2023 TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID Owners Manual

3354-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
Perform the following according
to the driving conditions:
Do not try to forcibly open a
window or move a wiper that
is frozen. Pour warm water
over the frozen area to melt
the ice. Wipe away the water
immediately to prevent it from
freezing.
 To ensure proper operation of
the climate control system
fan, remove any snow that
has accumulated on the air
inlet vents in front of the wind-
shield.
 Check for and remove any
excess ice or snow that may
have accumulated on the
exterior lights, outside rear
view mirrors, windows, vehi-
cle’s roof, chassis, around the
tires or on the brakes.
 Remove any snow or mud
from the bottom of your shoes
before getting in the vehicle.
Accelerate the vehicle slowly,
keep a safe distance between
you and the vehicle ahead, and
drive at a reduced speed suit-
able to road conditions.
 Turn automatic mode of the parking brake off. Otherwise,
the parking brake may freeze
and not be able to be
released automatically.
Also, avoid using the following as
the parking brake may operate
automatically, even if automatic
mode is off.
• Brake hold system

Park the vehicle and shift the
shift lever to P without setting
the parking brake. The park-
ing brake may freeze up, pre-
venting it from being released.
If the vehicle is parked without
setting the parking brake,
make sure to block the
wheels. Failure to do so may
be dangerous because it may
cause the vehicle to move
unexpectedly, possibly lead-
ing to an accident.
 When the parking brake is in
automatic mode, release the
parking brake after shifting
the shift lever to P. ( P.232)
 If the vehicle is parked without
setting the parking brake,
confirm that the shift lever
cannot be moved out of P.
 If the vehicle is left parked
with the brakes damp in cold
temperatures, there is a pos-
sibility of the brakes freezing.
Before driving the vehicle
When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle

3364-6. Driving tips
Use the correct tire chain size
when mounting the tire chains.
Chain size is regulated for each
tire size.
Side chain:0.12 in. (3 mm) in diameter
0.39 in. (10 mm) in width
1.18 in. (30 mm) in length
Cross chain:
0.16 in. (4 mm) in diameter
0.55 in. (14 mm) in width
0.98 in. (25 mm) in length
Regulations regarding the use
of tire chains vary depending on
location and type of road. Always check local regulations
before installing chains.
■Tire chain installation
Observe the followi ng precautions
when installing and removing
chains:
●Install and remove tire chains in a
safe location.
●Install tire chains on the front tires
only. Do not install tire chains on
the rear tires.
●Install tire chains on front tires as
tightly as possible. Retighten
chains after drivi ng 1/4 - 1/2 mile
(0.5 - 1.0 km).
●Install tire chains following the
instructions provided with the tire
chains.
WARNING
■When parking the vehicle
When parking the v ehicle without
applying the parking brake, make
sure to chock the wheels. If you
do not chock the wheels, the vehi-
cle may move unexpectedly, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident.
Selecting tire chains
Regulations on the use of
tire chains
A
B
C
D
E
F
NOTICE
■Fitting tire chains (vehicles
with tire pressure warning
system)
The tire pressure warning valves
and transmitters may not function
correctly when tire chains are fit-
ted.

3374-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
Specific design characteris-
tics give it a higher center of
gravity than ordinary passen-
ger 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 anticipate problems.
 It is not designed for corner-
ing at the same speeds as
ordinary passenger cars any
more than low-slung sports
cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road
conditions. Therefore, sharp
turns at excessive speeds
may cause the vehicle to roll-
over.
When driving your vehicle off-
Utility vehicle precau-
tions
This vehicle belongs to the
utility vehicle class, which
has higher ground clear-
ance and narrower tread in
relation to the height of its
center of gravity to make it
capable of performing in a
wide variety of off-road
applications.
Utility vehicle feature
WARNING
■Utility vehicle precautions
Always observe t he following pre-
cautions to minim ize the risk of
death, serious injury or damage to
your vehicle:
●In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wear-
ing a seat belt. Therefore, the
driver and all passengers
should always fasten their seat
belts.
●Avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers, if at all possible.
Failure to operat e this vehicle
correctly may result in loss of
control or vehicle rollover caus-
ing death or serious injury.
●Loading cargo on the roof lug-
gage 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 vehi-
cle rollover du e to failure to
operate this vehicle correctly.
●Always slow down in gusty
crosswinds. Because of its pro-
file and higher ce nter of gravity,
your vehicle 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 similar off-
road vehicle) can tip over side-
ways much more easily than
forward or backward.
Off-road driving

3384-6. Driving tips
road, please observe the follow-
ing precautions to ensure your
driving enjoyment and to help
prevent the closure of areas to
off-road vehicles:
Drive your vehicle only in
areas where off-road vehicles
are permitted to travel.
 Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before
entering private property.
 Do not enter areas that are
closed. Honor gates, barriers
and signs that restrict travel.
 Stay on established roads.
When conditions are wet,
driving techniques should be
changed or travel delayed to
prevent damage to roads.
■Additional information for off-
road driving
For owners in U.S. mainland,
Hawaii and Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information per-
taining to driving your vehicle off-
road, consult the following organiza-
tions: • State and Local Parks and Recre-
ation Departments
• State Motor Vehicle Bureau
• Recreational Vehicle Clubs
• U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
WARNING
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe t he following pre-
cautions to minim ize the risk of
death, serious injury or damage to
your vehicle:
●Drive carefully when off the
road. Do not take unnecessary
risks by driving in dangerous
places.
●Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off-road. A
bad bump could jerk the wheel
and injure your hands. Keep
both hands and especially your
thumbs on the ou tside of the
rim.
●Always check your brakes for
effectiveness immediately after
driving in sand, mud, water or
snow.
●After driving through tall grass,
mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc.,
check that there is no grass,
bush, paper, rags, stone, sand,
etc. adhering or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such
matter from the underbody. If
the vehicle is used with these
materials trapped or adhering to
the underbody, a breakdown or
fire could occur.

3394-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
WARNING
●When driving off-road or in rug-
ged terrain, do not drive at
excessive speeds, jump, make
sharp turns, strike objects, etc.
This may cause loss of control
or vehicle rollover causing
death or serious injury. You are
also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension
and chassis.
NOTICE
■To prevent the water damage
Take all necessary safety mea-
sures to ensure that water dam-
age to the hybrid battery (traction
battery), hybrid s ystem or other
components does not occur.
●Water entering the engine com-
partment may cause severe
damage to the hybrid system.
Water entering the interior may
cause the hybrid battery (trac-
tion battery) stowed under the
rear seats to short circuit.
●Water entering t he hybrid trans-
mission will cause deterioration
in transmission quality. The
malfunction indicator may come
on, and the vehicle may not be
drivable.
●Water can wash the grease
from wheel bearings, causing
rusting and premature failure,
and may also enter the hybrid
transaxle case, reducing the
gear oil’s lubricating qualities.
■When you drive through
water
If driving through water, such as
when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the riverbed for
firmness. Drive slowly and avoid
deep water.
■Inspection after off-road driv-
ing
●Sand and mud that has accu-
mulated around brake discs
may affect braking efficiency
and may damage brake system
components.
●Always perform a maintenance
inspection after each day of off-
road driving that has taken you
through rough terrain, sand,
mud, or water. For scheduled
maintenance information, refer
to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual
Supplement”.

3404-6. Driving tips

341
5
5
Interior features
Interior features
5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Automatic air conditioning system ....................... 342
Heated steering wheel/seat heaters/seat ventilators
.................................. 349
5-2. Using the interior lights Interior lights list .......... 352
5-3. Using the storage features List of storage features 355
Luggage compartment fea- tures .......................... 359
5-4. Using the other interior features
Other interior features . 364
Garage door opener.... 375

3425-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
5-1.Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Automatic mode switch
Left-hand side temperature control knob
Right-hand side temperature control knob
“SYNC” switch
“OFF” switch
Windshield defogger switch
Rear window and outside rear view mirror defoggers switch
Eco air conditioning mode switch
Fan speed decrease switch
Fan speed increase switch
Airflow mode control switch
Outside/recirculated air mode switch
Front seat concentrated airflow mode (S-FLOW) switch
“A/C” switch
■Adjusting the temperature
setting
Turn driver’s side temperature
control dial clockwise to increases the temperature and
turn the dial counterclockwise to
decreases the temperature.
The air conditioning system
Automatic air co
nditioning system
Air outlets and fan speed are automatically adjusted accord-
ing to the temperature setting.
Air conditioning controls
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N