2023 TOYOTA RAV4 towing

2954-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
WARNING
■Cautions regarding the use of
the system
Do not overly rely on the system,
as doing so may lead to an acci-
dent.
Always drive while checking the
safety of the surroundings of the
vehicle.
Depending on the vehicle and
road conditions, weather, etc., the
system may not operate.
The detection capa bilities of sen-
sors and radars are limited.
Always drive while checking the
safety of the surroundings of the
vehicle.
●The driver is solely responsible
for safe driving. Always drive
carefully, taking care to observe
your surroundings. The Parking
Support Brake system is
designed to provide support to
lessen the severity of collisions.
However, it may not operate in
some situations.
●The Parking Support Brake sys-
tem is not designed to stop the
vehicle completely. Addition-
ally, even if the system has
stopped the vehicle, it is neces-
sary to depress the brake pedal
immediately as brake control
will be canceled after approxi-
mately 2 seconds.
●It is extremely dangerous to
check the system operations by
intentionally driving the vehicle
into the direction of a wall, etc.
Never attempt such actions.
■When to disable the Parking
Support Brake
In the following situations, disable
the Parking Support Brake as the
system may operate even though
there is no poss ibility of a colli-
sion.
●When inspecting the vehicle
using a chassis roller, chassis
dynamo or free roller.
●When loading the vehicle onto a
boat, truck or other transport
vessel.
●If the suspension has been
modified or tires of a size other
than specified are installed.
●If the front of the vehicle is
raised or lowered due to the
carried load.
●When equipment that may
obstruct a sensor is installed,
such as a towing eyelet, bumper
protector (an additional trim
strip, etc.), bicycle carrier, or
snow plow.
●When using automatic car
washing devices.
●If the vehicle cannot be driven in
a stable manner, such as when
the vehicle has been in an acci-
dent or is malfunctioning.
●When the vehicle is driven in a
sporty manner or off-road.
●When the tires are not properly
inflated.
●When the tires are very worn.
●When tire chains, a compact
spare tire or an emergency tire
puncture repair kit are used.
●When your vehicle is towing a
trailer or during emergency tow-
ing.

3565-3. Using the storage features
■Removing the luggage
cover
1 Release the cover from the
left and right anchors and
allow it to retract.
2 Compress the end of the lug-
gage cover and lift the lug-
gage cover up.
■Stowing the luggage cover
1 Open the rear deck board
and remove the side deck
covers.
When the back surface (resin sur-
face) of the deck board is facing up, remove the deck board.
2
Place the both ends of the
luggage cover into the
holder.
WARNING
■Luggage cover
●When installing/stowing the lug-
gage cover, make sure that the
luggage cover is securely
installed/stowed. Failure to do
so may result in serious injury in
the event of sudden braking or a
collision.
●Do not place anything on the
luggage cover. In the event of
sudden braking or turning, the
item may go flying and strike an
occupant. This could lead to an
unexpected accident, resulting
in death or serious injury.
●Do not allow children to climb
on the luggage cover. Climbing
on the luggage cover could
result in damage to the luggage
cover, possibly causing death or
serious injury to the child.

4006-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
tion may increase, and engine oil
may need to be ref illed in between
oil maintenance intervals.
●When the engine is new, for
example directly after purchasing
the vehicle or after replacing the
engine
●If low quality oil or oil of an inap-
propriate viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine
speeds or with a heavy load,
when towing, or when driving
while accelerating o r decelerating
frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for
a long time, or wh en driving fre-
quently through heavy traffic
The coolant level is satisfactory
if it is between the “FULL” and
“LOW” lines on the reservoir
when the engine is cold.
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW”
line, add coolant up to the “FULL”
line. ( P.480)
WARNING
■Used engine oil
●Used engine oil contains poten-
tially harmful contaminants
which may cause skin disorders
such as inflammation and skin
cancer, so care should be taken
to avoid prolonged and
repeated contact. To remove
used engine oil from your skin,
wash thoroughly with soap and
water.
●Dispose of used oil and filters
only in a safe an d acceptable
manner. Do not dispose of used
oil and filters in household trash,
in sewers or onto the ground.
Call your Toyota dealer, service
station or auto parts store for
information concerning recy-
cling or disposal.
●Do not leave used engine oil
within the rea ch of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine
damage
Check the oil level on a regular
basis.
■When replacing the engine oil
●Be careful not to spill engine oil
on the vehicle components.
●Avoid overfilling, or the engine
could be damaged.
●Check the oil level on the dip-
stick every time you refill the
vehicle.
●Be sure the engine oil filler cap
is properly tightened.
■If oil is spilled on the engine
cover
To prevent the engine cover from
being damaged, remove any
engine oil from the engine cover
as soon as possible using a neu-
tral detergent. Do not use an
organic solvent such as brake
cleaner.
Checking the coolant
A
B
C

4437-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
7-2.Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a
problem with your transmission.
Contact your Toyota dealer or
commercial towing service
before towing.
The engine is running but the
vehicle does not move.
 The vehicle makes an abnor-
mal sound.
From the front (2WD models)
Release the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off.
( P.215)
From the front (AWD models)
Use a towing dolly under the
rear wheels.
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the
front wheels.
If your vehicle needs
to be towed
If towing is necessary, we
recommend having your
vehicle towed by your
Toyota dealer or commer-
cial towing service, using a
wheel-lift type truck or flat-
bed truck.
Use a safety chain system
for all towing, and abide by
all state/provincial and local
laws.
Situations when it is nec-
essary to contact dealers
before towing (vehicles
with towing eyelet)
Towing with a wheel-lift
type truck

4447-2. Steps to take in an emergency
When using a flat-bed truck to
transport the vehicle, use tire
strapping belts. Refer to the
owner’s manual of the flat-bed
truck for the tire strapping
method.
In order to suppress vehicle
movement during transporta-
tion, set the parking brake and
turn the engine switch to off.
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
2WD models
Be sure to transport the vehicle
with the front wh eels raised or
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the front wh eels contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and
related parts may be damaged.
AWD models
Be sure to transport the vehicle
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the tires contacting the
ground, the drivetrain or related
parts may be damaged, the vehi-
cle may fly off the truck.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when t owing using a
wheel-lift type truck
●Vehicles without smart key sys-
tem: Do not tow the vehicle from
the rear when the engine switch
is in the “LOCK” position or the
key is removed. The steering
lock mechanism is not strong
enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
●When raising the vehicle,
ensure adequate ground clear-
ance for towing at the opposite
end of the raised vehicle. With-
out adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while
being towed.
■Towing with a sling-type
truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck
to prevent body damage.
Using a flatbed truck

4457-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
If a tow truck is not available in
an emergency, your vehicle may
be temporarily towed using
cables or chains secured to the
emergency towing eyelets. This
should only be attempted on
hard surfaced roads for at most
50 miles (80 km) at under 18
mph (30 km/h).
A driver must be in the vehicle to
steer and operate the brakes.
The vehicle’s wheels, drive
train, axles, steering and brakes
must be in good condition.
To have your vehicle towed by
another vehicle, the towing eye-
let must be installed to your
vehicle. Install the towing eyelet
using the following procedure.
1Take out the wheel nut
wrench and towing eyelet.
( P.464)
2 Using a flathead screw-
driver, remove eyelet cover
( ), and then remove eyelet
cover ( ).
To protect the bodywork, place a
rag between the screwdriver and
the vehicle body as shown in the
illustration.
Type A
Type B
3 Insert the towing eyelet into
the hole and tighten partially
by hand.
Type A
Emergency towing (vehi-
cles with towing eyelet)
Emergency towing proce-
dure (vehicles with towing
eyelet)
A
B

4467-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Type B
4 Tighten down the towing eye-
let securely using a wheel nut
wrench or hard metal bar.
Type A
Type B
5 Securely attach cables or
chains to the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehi-
cle body.
6Enter the vehicle being towed
and start the engine.
Turn off the Parkin g Support Brake function (if equipped):
P.299
If the engine does not start, turn the
engine switch to ON.
Vehicles with Stop & Start system:
Before towing the ve hicle, turn the
engine switch to OFF once, and
then start the engine.
7 Shift the shift lever to N and
release the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off. ( P.215)
When the shift lever cannot be
shifted:  P.210
■While towing
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not function, making
steering and braking more difficult.
■Wheel nut wrench (if equipped)
Wheel nut wrench is installed in the
tool bag in luggage compartment.
(  P.464)
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
■While towing
●When towing using cables or
chains, avoid sudden starts, etc.
which place excessive stress on
the towing eyelets, cables or
chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become
damaged, broken debris may hit
people, and cause serious dam-
age.
●Vehicles without smart key sys-
tem: Do not turn the engine
switch to the “LOCK” position.
There is a possibility that the
steering wheel is locked and
cannot be operated.

4477-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air
conditioning after use is nor-
mal.)
 Flat-looking tires or uneven
tire wear
 Engine coolant temperature
gauge needle continually
points higher than normal.
 Changes in exhaust sound
 Excessive tire squeal when
cornering
 Strange noises related to the
suspension system
 Pinging or other noises
related to the engine
 Engine missing, stumbling or
running roughly
 Appreciable loss of power
 Vehicle pulls heavily to one
WARNING
■Installing towi ng eyelets to
the vehicle
Make sure that towing eyelets are
installed securely. If not securely
installed, towing eyelets may
come loose during towing.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle during emergency
towing
Do not secure cables or chains to
the suspension components.
■When towing the vehicle
(vehicles with Stop & Start
system)
If it is necessary to tow the vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground,
perform the following procedure
before towing the vehicle, in order
to protect t he system.
Turn the engine switch to OFF
and then start the engine or turn
the engine switch to ON.
If you think something
is wrong
If you notice any of the fol-
lowing symptoms, your
vehicle probably needs
adjustment or repair. Con-
tact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Visible symptoms
Audible symptoms
Operational symptoms