2023 TOYOTA RAV4 brakes

351-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
Front passenger occupant classification system (ECU and sen-
sors)
Knee airbag
SRS warning light
Airbag sensor assembly
Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed
based on the US motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS208). The
airbag sensor assembly (ECU) cont rols airbag deployment based on
information obtained from the sensors etc. shown in the system
components diagram above. This in formation includes crash sever-
ity and occupant information. As the airbags deploy, a chemical
reaction in the inflators quickly fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to
help restrain the motion of the occupants.
■If the SRS airbags deploy
(inflate)
●Slight abrasions, burns, bruising
etc., may be sustained from SRS
airbags, due to the extremely high
speed deployment (inflation) by
hot gases.
●A loud noise and white powder will
be emitted.
●Parts of the airbag module (steer-
ing wheel hub, airbag cover and
inflator) as well as the front seats,
parts of the front and rear pillars,
and roof side rails, may be hot for
several minutes. T he airbag itself
may also be hot.
●The windshield may crack.
●The brakes and st op lights will be
controlled automatically.
(  P.319)
●The interior lights will turn on auto-
matically. ( P.348)
●The emergency flashers will turn
on automatically. ( P.440)
●Fuel supply to the engine will be
stopped. ( P.448)
●For Safety Connect subscribers, if
any of the followin g situations
occur, the system is designed to send an emergency call to the
response center, notifying them of
the vehicle’s location (without
needing to push the “SOS” button)
and an agent will attempt to speak
with the occupants to ascertain
the level of emergency and assis-
tance required. If the occupants
are unable to communicate, the
agent automatically treats the call
as an emergency and helps to dis-
patch the necessary emergency
services. (
P.65)
• An SRS airbag is deployed.
• A seat belt pretensioner is acti-
vated.
• The vehicle is involved in a severe
rear-end collision.
■SRS airbag deployment condi-
tions (SRS front airbags)
●The SRS front airbags will deploy
in the event of an impact that
exceeds the set threshold level
(the level of forc e corresponding
to an approximately 12 - 18 mph
[20 - 30 km/h] frontal collision with
a fixed wall that does not move or
deform).
However, this threshold velocity will
be considerably higher in the follow-
ing situations:
• If the vehicle strikes an object,
N
O
P
Q

1804-1. Before driving
rain, because there may be a
layer of water between the tires
and the road surface, preventing
the steering and brakes from
operating properly.
■Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the
engine speed may become high
while driving. This is due to auto-
matic up-shifting control or down-
shifting implementation to meet driv-
ing conditions. It does not indicate
sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving
uphill or downhill
●When the accelerator pedal is
released
●When the brake pedal is
depressed while sport mode is
selected
■Restraining the engine output
(Brake Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake
pedals are depressed at the same
time, the engine output may be
restrained.
●A warning message is displayed
on the multi-information display
while the system is operating.
■Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle,
observing the following precautions
is recommended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
●For the first 600 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Operating your vehicle in a for-
eign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the
availability of the correct fuel.
(
 P.488)
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may result in
death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the
brake pedal while stopped with
the engine running. This prevents
the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamil-
iar with the location of the brake
and accelerator pedals to avoid
depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the
brake pedal will result in sudden
acceleration that may lead to an
accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a
difficulty in operating the pedals.
Make sure to operate the pedals
properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when mov-
ing the vehicle only slightly. This
allows you to depress the brake
and accelerator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the
brake pedal using your left foot
may delay response in an emer-
gency, resulting in an accident.
●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 i f there is any
flammable material nearby.

1814-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●During normal driving, do not
turn off the engine. Turning the
engine off while driving will not
cause loss of steering or brak-
ing control, but the power assist
to these systems will be lost.
This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should
pull over and stop the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an
emergency, such as if it
becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way:
P.440
●Use engine braking (downshift)
to maintain a safe speed when
driving down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously
may cause the brakes to over-
heat and lose effectiveness.
( P.209)
●Do not adjust the position of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the
inside or outside rear view mir-
rors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of
vehicle control.
●Always check that all passen-
gers’ arms, head or other parts
of their body are not outside the
vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the
speed limit. Even if the legal
speed limit permits it, do not
drive over 85 mph (140 km/h)
unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving
over 85 mph (140 km/h) may
result in tire failure, loss of con-
trol and possible injury. Be sure
to consult a tire dealer to deter-
mine whether the tires on your
vehicle are high-speed capabil-
ity tires or not b efore driving at
such speeds.
■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
braking due to shifting, or
changes in engine speed could
cause the vehicle to skid.
●After driving through a puddle,
lightly depress the brake pedal
to make sure that the brakes
are functioning properly. Wet
brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning prop-
erly. If the brakes on only one
side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may
be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll back-
ward while the shift lever is in a
driving position, or roll forward
while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine
to stall or lead to poor brake and
steering performance, resulting
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 trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the sh ift lever to R
while the vehicle is moving for-
ward.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a
driving position while the vehicle
is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.

1834-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●Do not attach adhesive discs to
the windshield or windows. Do
not place containers such as air
fresheners on the instrument
panel or dashboard. Adhesive
discs or containers 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 film
such as a silver-colored one.
Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act as a lens, caus-
ing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake,
shift the shift lever to P, stop the
engine and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is run-
ning.
If the vehicle is parked with the
shift lever in P but the parking
brake is not set, the vehicle may
start to move, possibly leading
to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes
while the engine is running or
immediately after turning the
engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the
vehicle
Always turn the e ngine off. Other-
wise, if you accidentally move the
shift lever or dep ress the acceler-
ator pedal, this could cause an
accident or fire due to engine
overheating. Additionally, if the
vehicle is parked in a poorly venti-
lated area, exhaust gases may
collect and enter the vehicle, lead-
ing to death or a serious health
hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive
more cautiously.
Braking distance increases
when the brakes are wet, and
this may cause one side of the
vehicle to brake differently than
the other side. A lso, the parking
brake may not securely hold the
vehicle.
●If the brake booster device does
not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid hills
or sharp turns t hat require brak-
ing.
In this case, braking is still pos-
sible, but the brake pedal
should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have
your brakes fixed immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if
the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal
uses up the reserve for the
power-assisted brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2
individual hydraulic systems; if
one of the systems fails, the
other will still operate. In this
case, the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than
usual and the braking distance
will increase. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
(AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels exces-
sively when any of the tires is up
in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, etc. This may damage
the driveline components or pro-
pel the vehicle forward or back-
ward, causing an accident.

1894-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
■Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle. It
may not only cause damage to
the tires, but also degrade steer-
ing and braking ability, resulting in
an accident.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed
primarily as a passenger-
and-load-carrying vehicle.
Towing a trailer can have an
adverse impact on handling,
performance, braking, dura-
bility, and fuel consump-
tion. For your safety and the
safety of others, you must
not overload your vehicle or
trailer. You must also
ensure that you are using
appropriate towing equip-
ment, that the towing equip-
ment has been installed
correctly and used properly,
and that you employ the
requisite driving habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and
braking performance are
affected by trailer stability,
brake performance and set-
ting, trailer brakes, the hitch
and hitch systems (if
equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the
vehicle in accordance with
your trailer’s characteris-
tics and operating condi-
tions.

1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■GCWR (Gross Combination
Weight Rating)
The maximum allowable gross
combination weight. The gross
WARNING
●Do not exceed 65 mph (104
km/h), the posted towing speed
limit or the speed limit for your
trailer as set fort h in your trailer
owner’s manual, whichever is
lowest. Slow down sufficiently
before making a turn, in cross
winds, on wet or slippery sur-
face, etc. to help avoid an acci-
dent. If you experience a
vehicle-trailer instability from
reducing a certain speed, slow
down and make sure you keep
your vehicle speed under the
speed of which you experience
the instability.
●Do not make jerky, abrupt or
sharp turns.
●Do not apply the brakes sud-
denly as you may skid, resulting
in jackknifing and loss of vehicle
control. This is especially true
on wet or slippery surfaces.
●Do not exceed th e trailer hitch
assembly weight, gross vehicle
weight, gross axle weight and
trailer tongue weight capacities.
●Do not use dynamic radar
cruise control with full-speed
range when towing.
●Slow down and downshift
before descending steep or long
downhill grades. Do not make
sudden downshifts while
descending steep or long down-
hill grades.
●Vehicle-trailer in stability is more
likely on steep long downhills.
Before descending steep or
long downhill grades, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts when
descending steep or long down-
hill grades. Avoid holding the
brake pedal down too long or
applying the brakes too fre-
quently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
●Do not tow a trailer when the
compact spare tire is installed
on your vehicle.
■When towing a trailer
Toyota recommends trailers with
brakes that conform to any appli-
cable federal and s tate/provincial
regulations.
●If the gross tr ailer weight
exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer
brakes are required. Toyota rec-
ommends trailers with brakes
that conform to all applicable
federal and state/provincial reg-
ulations.
●Never tap into your vehicle’s
hydraulic system, as this will
lower the vehicle’s braking
effectiveness.
●Never tow a traile r without using
a safety chain securely attached
to both the trailer and the vehi-
cle. If damage occurs to the
coupling unit or hitch ball, there
is danger of the trailer wander-
ing into another lane.
Towing related terms

1934-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Vehicles without towing pack-
ageFront GAWR
Rear GAWR
Vehicles with towing packageFront GAWR
Rear GAWR
■TWR (Trailer Weight Rating)
The maximum allowable gross
trailer weight. The gross trailer
weight is the sum of the trailer
weight and the weight of the cargo in the trailer.
TWR is calculated assuming
base vehicle with one driver,
one front passenger, towing
package (if available), hitch and
hitch systems (if required).
Additional optional equipment, pas-
sengers and cargo in the vehicle
will reduce the trailer weight rating
so as not to exceed GCWR, GVWR
and GAWR.
Vehicles with towing package: If the
gross trailer weight exceeds 3000
lb. (1360 kg), it is recommended to
use a trailer with 2 or more axles.
Vehicles without towing pack-
age
(With brakes)
Vehicles with towing package(With brakes)
A
B
A
B
A
A

1944-1. Before driving
■Unbraked TWR (Unbraked
Trailer Weight Rating)
The trailer weight rating for tow-
ing a trailer without a trailer ser-
vice brake system.
(Without brakes)
■Tongue Weight
The load placed on the trailer
hitch ball. ( P.196)
Vehicles without towing pack-
age
Vehicles with towing package 
The gross trailer weight must
never exceed the TWR
described below.
Without towing package
1500 lb. (680 kg)
With towing package
3500 lb. (1590 kg)
 The gross combination weight
must never exceed the
GCWR described below.
Without towing package
Vehicles without Dynamic Torque
Vectoring AWD system: 6110 lb.
(2770 kg)
Vehicles with Dynamic Torque Vec-
toring AWD system: 6205 lb. (2815
kg)
With towing package
8205 lb. (3725 kg)
 The gross vehicle weight
must never exceed the
GVWR indicated on the Certi-
fication Regulation Label.
 The gross axle weight on
each axle must never exceed
the GAWR indicated on the
Certification Regulation Label.
A
Weight limits