2021 TOYOTA RAV4 towing

2884-5. Using the driving support systems
WARNING
●Do not replace a sensor with a
part other than a genuine part.
●Do not subject a sensor or its
surrounding area to a strong
impact.
●Do not damage the sensors,
and always keep them clean.
●If the area around a radar sen-
sor is subjected to an impact,
the system may not operate
properly due to a sensor mal-
function. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
■Handling the suspension
Do not modify the suspension, as
changes to the height or inclina-
tion of the vehicle may prevent
the sensors from detecting
objects correctly or cause the sys-
tem to not operate or operate
unnecessarily.
■If the Parking Support Brake
function (static objects) oper-
ates unnecessarily, such as
at a railroad crossing
In the event that the Parking Sup-
port Brake function (static objects)
operates unnecessarily, such as
at a railroad cross ing, brake con-
trol will be cancele d after approxi-
mately 2 seconds, allowing you to
proceed forward and leave the
area, brake control can also be
canceled by depressing the brake
pedal. Depressing the accelera-
tor pedal after brake control is
canceled will allow you to proceed
forward and leave the area.
■Notes when washing the vehi-
cle
Do not apply intensive bursts of
water or steam to the sensor
area.
Doing so may result in the sensor
malfunctioning.
●When using a high pressure
washer to wash the vehicle, do
not spray the sensors directly,
as doing so may cause a sensor
to malfunction.
●When using steam to clean the
vehicle, do not direct steam too
close to the sensors as doing so
may cause a sensor to malfunc-
tion.
■When to disable the Parking
Support Brake
In the following situations, disable
the Parking Suppor t Brake as the
system may opera te even though
there is no possibility of a colli-
sion.
●When inspecting the vehicle
using a chassis roller, chassis
dynamo or free roller
●When loading the vehicle onto a
boat, truck or other transport
vessel
●If the suspension has been
modified or tires of a size other
than specified are installed
●If the front of the vehicle is
raised or lowered due to the
carried load
●When equipment that may
obstruct a sensor is installed,
such as a towing eyelet, bumper
protector (an additional trim
strip, etc.), bicycle carrier, or
snow plow
●When using an automatic car
wash

2914-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
fog lights, fender pole or wireless
antenna is installed near a sensor
●Changes in the vehicle posture
• If the vehicle is significantly tilted
• If the front of the vehicle is raised or lowered due to the carried load
• If the orientation of a sensor has been changed due t o a collision or
other impact
■Situations in which the Parking
Support Brake function (static
objects) may not operate prop-
erly
In some situations, such as the fol-
lowing, this function may not oper-
ate properly.
●Weather
• When a sensor or the area around a sensor is extremely hot or cold
• When strong winds are blowing
• If a sensor is covered with ice, snow, dirt, etc. (when cleared, the
system will return to normal)
• If heavy rain or water strikes a sensor
• When driving in inclement weather such as fog, snow or a sandstorm
• A sensor is frozen. (Thawing the
area will resolve this problem.)
●Vehicle surroundings
• When an object that cannot be detected is betw een the vehicle
and a detected object • If an object such as a vehicle,
motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrian
cuts in front of the vehicle or runs
out from the side of the vehicle
• The vehicle is approaching a tall or curved curb.
• On an extremely bumpy road, on
an incline, on gravel, or on grass.
• The objects draw too close to the sensor.
●Other sonic waves sources
• When vehicle horns, vehicle
detectors, motorcycle engines, air
brakes of large vehicles, the clear-
ance sonar of ot her vehicles or
other devices which produce ultra-
sonic waves are near the vehicle
• If a sticker or an electronic compo-
nent, such as a backlit license
plate (especially fluorescent type),
fog lights, fender pole or wireless
antenna is installed near a sensor
●Changes in the vehicle
• If the vehicle is significantly tilted
• If the front of the v ehicle is raised
or lowered due to the carried load
• If the orientation of a sensor has
been changed due to a collision or
other impact
• When equipment that may
obstruct a sensor is installed, such
as a towing eyelet, bumper pro-
tector (an additional trim strip,
etc.), bicycle car rier, or snow plow
• If the suspension has been modi- fied or tires of a size other than
specified are installed
• If paint or a stic ker is applied to
the sensor

2954-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
●When there are spinning objects
near your vehicle such as the fan
of an air conditioning unit
●When water is splashed or
sprayed toward the rear bumper,
such as from a sprinkler
■Situations in which the Parking
Support Brake function (rear-
crossing vehicles) may not
operate properly
In some situations, such as the fol-
lowing, the radar sensors may not
detect an object and this function
may not operate properly
●Stationary objects
●When a sensor or the area around
a sensor is extremely hot or cold
●If the rear bumper is covered with
ice, snow, dirt, etc.
●When it is raining heavily or water
strikes the vehicle
●When the detecti on area of a
radar sensor is obstructed by an
adjacent vehicle
●If the vehicle is s ignificantly tilted
●When equipment that may
obstruct a sensor is installed, such
as a towing eyelet, bumper pro-
tector (an additional trim strip,
etc.), bicycle carrier, or snow plow
●If the suspension has been modi-
fied or tires of a size other than
specified are installed
●If the front of the vehicle is raised
or lowered due to the carried load
●If a sticker or an electronic compo-
nent, such as a backlit license
plate (especially fluorescent type),
fog lights, fender pole or wireless antenna is installed near a radar
sensor
●If the orientation of a radar sensor
has been changed
●When multiple vehicles are
approaching with only a small gap
between each vehicle
●If a vehicle is approaching the rear
of your vehicle rapidly
●Situations in which the radar sen-
sor may not detect a vehicle
• When a vehicle approaches from
the right or left at the rear of the
vehicle while you are turning while
backing up
• When turning while backing up
• When backing out of a shallow angle parking spot
• When backing up on a slope with a sharp change in grade

5426-3. Using the storage features
■Removing the luggage
cover
1 Release the cover from the
left and right anchors and
allow it to retract.
2 Compress the end of the lug-
gage cover and lift the lug-
gage cover up.
■Stowing the luggage cover
1 Open the rear deck board
and remove the side deck
covers.
When the back surface (resin sur-
face) of the deck board is facing up, remove the deck board.
2
Place the both ends of the
luggage cover into the
holder.
WARNING
■Luggage cover
●When installing/stowing the lug-
gage cover, make sure that the
luggage cover is securely
installed/stowed. Failure to do
so may result in serious injury in
the event of sudden braking or a
collision.
●Do not place anything on the
luggage cover. In the event of
sudden braking or turning, the
item may go flying and strike an
occupant. This could lead to an
unexpected accident, resulting
in death or se rious injury.
●Do not allow children to climb
on the luggage cover. Climbing
on the luggage cover could
result in damage to the luggage
cover, possibly causing death or
serious injury to the child.

5847-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
tion may increase, and engine oil
may need to be refilled in between
oil maintenance intervals.
●When the engine is new, for
example directly after purchasing
the vehicle or after replacing the
engine
●If low quality oil or oil of an inap-
propriate viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine
speeds or with a heavy load,
when towing, or when driving
while accelerating o r decelerating
frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for
a long time, or wh en driving fre-
quently through heavy traffic
The coolant level is satisfactory
if it is between the “FULL” and
“LOW” lines on the reservoir
when the engine is cold.
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW”
line, add coolant up to the “FULL”
line. ( P.670)
WARNING
■Used engine oil
●Used engine oil contains poten-
tially harmful contaminants
which may cause skin disorders
such as inflammation and skin
cancer, so care should be taken
to avoid prolonged and
repeated contact. To remove
used engine oil from your skin,
wash thoroughly with soap and
water.
●Dispose of used oil and filters
only in a safe an d acceptable
manner. Do not dispose of used
oil and filters in household trash,
in sewers or onto the ground.
Call your Toyota dealer, service
station or auto parts store for
information concerning recy-
cling or disposal.
●Do not leave used engine oil
within the rea ch of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine
damage
Check the oil level on a regular
basis.
■When replacing the engine oil
●Be careful not to spill engine oil
on the vehicle components.
●Avoid overfilling, or the engine
could be damaged.
●Check the oil level on the dip-
stick every time you refill the
vehicle.
●Be sure the engin e oil filler cap
is properly tightened.
■If oil is spilled on the engine
cover
To prevent the engine cover from
being damaged, remove any
engine oil from the engine cover
as soon as possi ble using a neu-
tral detergent. Do not use an
organic solvent such as brake
cleaner.
Checking the coolant
A
B
C

6318-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
8-2.Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle needs
to be towed
If towing is necessary, we
recommend having your
vehicle towed by your
Toyota dealer or commer-
cial towing service, using a
wheel-lift type truck or flat-
bed truck.
Use a safety chain system
for all towing, and abide by
all state/provincial and local
laws.
2WD models: If towing your
vehicle with a wheel-lift type
truck from the front, the
vehicle’s rear wheels and
axles must be in good con-
ditions. (P.631, 633)
If they are damaged, use a
towing dolly or flatbed
truck.
AWD models: If towing your
vehicle with a wheel-lift type
truck, use a towing dolly.
( P.631, 633)
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
2WD models
Be sure to transp ort 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 transp ort the vehicle
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the tires co ntacting the
ground, the drivetrain or related
parts may be damaged, the vehi-
cle may fly off the truck.

6328-2. Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a
problem with your transmission.
Contact your Toyota dealer or
commercial towing service
WARNING
■While towing (vehicles with
towing eyelet)
●When towing using cables or
chains, avoid sudden starts, etc.
which place excessive stress on
the towing eyelets, cables or
chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become
damaged, broken debris may hit
people, and cause serious dam-
age.
●Do not turn the engine switch to
OFF.
There is a possibility that the
steering wheel is locked and
cannot be operated.
■Installing towing eyelets to
the vehicle (vehicles with
towing eyelets)
Make sure that towing eyelets are
installed securely. If not securely
installed, towing eyelets may
come loose during towing.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when towing using a
wheel-lift type truck
●Do not tow the vehicle from the
rear when the engine switch is
off or the key is removed (vehi-
cles without smart key system).
The steering lock mechanism is
not strong enough to hold the
front wheels straight.
●When raising the vehicle,
ensure adequate ground clear-
ance for towing at the opposite
end of the raised vehicle. With-
out adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while
being towed.
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when 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
vehicle during emergency
towing (vehicles with towing
eyelet)
Do not secure cables or chains to
the suspension components.
■When towing the vehicle
(vehicles with Stop & Start
system)
If it is necessary to tow the vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground,
perform the following procedure
before towing the vehicle, in order
to protect the system.
Turn the engine switch to OFF
and then start the engine or turn
the engine switch to ON.
■Recreational towing (behind
motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to
prevent causing serious damage
to the AWD system (AWD mod-
els) and transmission. ( P.193)
Situations when it is nec-
essary to contact dealers
before towing

6338-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
before towing.
The engine is running but the
vehicle does not move.
 The vehicle makes an abnor-
mal sound.
From the front (2WD models)
Release the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off.
( P.206)
From the front (AWD models)
Use a towing dolly under the
rear wheels.
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the
front wheels. When using a flat-bed truck to
transport the vehicle, use tire
strapping belts. Refer to the
owner’s manual of the flat-bed
truck for the tire strapping
method.
In order to suppress vehicle
movement during transporta-
Towing with a wheel-lift
type truck
NOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type
truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck
to prevent body damage.
2WD models
AWD models
Using a flatbed truck