2021 TOYOTA RAV4 PHEV towing

309
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
Check the allowable towing capac -
ity, GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass),
MPAC (Maximum Permissible Axle
Capacity), and permissible drawbar
load before towing. ( →P.618)
Toyota recommends the use of the
Toyota hitch/bracke t for your vehi-
cle. Other products of a suitable
nature and comparable quality may
also be used.
For vehicles where the towing
device blocks any of the lights or
license plate, the fo llowing shall be
observed:
 Do not use towing device that
cannot be easily removed or
repositioned.
 Towing devices must be
removed or repositioned when
not in use.
Please consult a ny authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable repairer
when installing tra iler lights, as
incorrect installa tion may cause
damage to the vehicle’s lights.
Please take care to comply with
your state’s laws when installing
trailer lights.
■Total trailer weight and per -
missible drawbar load
Total trailer weight
WARNING
●Do not use dynamic radar cruise
control with full- speed range (if
equipped) or cruise control (if equipped) when trailer towing.
■Vehicle speed in towing
Observe the legal maximum speeds
for trailer towing.
■Before descending hills or long declines
Reduce speed and downshift. How -
ever, never downshift suddenly while descending steep or long downhill
grades.
■Operation of the brake pedal
Do not hold the brake pedal
depressed often or for long periods of time.
Doing so may result in the brake over -
heating or reduce braking effects.
Weight limits
Towing hitch/bracket
Connecting trailer lights
NOTICE
■Do not directly splice trailer lights
Directly splicing trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical sys - tem and cause a malfunction.
Important points regarding
trailer loads
A

3105-1. Before driving
Weight of the trailer itself plus the trailer
load should be within the maximum
towing capacity. Exceeding this weight
is dangerous. ( →P.618)
When towing a trailer, use a friction
coupler or friction st abilizer (sway con-
trol device).
Permissible drawbar load
Allocate the trailer load so that the
drawbar load is g reater than 25 kg
(55.1 lb.) or 4% of the towing capacity.
Do not let the draw bar load exceed the
indicated weight. ( →P.618)
■Information tag (manufac-
turer’s label)
Gross vehicle mass
The combined weight of the driver, pas -
sengers, luggage, towing hitch, total
curb mass and drawbar load should not
exceed the gross vehicle mass by more
than 100 kg (220.5 lb.). Exceeding this
weight is dangerous.
Maximum permissible rear axle
capacity
The weight borne by the rear axle
should not exceed the maximum per -
missible rear axle capacity by 15% or
more. Exceeding this weight is danger -
ous.
The values for towing capacity were
derived from testing conducted at sea
level. Take note t hat hybrid system out-
put and towing capacity will be reduced
at high altitudes.
B
A
B
WARNING
■When the gross vehicle mass or
maximum permissible axle capacity is exceeded
Failing to observe this precaution may
lead to an accident causing death or
serious injury.
●Add an additional 20.0 kPa (0.2
kgf/cm2 or bar, 3 psi) to the recom -
mended tire inflation pressure
value. ( →P.624)
●Do not exceed the established
speed limit for towing a trailer in built-up areas or 100 km/h (62
mph), whichever is lower.

311
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
458 mm (18.0 in.)
461 mm (18.1 in.)
536 mm (21.1 in.)
Installation positions for the towing hitch/bracket and hitch
ball
A
B
C

3145-1. Before driving
34 mm (1.3 in.)
412 mm (16.2 in.)
332 mm (13.1 in.)
370 mm (14.6 in.)
570 mm (22.4 in.)
601 mm (23.7 in.)
1073 mm (42.2 in.)
Your vehicle will handle differently
when towing a trailer. In order to
avoid accident, d eath or serious
injury, keep the following in mind
when towing:
■Checking connections
between trailer and lights
Stop the vehicle and check the
operation of the connection
between the trailer and lights after
driving for a brief period as well as
before starting off.
■Practicing driving with a cou -
pled trailer
 Get the feel for turning, stopping
and reversing with the trailer
coupled by practicing in an area
with no or light traffic.
 When reversing with a coupled
trailer, hold the section of the
steering wheel nearest to you
and rotate clockwise to turn the
trailer left or co unterclockwise to
turn it right. Always rotate a little
at a time to prevent steering
error. Have someone guide you
when reversing to lessen the risk
of an accident.
■Increasing vehicle-to-vehicle
distance
At a speed of 10 km/h (6 mph), the
distance to the vehicle running
ahead of you should be equivalent
to or greater th an the combined
length of you r vehicle and trailer.
Avoid sudden braking that may
cause skidding. Otherwise, the
vehicle may spin out of control. This
is especially true when driving on
wet or slippery road surfaces.
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
NOTICE
■When the rear bumper strength -
ening material is aluminum
Ensure the steel bracket part does not
come directly in contact with that
area.
When steel and aluminum come into
contact, there is a reaction similar to
corrosion, which will weaken the sec - tion concerned and may result in
damage. Apply a rust inhibitor to parts
that will come in contact when attach - ing a steel bracket.
Guidance

315
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
■Sudden acceleration/steering
input/cornering
Executing sharp turns when towing
may result in the trailer colliding
with your vehicle. D ecelerate well in
advance when approaching turns
and take them slowly and carefully
to avoid sudden braking.
■Important points regarding
turning
The wheels of the tr ailer will travel
closer to the inside of the curve
than the wheels of the vehicle. To
make allowance for this, take the
turns wider than you would nor -
mally do.
■Important points regarding
stability
Vehicle movement resulting from
uneven road surfaces and strong
crosswinds will affect handling. The
vehicle may also be rocked by
passing buses or large trucks. Fre -
quently check behind when moving
alongside such vehicles. As soon
as such vehicle movement occurs,
immediately start to decelerate
smoothly by slowly applying the
brakes. Always steer the vehicle
straight ahead while braking.
■Passing other vehicles
Consider the total combined length
of your vehicle and trailer and
ensure that the vehicle-to-vehicle
distance is sufficient before execut -
ing lane changes.
■Transmission information
To maintain engine braking effi -
ciency, when using engine braking,
do not use the transmission in D.
( →P.321)
■If the hybrid system overheats
Towing a loaded trailer up a long,
steep incline in temperatures
exceeding 30°C (85°F) may result
in the hybrid system overheating. If
the high coolant temperature warn -
ing light indicates that the hybrid
system is overheating, turn the air
conditioning off immediately, leave
the road and stop the vehicle in a
safe place. ( →P.611)
■When parking the vehicle
Always place wheel chocks under
the wheels of both the vehicle and
trailer. Firmly set the parking brake
and shift the shift lever to P.
■Break-in schedule
Toyota recommends that vehicles fitted
with new power train components
should not be used for towing trailers for the first 800 km (500 miles).
■Maintenance
●Maintenance must be performed more frequently when using the vehicle for
towing due to the greater weight bur -
den placed on the vehicle compared to normal driving.
●Retighten all bolts securing the hitch - ing ball and bracket after towing for
approximately 1000 km (600 miles).
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factor s (crosswinds, pass- ing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can
adversely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing instability.

3165-1. Before driving
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer swaying by
turning the steering wheel. • Begin releasing the accelerator pedal
immediately but very gradually 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 occupants
out of the vehicle. • Check the tires of t he vehicle and the
trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer. Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appro -
priate, if possible. • Check the load in the vehicle.
Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded
after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the
speed at which trailer swaying occurred
is beyond the limit of your particular
vehicle-trailer combination. Drive at a
lower speed to pre vent instability.
Remember that swaying of the towing
vehicle-trailer increases as speed
increases.

3565-5. Using the driving support systems
WARNING
■Limitations of the pre-collision
system
●The driver is solely responsible for safe driving. Always drive safely,
taking care to observe your sur -
roundings. Do not use the pre- collision system
instead of normal braking opera -
tions under any circumstances.
This system will not prevent colli - sions or lessen collision damage or
injury in every situation. Do not
overly rely on thi s system. Failure to do so may lead to an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.
●Although this system is designed to
help avoid a collision or help reduce
the impact of the collision, its effec - tiveness may change according to
various conditions, therefore the
system may not alw ays be able to achieve the same level of perfor -
mance.
Read the following conditions care - fully. Do not over ly rely on this sys-
tem and always drive carefully.
• Conditions under which the system may operate even if there is no pos -
sibility of a collision: →P.359
• Conditions under which the system may not operate properly: →P.360
●Do not attempt to test the operation of the pre-collision system yourself.
Depending on the objects used for
testing (dummies, cardboard objects imitating detectable objects,
etc.), the system m ay not operate
properly, possibly leading to an accident.
■Pre-collision braking
●When the pre-collision braking
function is operating, a large
amount of braking force will be applied.
●If the vehicle is stopped by the operation of the pre-collision brak -
ing function, the p re-collision brak-
ing function operation will be canceled after approximately 2 sec -
onds. Depress the brake pedal as
necessary.
●The pre-collision braking function
may not operate if certain opera - tions are performed by the driver. If
the accelerator pedal is being
depressed strongly or the steering wheel is being turned, the system
may determine that the driver is tak -
ing evasive action and possibly pre - vent the pre-col lision braking
function from operating.
●In some situations, while the pre-
collision braking function is operat -
ing, operation of the function may be canceled if the accelerator pedal
is depressed strongly or the steer -
ing wheel is tur ned and the system determines that the driver is taking
evasive action.
●If the brake pedal is being
depressed, the system may deter -
mine that the driv er is taking eva- sive action and possibly delay the
operation timing of the pre-collision
braking function.
■When to disable the pre-colli -
sion system
In the following situations, disable the
system, as it may not operate prop-
erly, possibly leading to an accident resulting in death or serious injury:
●When the vehicle is being towed
●When your vehicle is towing
another vehicle
●When transporting the vehicle via truck, boat, train or similar means of
transportation
●When the vehicle is raised on a lift
with the hybrid system on and the
tires are allowed to rotate freely

363
5
5-5. Using the driving support systems
Driving
WARNING
■Before using LTA system
●Do not rely sole ly upon the LTA
system. The LTA system does not automatically drive the vehicle or
reduce the amount of attention that
must be paid to the area in front of the vehicle. The driver must always
assume full responsibility for driving
safely by paying careful attention to
the surrounding conditions and operating the stee ring wheel to cor-
rect the path of t he vehicle. Also,
the driver must take adequate breaks when fatigued, such as from
driving for a long period of time.
●Failure to perform appropriate driv -
ing operations and pay careful
attention may lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
●When not u sing the LTA system, use the LTA switch to turn the sys -
tem off.
■Situations unsuitable for LTA
system
In the following situations, use the LTA switch to tu rn the system off.
Failure to do so may lead to an acci -
dent, resulting in death or serious injury.
●Vehicle is driven on a road surface which is slippery due to rainy
weather, fallen snow, freezing, etc.
●Vehicle is driven on a snow-cov -
ered road.
●White (yellow) lines are difficult to
see due to rain, snow, fog, dust,
etc.
●Vehicle is driven in a temporary
lane or restricted lane due to con - struction work.
●Vehicle is driven in a construction zone.
●A spare tire, tire chains, etc. are equipped.
●When the tires have been exces - sively worn, or when the tire infla -
tion pressure is low.
●When tires of a size other than
specified are installed.
●Vehicle is driven in traffic lanes
other than that highways and free -
ways.
●When your vehicle is towing a
trailer or during emergency towing
■Preventing LTA system malfunc -
tions and operations performed by mistake
●Do not modify the headlights or
place stickers, etc. on the surface of the lights.
●Do not modify the suspension etc. If the suspension etc. needs to be
replaced, contact any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer.
●Do not install or place anything on the hood or grille. Also, do not
install a grille guar d (bull bars, kan-
garoo bar, etc.).
●If your windshield needs repairs,
contact any autho rized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable repairer.
■Conditions in which functions
may not operate properly
In the following situ ations, the func- tions may not operate properly and
the vehicle may depart from its lane.
Drive safely by always paying careful
attention to your surroundings and operate the steering wheel to correct
the path of the vehicle without relying
solely on the functions.