2023 TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID warning

4225-6. Driving tips
5-6.Driving tips
Use fluids that are appropriate to
the prevailing outside tempera-
tures.
• Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Power control unit coolant
• Washer fluid
 Have a service technician
inspect the condition of the 12-
volt battery.
 Have the vehicle fitted with four
snow tires or purchase a set of
tire chains for the front tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same size
and brand, and that chains match the
size of the tires.*
*: Tire chains cannot be mounted on
vehicles with 235/55R19 tires.
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary prepa-
rations and inspections before
driving the vehicle in winter.
Always drive the vehicle in a
manner appropriate to the pre-
vailing weather conditions.
Pre-winter preparations
WARNING
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or serious injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
●Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.
●Do not drive at speeds in excess of the speed limit or the speed limit specified for the snow tires being
used.
●Use snow tires on all, not just some
wheels.
■Driving with tire chains (except
235/55R19 tires)
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehi- cle being unable to be driven safely, and may cause death or serious
injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit specified for the tire chains being used, or 50 km/h (30 mph), whichever is lower.
●Avoid driving on bumpy road sur-faces or over potholes.
●Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt steering, sudden braking and shift-
ing operations that cause sudden engine braking.
●Slow down sufficiently before enter-ing a curve to ensure that vehicle control is maintained.
●Do not use LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) system (if equipped).
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow tires from any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer or legitimate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and attachment of snow tires affects the operation of the tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters.

423
5
5-6. Driving tips
Driving
Perform the following according to
the driving conditions:
 Do not try to forcibly open a win-
dow or move a wiper that is fro-
zen. 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 accu-
mulated on the air inlet vents in
front of the windshield.
 Check for and remove any
excess ice or snow that may
have accumulated on the exte-
rior lights, outside rear view mir-
rors, windows, vehicle’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 suitable to road
conditions.
 Turn automatic mode of the
parking brake off. Otherwise, the
parking brake may freeze and
not be able to be released auto-
matically.
Also, avoid using the following as the
parking brake may operate automati-
cally, 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 parking brake
may freeze up, preventing it from
being released. If the vehicle is
parked without setting the park-
ing brake, make sure to block the
wheels. Failure to do so may be
dangerous because it may cause
the vehicle to move unexpect-
edly, possibly leading to an acci-
dent.
 When the parking brake is in
automatic mode, release the
parking brake after shifting the
shift lever to P. ( P.321)
 If the vehicle is parked without
setting the parking brake, con-
firm that the shift lever cannot be
moved out of P.
 If the vehicle is left parked with
the brakes damp in cold tem-
peratures, there is a possibility of
the brakes freezing.
Before driving the vehicle
When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle
WARNING
■When parking the vehicle
When parking the vehicle without
applying the parking brake, make sure to chock the wheels. If you do not chock the wheels, the vehicle may
move unexpectedly, possibly result- ing in an accident.

4245-6. Driving tips
Vehicles with 225/60R18 tires
Use the correct tire chain size when
mounting the tire chains. Chain size
is regulated for each tire size.
Side chain:
3 mm (0.12 in.) in diameter
10 mm (0.39 in.) in width
30 mm (1.18 in.) in length
Cross chain:
4 mm (0.16 in.) in diameter
14 mm (0.55 in.) in width
25 mm (0.98 in.) in length
Vehicles with 235/55R19 tires
Tire chains cannot be mounted.
Snow tires should be used instead.
Regulations regarding the use of
tire chains vary depending on loca-
tion and type of road. Always check
local regulations before installing
chains.
■Tire chain installation
Observe the following 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 driving 0.5 - 1.0 km (1/4 - 1/2 mile).
●Install tire chains following the instruc-tions provided with the tire chains.
■Consumption of fuel and electricity
In cold temperatures, resistance of the
parts of a vehicle (transmission, tires, etc.) generally increases, resulting in increase of energy consumption. As a
result, fuel economy is likely to decrease.
Consumption of fuel and electricity of
this vehicle is also likely to become worse in cold temperatures.
Selecting tire chains
Regulations on the use of
tire chains (except
235/55R19 tires)
A
B
C
D
E
F
NOTICE
■Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not function cor-rectly when tire chains are fitted.

425
5
5-6. Driving tips
Driving
 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 in 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 always 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 similar off-road vehi-
cle) can tip over sideways much more easily than forward or back-ward.
Off-road driving

4265-6. Driving tips
cautions to ensure your driving
enjoyment and to help prevent the
closure of areas to off-road vehi-
cles:
 Drive your vehicle only in areas
where off-road vehicles are per-
mitted to travel.
 Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before enter-
ing 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 tech-
niques should be changed or
travel delayed to prevent dam-
age to roads.
WARNING
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precau- tions to minimize the risk of death, serious injury or damage to your vehi-
cle:
●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 outside of the rim.
●Always check your brakes for effec-tiveness 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 break-
down or fire could occur.
●When driving off-road or in rugged
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 measures to ensure that water damage to the hybrid battery (traction battery),
hybrid system or other components does not occur.
●Water entering the engine compart-
ment may cause severe damage to the hybrid system.
●Water entering the hybrid transmis-sion will cause deterioration in transmission quality. The malfunc-
tion 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 lubri-cating qualities.

4346-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
ing system to the outside air mode.
●During use, various odors from inside and outside the vehicle may enter into
and accumulate in the air conditioning system. This may then cause odor to be emitted from the vents.
●To reduce potential odors from occur-ring:
• It is recommended that the air condi- tioning system be set to outside air mode prior to turning the vehicle off.
• The start timing of the blower may be delayed for a short period of time immediately after the air conditioning
system is started in automatic mode.
●When parking, the system automati-
cally switches to outside air mode to encourage better air circulation throughout the vehicle, helping to
reduce odors that occur when starting the vehicle.
■Using the voice control system (if equipped)
Air conditioning system can be operated using the voice control system. For details regarding the voice control sys-
tem, refer to the “Multimedia owner’s manual”.
■Air conditioning filter
 P.500
■Noise from air conditioning system
Approximately 90 seconds after the power switch turned to OFF, you may hear sound coming from air conditioning
system. This is the sound of a air condi- tioning system initialize and, it does not indicate a malfunction.
■Customization
Settings (e.g. A/C Auto switch opera- tion) can be changed.(Customizable features: P.607)
1Press the “AUTO” switch.
The dehumidification function begins to operate. Air outlets and fan speed are automatically adjusted according to the
temperature setting and humidity.
2 Adjust the temperature setting.
3 To stop the operation, press the
“OFF” switch.
WARNING
■Cautions for using “My Room Mode”
Do not leave children, people who need assistance, or pets inside the vehicle. The system may turn off
automatically and the interior tem- perature may become high or low, resulting in heat stroke, dehydration
or hypothermia. Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■To prevent the windshield from fogging up
Do not use the windshield defogger
switch during cool air operation in extremely humid weather.The difference between the tempera-
ture of the outside air and that of the windshield can cause the outer sur-face of the windshield to fog up,
blocking your vision.
■When the outside rear view mir-
ror defoggers are operating
Do not touch the rear view mirror sur- faces when the outside rear view mir-
ror defoggers are on.
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery dis- charge
Do not leave the air conditioning sys-
tem on longer than necessary when the hybrid system is off.
Using automatic mode

435
6
6-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Interior features
If the fan speed setting or air flow
modes are operated, the automatic
mode indicator goes off. However,
automatic mode for functions other
than that operated is maintained.
■Using automatic mode
Fan speed is adjusted automatically according to the temperature setting and the ambient conditions.
Therefore, the fan may stop for a while until warm or cool air is ready to flow immediately after the “AUTO” switch is
pressed.
■Windshield fog detection function
When automatic mode is set, the humid- ity sensor detects fog on the windshield
and controls the air conditioning system to prevent fog.
This feature is used to prevent ice
from building up on the windshield
and wiper blades.
Press the switch to turn the system
on/off.
The indicator comes on when the sys-
tem is on.
Vehicles with windshield wiper de-icer:
The windshield wiper de-icer will auto-
matically turn off after a period of time.
Vehicles with Heated Windshield
Defroster:
 The Heated Windshield
Defroster will automatically turn
off in 4 minutes.
 The Heated Windshield
Defroster will not operate if the
outside temperature is 5°C
(41°F) or higher.
This function automatically controls
the air conditioning airflow so that
priority is given to the front seats.
When the front passenger seat is
not occupied, airflow may switch to
only the driver’s seat. Unnecessary
air conditioning is suppressed, con-
tributing to increased fuel effi-
ciency.
Front seat concentrated airflow
mode operates in the following situ-
ations.
Windshield wiper de-icer (if
equipped)/Heated Wind-
shield Defroster (if
equipped)
WARNING
■To prevent burns
●Vehicles with windshield wiper
deicer: Do not touch the glass at lower part of the windshield or to the side of the front pillars when the
windshield wiper de-icer is on.
●Vehicles with Heated Windshield
Defroster: Do not touch the wind- shield (especially the lower part) as the surfaces can become very hot
when the Heated Windshield Defroster is on.
Front seat concentrated air-
flow mode (S-FLOW)

437
6
6-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Interior features
■Adjusting the air flow direction
and opening/closing the air
outlets
Front
1 Direct air flow to the left or right,
up or down
2 Open the vent
3 Close the vent
Rear
1 Direct air flow to the left or right,
up or down
2 Open the vent
3 Close the vent
WARNING
■To not interrupt the windshield defogger from operating
Do not place anything on the instru- ment panel which may cover the air outlets. Otherwise, air flow may be
obstructed, preventing the windshield defoggers from defogging.
NOTICE
■Humidity sensor
In order to detect fog on the wind- shield, a sensor which monitors the
temperature of the windshield, the surround humidity, etc. is installed.
Follow these points to avoid damag-
ing the sensor:
●Do not disassemble the sensor
●Do not spray the glass cleaner on the sensor or subject it to strong
impacts
●Do not stick anything on the sensor