2021 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual (in English)

5697-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
Remove dirt and dust using a
vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty
surfaces with a cloth damp-
ened with lukewarm water.
 If dirt cannot be removed,
wipe it off with a soft cloth
dampened with neutral deter-
gent diluted to approximately
1%.
Wring out any excess water
from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off remaining traces of
detergent and water.
■Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foam-
ing-type cleaners available. Use a
sponge or brush to apply the foam.
Rub in overlapping circles. Do not
use water. Wipe dirty surfaces and
let them dry. Excellent results are
obtained by keeping the carpet as
dry as possible.
■Handling the seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm
water using a clot h or sponge. Also
check the belts periodically for
excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
NOTICE
●Keep the cleaning nozzle at
least 11.9 in. (30 cm) away from
the vehicle body. Otherwise
resin section, such as moldings
and bumpers, may be deformed
and damaged. Also, do not con-
tinuously hold the nozzle in the
same place.
●Do not spray the lower part of
the windshield continuously. If
water enters the air conditioning
system intake located near the
lower part of the windshield, the
air conditioning system may not
operate correctly.
●Do not wash the underside of
the vehicle usin g a high pres-
sure car washer.
Cleaning and protect-
ing the vehicle interior
Perform cleaning in a man-
ner appropriate to each
component and its material.
Protecting the vehicle
interior

5707-1. Maintenance and care
WARNING
■Water in the vehicle
●Do not splash or spill liquid in
the vehicle.
Doing so may cause electrical
components, etc., to malfunc-
tion or catch fire.
●Do not get any of the SRS com-
ponents or wiring in the vehicle
interior wet.
( P.34)
An electrical malfunction may
cause the airbags to deploy or
not function properly, resulting
in death or serious injury.
●Vehicles with wireless charger:
Do not let the wireless charger
(  P.555) get wet. Failure to do
so may cause the charger to
become hot and cause burns or
could cause electric shock
resulting in dea th or serious
injury.
■Cleaning the interior (espe-
cially instrument panel)
Do not use a polis h wax or polish
cleaner. The instrument panel
may reflect off the windshield,
obstructing the dr iver’s view and
leading to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■Cleaning detergents
●Do not use the f ollowing types
of detergent, as they may dis-
color the vehicle interior or
cause streaks or damage to
painted surfaces:
• Non-seat portions: Organic sub- stances such as benzene or
gasoline, alkaline or acidic solu-
tions, dye, and bleach
• Seats: Alkaline or acidic solu- tions, such as thinner, benzene,
and alcohol
●Do not use a polish wax or pol-
ish cleaner. The instrument
panel’s or other interior part’s
painted surface may be dam-
aged.
■Preventing damage to leather
surfaces
Observe the following precautions
to avoid damage to and deteriora-
tion of leather surfaces:
●Remove any dust or dirt from
leather surfaces immediately.
●Do not expose the vehicle to
direct sunlight for extended peri-
ods of time. Park the vehicle in
the shade, especially during
summer.
●Do not place items made of
vinyl, plastic, or containing wax
on the upholstery, as they may
stick to the leather surface if the
vehicle interior heats up signifi-
cantly.
■Water on the floor
Do not wash the v ehicle floor with
water.
Vehicle systems such as the
audio system may be damaged if
water comes into contact with
electrical components such as the
audio system abov e or under the
floor of the vehicle. Water may
also cause the body to rust.
■When cleaning the inside of
the windshield
Do not allow glass cleaner to con-
tact the lens. Also, do not touch
the lens. ( P.226)

5717-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
Remove dirt and dust using a
vacuum cleaner.
 Wipe off any excess dirt and
dust with a soft cloth damp-
ened with diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of
approximately 5% neutral wool
detergent.
Wring out any excess water
from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off all remaining traces
of detergent.
 Wipe the surface with a dry,
soft cloth to remove any
remaining moisture. Allow the
leather to dry in a shaded and
ventilated area.
■Caring for leather areas
Toyota recommends cleaning the
interior of the vehicle at least twice a
year to maintain the quality of the
vehicle’s interior.
 Remove dirt and dust using a
vacuum cleaner.
 Wipe it off with a soft cloth
dampened with neutral deter-
gent diluted to approximately
1%.
 Wring out any excess water
from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off remaining traces of
detergent and water.
NOTICE
■Cleaning the inside of the rear
window
●Do not use a gla ss cleaner to
clean the rear window, as this
may cause damage to the rear
window defogger heater wires.
Use a cloth dampened with
lukewarm water to gently wipe
the window clean. Wipe the win-
dow in strokes running parallel
to the heater wires.
●Be careful not to scratch or
damage the heater wires.
Cleaning the leather areas
Cleaning the synthetic
leather areas

5727-2. Maintenance
7-2.Maintenance
■Repair and replacement
It is recommended that genuine
Toyota parts be used for repairs to
ensure performanc e of each sys-
tem. If non-Toyota p arts are used in
replacement or if a repair shop other
than a Toyota dealer performs
repairs, confirm the warranty cover-
age.
■Allow inspection and repairs to
be performed by a Toyota
dealer
●Toyota technicians are well-
trained specialists and are kept up
to date with the latest service
information. They are well
informed about the operations of
all systems on your vehicle.
●Keep a copy of the repair order. It
proves that the maintenance that
has been performed is under war-
ranty coverage. If any problem
should arise while your vehicle is
under warranty, your Toyota
dealer will promptly take care of it.
General maintenance should be
performed on a daily basis. This
can be done by yourself or by a
Toyota dealer.
Scheduled maintenance should
be performed at specified inter-
vals according to the mainte-
nance schedule.
For details about maintenance
items and schedules, refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Maintenance require-
ments
To ensure safe and econom-
ical driving, day-to-day care
and regular maintenance
are essential. It is the
owner’s responsibility to
perform regular checks.
Toyota recommends the fol-
lowing maintenance:
WARNING
■If your vehicle is not properly
maintained
Improper maintenance could
result in serious damage to the
vehicle and possible death or seri-
ous injury.
■Handling of the battery
●Engine exhaust, some of its
constituents, and a wide variety
of automobile components con-
tain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects and
other reproductive harm. Work
in a well ventilated area.
●Oils, fuels and fluids contained
in vehicles as well as waste pro-
duced by component wear con-
tain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Avoid
exposure and wash any
affected area immediately.
●Battery posts, terminals and
related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds which are
known to cause brain damage.
Wash your hands after han-
dling. ( P.587)
General maintenance
Scheduled maintenance

5737-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
■Resetting the message indicat-
ing maintenance is required
After the required maintenance is
performed according to the mainte-
nance schedule, please reset the
reminder light or message.
To reset the reminder light or mes-
sage, follow the procedure
described below:
1 Press or of the meter
control switches and select
on the multi-information display.
2 Press or of the meter
control switches and select
“Vehicle Settings”. Then press
and hold .
3 Press or of the meter
control switches and select
“Scheduled Maintenance”. Then
press .
4 Select “Yes” and press .
You can perform some mainte-
nance procedures by yourself.
Please be aware that do-it-your-
self maintenance may affect
warranty coverage.
The use of Toyota Repair Manuals
is recommended.
For details about warranty cover-
age, refer to the separate “Owner’s
Warranty Information Booklet” or
“Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Do-it-yourself mainte-
nance
General maintenance
Listed below are the general
maintenance items that
should be performed at the
intervals specified in the
“Owner’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner’s
Manual Supplement/Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide”. It
is recommended that any
problem you notice should
be brought to the attention
of your Toyota dealer or
qualified service shop for
advice.
WARNING
■If the engine is running
Turn the engine o ff and ensure
that there is adequate ventilation
before performing maintenance
checks.
Engine compartment
ItemsCheck points
BatteryCheck the connec-
tions. ( P.587)
Brake fluid
Is the brake fluid at
the correct level?
( P.585)
Engine coolant
Is the engine cool-
ant at the correct
level? ( P.584)
Engine oil
Is the engine oil at
the correct level?
( P.582)

5747-2. Maintenance
Exhaust sys-
temThere should not
be any fumes or
strange sounds.
Radiator/con-
denser
The radiator and
condenser should
be free from for-
eign objects.
( P.585)
Washer fluid
Is there sufficient
washer fluid?
( P.587)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator
pedal
• The accelerator
pedal should
move smoothly
(without uneven
pedal effort or
catching).
Automatic
transmission
“Park” mecha-
nism
• When parked on a slope and the
shift position is in
P, is the vehicle
securely
stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move
smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have
appropriate
clearance from
the floor?
• Does the brake pedal have the
correct amount
of free play?
ItemsCheck points
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to
one side when
the brakes are
applied.
• The brakes should work
effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel
spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get
too close to the
floor when the
brakes are
applied.
Head
restraints
• Do the head restraints move
smoothly and
lock securely?
Indica-
tors/buzzers
• Do the indica-tors and buzzers
function prop-
erly?
Lights• Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Does the park-ing brake oper-
ate normally?
• When parked on a slope and the
parking brake is
on, is the vehicle
securely
stopped?
ItemsCheck points

5757-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operate
smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be
damaged.
Seats
• Do the seat con-trols operate
properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steer-ing wheel rotate
smoothly?
• Does the steer- ing wheel have
the correct
amount of free
play?
• There should not be any strange
sounds coming
from the steer-
ing wheel.
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors
• Do the doors operate
smoothly?
Engine hood
• Does the engine hood lock system
work properly?
Fluid leaks
• There should not be any signs of
fluid leakage
after the vehicle
has been parked.
ItemsCheck points
Tires
• Is the tire infla-tion pressure
correct?
• The tires should not be damaged
or excessively
worn.
• Have the tires been rotated
according to the
maintenance
schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be
loose.
Windshield
wipers/rear
window wiper
• The wiper blades should not show
any signs of
cracking, split-
ting, wear, con-
tamination or
deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the
windshield with-
out streaking or
skipping.
ItemsCheck points

5767-2. Maintenance
The OBD system determines
that a problem exists some-
where in the emission control
system. Your vehicle may not
pass the I/M test and may need
to be repaired. Contact your
Toyota dealer to service the
vehicle.
When the battery is discon-
nected or discharged
Readiness codes that are set
during ordinary driving are
erased.
Also, depending on your driv-
ing habits, the readiness
codes may not be completely
set.
 When the fuel tank cap is loose
The malfunction indicator
lamp comes on indicating a
temporary malfunction and
your vehicle may not pass the
I/M test.
The error code in the OBD sys-
tem will not be cleared unless
the vehicle is driven 40 or more
times.
Contact your Toyota dealer to
prepare the vehicle for re-test-
ing.
Emission inspection
and maintenance (I/M)
programs
Some states have vehicle
emission inspection pro-
grams which include OBD
(On Board Diagnostics)
checks. The OBD system
monitors the operation of
the emission control sys-
tem.
If the malfunc tion indica-
tor lamp comes on
Your vehicle may not
pass the I/M test in the fol-
lowing situations:
When the malfunction
indicator lamp still
remains on after several
driving trips
If your vehicle does not
pass the I/M test