2021 TOYOTA RAV4 PHEV brake

2164-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
ation to occur.
Kick sensor
Hands Free Power Back Door
operation detection area
3 When the kick sensor detects
that your foot is pulled back, a
buzzer will sound and the back
door will automatically fully
open/close.
If a foot is moved under the rear
bumper while the back door is open -
ing/closing, the b ack door will stop moving.
If a foot is moved under the rear
bumper again during the halted opera - tion, the back door will perform the
reverse operation.
■Luggage compartment light
The luggage compartment light turns on when the back door is opened with the
luggage compartment light switch on.
When the power switch is turned to OFF, the light will go off automatically
after 20 minutes.
1 On
2 Off
■Back door closer
In the event that the back door is left
slightly open, the ba ck door closer will
automatically close it to the fully closed position.
Whatever the state of the power switch,
the back door closer operates.
■Power back door operating condi - tions
The power back door can automatically
open and close under the following con - ditions:
●When the power back door system is enabled. ( →P.186)
●When the back door is unlocked.
However, if the back door opener switch
is pressed and held while carrying the
electronic key on your person, the
power back door will be operated even if
the back door is locked. ( →P.214)
●When the power switch is in ON, in
addition to the above for the opening operations, the back door operates for
any of the following conditions:
• Parking brake is engaged • The brake pedal is depressed
• The shift lever is in P.
■Operation of the power back door
●A buzzer sounds to indicate that the
back door is opening/closing.
●When the power back door system is
disabled, the power back door does
not operate but it can be opened and closed by hand.
●When the power bac k door automati-
cally opens, if an abnormality due to people or objects is detected, opera -
tion will stop.
■Jam protection function
Sensors are equipped on both sides of the power back door. If anything
obstructs the power ba ck door while it is
closing, the back door will automatically
A
B

2724-3. Adjusting the seats
■Before folding down the seat-
backs
1 Park the vehicle in a safe place.
Apply the parking brake (→P.326) and
shift the shift lever to P. ( →P.322)
2Adjust the position of the front
seat and the angle of the seat -
back. ( →P.270)
Depending on the position of the front
seat, if the seatb ack is folded back- ward, it may interfere with the operation
of the rear seat.
3 Lower the head restraint of the
rear seat. ( →P.276)
4 Stow the armrest of the rear
seat if it is pulled out. ( →P.484)
This step is not necessary when oper-
ating the left side seat only.
■Folding down the seatbacks
While pulling the seatback angle
adjustment lever , fold the seat-
back down.
■Returning the rear seatbacks
To avoid trapping the seat belt
between the seat and the inside of
the vehicle, pass the seat belt out-
side the seat belt guide and
then return the seatback securely
to the locked position.
WARNING
●After adjusting the seat, make sure
that the seat is locked in position.
If the seatback is not securely locked, the red marking will be visi -
ble. Make sure that the red marking
is not visible.
Folding down the rear seat -
backs
A
:$51,1*
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When folding the rear seatbacks
down
●Do not fold the seatbacks down while driving.
●Stop the vehicle on level ground,
set the parking bra ke and shift the shift lever to P.
●Do not allow anyone to sit on a folded seatback or in the luggage
compartment whi le driving.
A

5
299
5
Driving
Driving
5-1. Before driving
Driving the vehicle ............ 300
Cargo and luggage ........... 306
Trailer towing .................... 308
5-2. Driving procedures
Power (ignition) switch ...... 317
Hybrid transmission .......... 321
Turn signal lever ............... 325
Parking brake ................... 326
Brake Hold ........................ 329
5-3. Operating the lights and wip -
ers
Headlight switch ............... 332
AHB (Automatic High Beam)
....................................... 334
Fog light switch ................. 337
Windshield wipers and washer
....................................... 338
Rear window wiper and washer
....................................... 340
5-4. Refueling
Opening the fuel tank cap. 342
5-5. Using the driving support
systems
Toyota Safety Sense ........ 344
PCS (Pre-Collision System)
....................................... 355
LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) 362
RSA (Road Sign Assist) ... 372
Dynamic radar cruise control
with full-speed range ...... 376
Cruise control ................... 388
Speed limiter ..................... 391
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) . 393
Toyota parking assist-sensor
........................................ 414
PKSB (Parking Support Brake)
........................................ 420
Parking Support Brake function
(static objects) ................ 424
Parking Support Brake function
(rear-crossing vehicles) .. 430
Driving mode select switch 434
Trail Mode ......................... 435
GPF (Gasoline Particulate Fil -
ter) system ...................... 437
Driving assist systems ...... 438
5-6. Driving tips
Winter driving tips ............. 445
Utility vehicle precautions . 448

3005-1. Before driving
5-1.Before driving
■Before starting the hybrid sys-
tem
Check that the AC charging cable is
disconnected. ( →P.135)
■Starting the hybrid system
→ P.317
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D.
( →P.321)
2 Release the parking brake.
( →P.326)
If the parking brake is in automatic mode, the parking brake is released
automatically when shifting the shift
lever to any position other than P. ( →P.327)
3Gradually release the brake
pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to accelerate
the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 W ith th e s hif t lev er in D , d ep re ss
the brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking
brake. ( →P.326)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of tim e, shift the shift
lever to P. ( →P.321)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D, depress
the brake pedal.
2 Set the parking brake (→P.326),
and shift the shift lever to P.
( →P.321)
3 Turn the power switch to OFF to
stop the hybrid system.
4 Lock the door, making sure that
you have the key on your per -
son.
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.321)
2 Pull the parking brake switch to
set the parking brake manually.
( →P.326)
3 Release the brake pedal and
gently depress the accelerator
pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
Parking brake automatic release func -
tion ( →P.327)
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate.
( →P.438)
■For electricity-saving and fuel-effi-
cient driving
Understand the system characteristics
of the vehicle to use the functions of the
hybrid system. Also, keep in mind that hybrid vehicles are similar to conven -
tional vehicles, and it is necessary to
refrain from activit ies such as sudden acceleration. Refer to “Plug-in hybrid
vehicle driving tips” ( →P.99).
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures
should be observed to ensure
safe driving:
Driving procedure

301
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining,
because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road could be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, as the road surfa ce could be espe-
cially slippery.
●Refrain from hig h speeds when driv-
ing on an expressw ay in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road sur -
face, preventing the steering and
brakes from operating properly.
■ECO Accelerator Guidance ( →P.182)
It is easier to drive in an Eco-friendly
manner by driving while referring to the ECO Accelerator Guidance display.
Also, by using the ECO Accelerator
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 acceleration is
avoided, the “Start” score will
increase.
●When driving: After accelerating to the
desired speed, release the accelera - tor pedal and drive at a stable speed
within the ECO Accelerator Guidance
range. By keeping the vehicle within the ECO Accelerator Guidance range,
the “Cruise” score will increase.
●When stopping: When stopping the
vehicle, early releasing the accelera -
tor pedal will cause the “Stop” score to increase.
■Restraining the hybrid system out - put (Brake Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake ped - als are depressed at the same time,
the hybrid system output may be
restrained.
●A warning message is displayed on
the multi-information display and
head-up display (if equipped) while
the system is operating. ( →P.574)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive- Start Control)
●When the following unusual operation is performed, the hybrid system output
may be restrained.
• When the shift leve r 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 dis -
play and head-up display (if
equipped). If a warning message is shown on the multi-information dis -
play, read the message and follow the
instructions. • When the accelerator pedal is
depressed too much while the vehicle
is in reverse.*: Depending on the sit uation, the shift
lever may not be changed.
●While Drive-Start Control is being acti -
vated, your vehicle may have trouble escaping from the mud or fresh snow.
In such case, deactivate TRC
( →P.439) to cancel Drive-Start Con- trol so that the vehi cle may be able to
escape from the mud or fresh snow.
●Drive-Start Control does not work
when Trail Mode is turned on.
■Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observ- ing the following precautions is recom -
mended:
●For the first 300 km (200 miles):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 800 km (500 miles):
Do not tow a trailer.
●For the first 1000 km (600 miles): • Do not drive at extremely high
speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration. • Do not drive continuously in low
gears.
• Do not drive at a c onstant speed for extended periods.

3025-1. Before driving
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign
country
Comply with the rele vant vehicle regis-
tration laws and confi rm the availability
of the correct fuel. ( →P.620)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your f oot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the “READY” indicator is illuminated. This
prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar
with the location of the brake and accelerator pe dals to avoid
depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accel - erator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden accelera -
tion that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist
your body around, leading to a diffi -
culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate th e pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving
posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly. This allows
you to depress the brake and accel -
erator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your
right foot. Depressing the brake
pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result -
ing in an accident.
●The driver should pay extra atten - tion to pedestrians when the vehicle
is powered only b y the electric
motor (traction motor). As there is no engine noise, the pedestrians
may misjudge the vehicle’s move-
ment. Even though the vehicle is equipped with the Acoustic Vehicle
Alerting System, drive with care as
pedestrians in the vicinity may still not notice the ve hicle if the sur-
rounding 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 if there is
any flammable material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not turn
off the hybrid system. Turning the
hybrid system off while driving will not cause loss of steering or brak -
ing control, however, power assist
to the steering 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.560
●Use engine braking (downshift) to
maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill. Using the brakes continuously may
cause the brakes to overheat and
lose effectiveness. ( →P.321)
●Do not adjust the position of the
steering wheel, t he seat, or the
inside or outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of
vehicle control.

303
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
WARNING
●Always check that all passengers’
arms, head or other parts of their
body are not outside the vehicle.
■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 brak -
ing due to shifting, or changes in engine speed could cause the vehi -
cle to skid.
●After driving through a puddle,
lightly depress the brake pedal to
make sure that the brakes are func - tioning properly. Wet brake pads
may prevent the brakes from func -
tioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet and not func-
tioning properly, steering control
may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehi cle roll backward while a forward driving position is
selected, or roll forward while the
shift lever is in R. Doing so may result in an accident
or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift lever to P while
the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmis - sion and may result in a loss of
vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while
the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmis - sion and may result in a loss of
vehicle control.
●Do not shift the sh ift lever to a driv- ing position while the vehicle is
moving backward.
Doing so can dama ge the transmis- sion and may resu lt in a loss of
vehicle control.
●Moving the shift lever to N while the
vehicle is moving will disengage the
hybrid system. Engine braking is not available 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 unex -
pected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident
and result in death or serious injury.
Doing so can dama ge the transmis- sion and may resu lt in a loss of
vehicle control.
■If you hear a squealing or scrap -
ing noise (brake pad wear indica -
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and
replaced by any authorized Toyota
retailer or Toyota a uthorized repairer, or any reliable repairer 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 limits of the brake pads and/or those of the brake discs
are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not depress the accelerator
pedal unnecessarily.
If the vehicle is i n any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accel -
erate suddenly an d unexpectedly,
causing an accident.

3045-1. Before driving
WARNING
●In order to prevent accidents due to
the vehicle rolling away, always
keep depressing the brake pedal while stopped with the “READY”
indicator is illuminated, and apply
the parking brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an
incline, in order to prevent acci -
dents caused by t he vehicle rolling 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 over- heat, which could result in a fire if
combustible material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette
lighters, spray can s, or soft drink cans in the vehicle when it is in the
sun.
Doing so may result in the follow - ing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette
lighter or spray c an, 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, caus - ing the contents to spray over the
interior of the vehicle, and may also
cause a short circuit in the vehicle’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 seat
is adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do not
place containers such as air fresh -
eners on the instrument panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs or con -
tainers 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 fi lm such as a sil-
ver-colored one. Reflected sunlight
may cause the gl ass to act as a lens, causing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lev er to P, stop the
hybrid system and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat - tended while the “READY” indicator
is illuminated.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift lever in P but the parking brake is
not set, the vehicl e may start to
move, possibly leading to an acci - dent.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the “READY” indicator is illu -
minated or immediately after turn -
ing the hybrid system off. Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off.
Otherwise, if you accidentally move
the shift lever or depress the acceler - ator pedal, this could cause an acci -
dent or fire due to hybrid system
overheating. Additionally, if the vehi - cle is parked in a poorly ventilated
area, exhaust gases may collect and
enter the vehi cle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.