2021 TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID ground clearance

361
5
5-5. Using the driving support systems
Driving
• If a vehicle ahead has extremely high
ground clearance
• If a vehicle ahead is carrying a load
which protrudes pa st its rear bumper • If a vehicle ahead is irregularly
shaped, such as a tractor or side car
• If a vehicle ahead is a child sized bicy - cle, a bicycle that is carrying a large
load, a bicycle ridden by more than
one person, or a uniquely shaped bicycle (bicycle with a child seat, tan-
dem bicycle, etc.)
• If a pedestrian/or the riding height of a bicyclist ahead is shorter than approx -
imately 1 m (3.2 ft.) or taller than
approximately 2 m (6.5 ft.) • If a pedestrian/bi cyclist is wearing
oversized clothing (a rain coat, long
skirt, etc.), maki ng their silhouette obscure
• If a pedestrian is bending forward or
squatting or bicyclist is bending for - ward
• If a pedestrian/bicy clist is moving fast
• If a pedestrian is pushing a stroller, wheelchair, bicycle or other vehicle
• When driving in inclement weather
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 tunnel, making a detect -
able object appear to be nearly the
same color as its surroundings
• When driving in a place where the sur - rounding brightness changes sud -
denly, such as at the entrance or exit
of a tunnel • After the hybrid system 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 v ehicle 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 follow -
ing, sufficient braking force may not
be obtained, preventing the system from performing properly:
• 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 ti res are excessively
worn, improper tire i nflation 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.439), the pre- collision brake assist and pre-collision
braking functions are also disabled.

387
5
5-5. Using the driving support systems
Driving
●Preceding vehicle has an extremely
high ground clearance
■Conditions under which the vehi -
cle-to-vehicle distance control mode may not function correctly
In the case of the following conditions,
operate the brake pedal (or accelerator pedal, depending on the situation) as
necessary.
As the sensor may not be able to cor- rectly detect vehicles ahead, the system
may not operate properly.
●When the road cur ves or when the
lanes are narrow
●When steering whee l operation or
your position in t he lane is unstable
●When the vehicle ahead of you decel-
erates suddenly
●When driving on a road surrounded by
a structure, such as in a tunnel or on a bridge
●While the vehicle speed is decreasing to the set speed after the vehicle
accelerates by dep ressing the accel-
erator pedal

4285-5. Using the driving support systems
• When driving on a gravel road or in an
area with tall grass
• When driving toward a banner, flag,
low-hanging branch or boom barrier (such as those used at railroad cross-
ings, toll gates and parking lots)
• When there is a structure on the road - side (such as when driving in a narrow
tunnel, on a narrow bridge or on a nar -
row road) • When parallel parking
• When there is a rut o r hole in the sur-
face of the road • When driving on a metal cover (grat -
ing), such as those used for drainage
ditches • When driving up or down a steep
slope
• If a sensor is hit by a large amount of water, such as when driving on a
flooded road
• When loaded on ships or trucks • Moving type automatic car wash
• Lift type parking area or multi-story
parking lot • Underground parking area
• Structures on the ground (speed
bumps, cat’s eyes, etc.)
• Differences in height • When moving straight ahead or turn -
ing right
• Snow-melting pipes • Devices for detecting vehicles, such
as traffic lights, dev ices for detecting
traffic congestion, or devices for
detecting empty spaces in parking areas
• Railroad tracks
• H-shaped steel • When there are vehicles on both
sides, or there is a vehicle that resem -
bles this vehicle
●Weather
• If a sensor is covered with ice, snow, dirt, etc. (when c leared, 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
• Strong wind is blowing
●Other sonic wave sources
• When vehicle horns, vehicle detec - tors, motorcycle engines, air brakes of
large vehicles, the clearance sonar of
other vehicles or other devices which produce ultrasonic 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 posture• 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
■Situations in which the Parking Support Brake function (static
objects) may not operate properly
In some situations, s uch as the follow- ing, this function m ay not operate prop-
erly.
●Weather • When a sensor or the area around a
sensor is extremely hot or cold

4485-6. Driving tips
Specific design characteristics
give it a higher center of gravity
than ordinary passenger cars.
This vehicle design feature
causes this type of vehicle to be
more likely to rollover. And, utility
vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles.
 An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better view
of the road allowing you to antici -
pate problems.
 It is not designed for cornering at
the same speeds as ordinary
passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are
designed to perform satisfactorily
under off-road conditions. There -
fore, sharp turns at excessive
speeds may cause the vehicle to
rollover.
When driving your vehicle off-road,
please observe the following pre -
Utility vehicle precau-
tions
This vehicle belongs to the
utility vehicle class, which has
higher ground clearance and
narrower tread i n relation to
the height of its center of grav -
ity to make it capable of per -
forming in a wide variety of off-
road applications.
Utility vehicle feature
WARNING
■Utility vehicle precautions
Always observe the following precau -
tions to minimize the risk of death, serious injury or damage to your vehi-
cle:
●In a rollover crash, an unbelted per - son is significantly more likely to die
than a person wearing a seat belt.
Therefore, the driver and all pas -
sengers should alwa ys fasten their seat belts.
●Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu - vers, if at all possible.
Failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly may result in loss of control or vehicle rollover causing death or
serious injury.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier (if equipped) will make the
center of the vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden starts,
sharp turns, sudden braking or
abrupt maneuvers, otherwise it may result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover due to failure to operate this
vehicle correctly.
●Always slow down in gusty cross -
winds. Because of its profile and higher center of gravity, your vehi -
cle is more sensitive to side winds
than an ordinary passenger car. Slowing down will allow you to have
better control.
●Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your vehicle (or any sim ilar off-road vehi-
cle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back- ward.
Off-road driving

5648-2. Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a prob-
lem with your transmission. Contact
any authorized Toyota retailer or
Toyota authorized repairer, or any
reliable repairer or commercial tow -
ing service before towing.
 The hybrid system warning mes-
sage is shown on the multi-infor -
mation display and the vehicle
does not move.
 The vehicle makes an abnormal
sound.
From the front
Use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the front
wheels.
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 power switch is off. The
steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front
wheels straight.
●When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for tow -
ing at the opposite end of the raised
vehicle. Without adequate clear - ance, the vehicle could be dam -
aged 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
Do not secure cables or chains to the suspension components.
Situations when it is neces -
sary to contact dealers
before towing
Towing with a wheel-lift type
truck
NOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a s ling-type truck to prevent body damage.