe-
cially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden
acceleration.
 Avoid jerky steering and
sharp turns, and slow down
before making turn.
 Note that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be
closer than the vehicle wheels
to the inside of the turn. Com-
pensate by making a wider
than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a
turn, in cross winds, on wet or
slippery surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can
destabilize the trailer.
Take care when passing other
vehicles. Passing requires
considerable distance. After
passing a vehicle, do not for-
get the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty
of room before changing
lanes.
 To maintain engine braking
efficiency and charging sys-
tem performance when using
engine braking, do not put the
transmission in D. If in the S
mode, the transmission shift
range position must be in 6 or
lower.
 Instability happens more fre-
quently when descending
steep or long downhill grades. Before descending, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts
while descending steep or
long downhill grades.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the
brakes too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
 Due to the added load of the
trailer, your vehicle’s engine
may overheat on hot days (at
temperatures over 85°F
[30°C]) when driving up a long
or steep grade. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air condi-
tioning (if in use), pull your
vehicle off the road and stop
in a safe spot. ( P.670)
 Always place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and
the trailer’s wheels when
parking. Apply the parking
brake firmly, and put the
transmission in P. Avoid park-
ing on a slope, but if unavoid-
able, do so only after
performing the following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep
them applied.
2 Have someone place wheel
blocks under both the vehi-
cle’s and trailer’s wheels.

1924-1. Before driving
3When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb
the load.
4 Apply the parking brake
firmly.
5 Shift into P and turn off the
engine.
 When restarting after parking
on a slope:
1 With the transmission in P,
start the engine. Be sure to
keep the brake pedal
depressed.
2 Shift into a forward gear. If
reversing, shift into R.
3 If the parking brake is in man-
ual mode, release the park-
ing brake. ( P.205)
4 Release the brake pedal, and
slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and
apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the
blocks.
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped
with any new power train compo-
nents (such as an engine, transmis-
sion, differential or wheel bearing),
Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer unt il the vehicle has
been driven for over 500 miles (800
km).
After the vehicle has been driven for
over 500 miles (800 km), you can
start towing. However, for the next
500 miles (800 km), drive the vehi-
cle at a speed of less than 45 mph
(72 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a traile
r, your vehicle
will require more fr equent mainte-
nance due to the additional load.
(See “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner ’s Manual Sup-
plement”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the
towing ball and bracket after
approximately 600 miles (1000
km) of tra iler towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds,
passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.)
can adversely affect handling of
your vehicle and t railer, causing
instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to contr ol trailer sway-
ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator
pedal immediately but very gradu-
ally to reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not
apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction
with the steering or brakes, your
vehicle and trailer should stabilize (if
enabled, Trailer Sway Control can
also help to stabilize the vehicle and
trailer.).
●After the trailer swaying has
stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occu-
pants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer. Make sure the load has not
shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is
appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle.
Make sure the vehicle is not over-
loaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the

2094-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
●The driver is not wearing the seat
belt.
If any of the conditions above are
detected when the brake hold sys-
tem is enabled, the system will turn
off and the brake hold standby indi-
cator light will go o ff. In addition, if
any of the conditions are detected
while the system is holding the
brake, a warning buzzer will sound
and a message will be shown on the
multi-information display. The park-
ing brake will then be set automati-
cally.
■Brake hold function
●If the brake pedal is left released
for a period of about 3 minutes
after the system has started hold-
ing the brake, the parking brake
will be set automat ically. In this
case, a warning buzzer sounds
and a message is shown on the
multi-informat ion display.
●To turn the syste m off while the
system is holding the brake, firmly
depress the brake pedal and
press the button again.
●The brake hold function may not
hold the vehicle wh en the vehicle
is on a steep inclin e. In this situa-
tion, it may be necessary for the
driver to apply the brakes. A warn-
ing buzzer will sound and the
multi-informatio n display will
inform the driver of this situation. If
a warning message is shown on
the multi-information display, read
the message and follow the
instructions.
■When the parking brake is set
automatically while the system
is holding the brakes
Perform any of the following opera-
tions to release the parking brake:
●Depress the accelerator pedal.
(The parking brake will not be
released automatic ally if the seat
belt is not fastened.)
●Operate the parking brake switch
with the brake pedal depressed. Make sure that the parking brake
indicator light goes off. (
P.205)
■When an inspection at your
Toyota dealer is necessary
When the brake hold standby indi-
cator (green) does not illuminate
even when the brake hold switch is
pressed with the brake hold system
operating conditions met, the sys-
tem may be malf unctioning. Have
the vehicle inspected at your Toyota
dealer.
■If “Brake Hold Malfunction
Press Brake to Deactivate Visit
Your Dealer” or “Brake Hold
Malfunction Visit Your Dealer”
is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display
The system may be malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
■Warning messages and buzzers
Warning messages and buzzers are
used to indicate a system malfunc-
tion or to inform the driver of the
need for caution. If a warning mes-
sage is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display, read the message and
follow the instructions.
■If the brake hold operated indi-
cator flashes
 P.643
WARNING
■When the vehicle is on a
steep incline
When using the br ake hold sys-
tem on a steep incline, exercise
caution. The brake hold function
may not hold the vehicle in such a
situation.

2324-5. Using the driving support systems
The system can detect the fol-
lowing:
Vehicles
 Bicyclists
 Pedestrians
■Pre-collision warning
When the system determines
that the possibility of a frontal
collision is high, a buzzer will
sound and a warning message
will be displayed on the multi-
information display to urge the
driver to take evasive action.
■Pre-collision brake assist
When the system determines
that the possibility of a frontal
collision is high, the system
applies greater braking force in
relation to how strongly the
brake pedal is depressed.
■Pre-collision braking
If the system determines that
the possibility of a frontal colli-
sion is extremely high, the
brakes are automatically applied
to help avoid the collision or
reduce the impact of the colli-
sion.
PCS (Pre-Collision Sys-
tem)
The pre-collision system
uses a radar sensor and
front camera to detect
objects ( P.232) in front of
the vehicle. When the sys-
tem determines that the
possibility of a frontal colli-
sion with an object is high,
a warning operates to urge
the driver to take evasive
action and the potential
brake pressure is increased
to help the driver avoid the
collision. If the system
determines that the possi-
bility of a frontal collision
with an object is extremely
high, the brakes are auto-
matically applied to help
avoid the collision or help
reduce the impact of the
collision.
The pre-collision system can
be disabled/enabled and the
warning timing can be
changed. ( P.234)
Detectable objects
System functions

2394-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
such as heavy rain, fog, snow or a
sandstorm
• When driving through steam or smoke
• When the surrounding area is dim, such as at dawn or dusk, or while
at night or in a t unnel, making a
detectable object appear to be
nearly the same color as its sur-
roundings
• When driving in a place where the surrounding brightness changes
suddenly, such as at the entrance
or exit of a tunnel
• After the engine has started the vehicle has not been driven for a
certain amount of time
• While making a left/right turn and for a few seconds after making a
left/right turn
• While driving on a curve and for a
few seconds after driving on a
curve
• If your vehicle is skidding
• If the front of the vehicle is raised or lowered
• If the wheels are misaligned
• If a wiper blade is blocking the front camera
• The vehicle is being driven at extremely high speeds
• When driving on a hill
• If the radar sensor or front camera is misaligned
●In some situations such as the fol-
lowing, sufficien t braking force
may not be obtained, preventing
the system from performing prop-
erly:
• If the braking functions cannot operate to their full extent, such as
when the brake parts are
extremely cold, extremely hot, or
wet • If the vehicle is not properly main-
tained (brakes or tires are exces-
sively worn, imprope r tire inflation
pressure, etc.)
• When the vehicle is being driven on a gravel road or other slippery
surface
■If VSC is disabled
●If VSC is disabled ( P.366), the
pre-collision brak e assist and pre-
collision braking functions are also
disabled.
●The PCS warning light will turn on
and “VSC Turned Off Pre-Colli-
sion Brake System Unavailable”
will be displayed on the multi-
information display.

2574-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
Example of constant speed cruising
When there are no vehicles ahead
The vehicle travels at the speed set by the driver.
Example of deceleration crui sing and follow-up cruising
When a preceding vehicle driving slower than the set speed
appears
When a vehicle is detected runni ng ahead of you, the system automatically
decelerates your vehicle. When a greater reduction in vehicle s peed is nec-
essary, the system applies the brakes (the stop lights will come on at this
time). The system will respond to changes i n the speed of the vehicle
ahead in order to maintain the ve hicle-to-vehicle distance set by the driver.
Approach warning warns you when the system cannot decelerate suffi-
ciently to prevent your vehicle from closing in on the vehicle ahead.
When the vehicle ahead of you st ops, your vehicle will also stop (vehicle is
stopped by system control). Afte r the vehicle ahead starts off, pressing the
“+RES” switch or depressing the accelerator pedal (start-off operation) will
resume follow-up cruising. If the start-off operation is not performed, system
control continues to keep your vehicle stopped.
When the turn signal lever is ope rated and your vehicle moves to an over-
taking lane while driving at 50 mph (80 km/h) or more, the vehi cle will accel-
erate to help to overt ake a passing vehicle.
The system’s identifi cation of what is an overtaking lane may be deter-
mined solely based on the location of the steering wheel in the vehicle (left
side driver position versus righ t side driver position.) If the vehicle is driven
to a region where the overtaking lane is on a different side fr om where the
vehicle is normally driven, the v ehicle may accelerate when the turn signal
lever is operated in the opposite direction to the overtaking l ane (e.g., if the
driver normally operates the vehicle in a region where the over taking lane is
to the right but then drives to a region where the overtaking l ane is to the
left, the vehicle may accelerate when the right turn signal is activated).
Example of acceleration
When there are no longer any preceding vehicles driving slower
than the set speed
The system accelerates until the set speed is reached. The system then
returns to constan t speed cruising.
1Press the cruise control main switch to activate the cruise
control.
Dynamic radar cruise control indi-
cator will come on and a message
will be displayed on
the multi-infor-
mation display. Press the switch
A
B
C
Setting the vehicle speed
(vehicle-to-vehicle dis-
tance control mode)