TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID 2020 Owners Manual (in English)

6318-1. Essential information
8
When trouble arises
1Steadily step on the brake
pedal with both feet and
firmly depress it.
Do not pump the brake pedal
repeatedly as this will increase the
effort required to slow the vehicle.
2Shift the shift lever to N.
If the shift lever is shifted to N
3 After slowing down, stop the
vehicle in a safe place by the
road.
4 Stop the hybrid system.
If the shift lever cannot be
shifted to N
3 Keep depressing the brake
pedal with both feet to reduce
vehicle speed as much as
possible.
4 Perform the following proce-
dure to stop the hybrid sys-
tem:
Vehicles without smart key
system
Turn the power s witch to ACC.
Vehicles with smart key sys-
tem
Press and hold the power switch for
2 consecutive seconds or more, or
press it briefly 3 times or more in
succession.
5Stop the vehicle in a safe
place by the road.
If your vehicle has to
be stopped in an emer-
gency
Only in an emergency, such
as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the
normal way, stop the vehi-
cle using the following pro-
cedure:
Stopping the vehicle
WARNING
■If the hybrid system has to be
turned off while driving
●Power assist for the steering
wheel will be lost, making the
steering wheel heavier to turn.
Decelerate as much as possible
before turning off the hybrid sys-
tem.
●Vehicles without smart key sys-
tem: Never atte mpt to remove
the key, as doing so will lock the
steering wheel.

6328-1. Essential information
Remove the seat belt first.
 If the door can be opened,
open the door and exit the
vehicle.
 If the door can not be opened,
open the window using the
power window switch and exit
the vehicle through the win-
dow.
 If the window can not be
opened using the power win-
dow switch, remain calm, wait
until the water level inside the
vehicle rises to the point that
the water pressure inside of
the vehicle equals the water
pressure outside of the vehi-
cle, and then open the door
and exit the vehicle.
If the vehicle is
trapped in rising water
In the event the vehicle is
submerged in water, remain
calm and perform the fol-
lowing.
WARNING
■Using an emergency hammer*
for emergency escape
The front side windows and rear
side windows, as well as the rear
window can be shattered with an
emergency hammer
* used for
emergency escape. However, an
emergency hammer can not shat-
ter the windshield as it is lami-
nated glass.
*: Contact your Toyota dealer, or
aftermarket accessory manu-
facturer for furt her information
about an emergency hammer.
■Escaping the vehicle from the
window
There are cases where escaping
the vehicle from the window is not
possible due to seating position,
passenger body type, etc.
When using an emergency ham-
mer, consider your seat location
and the size of the window open-
ing to ensure that the opening is
accessible and large enough to
escape.

6338-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
8-2.Steps to take in an emergency
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.
If towing your vehicle with a
wheel-lift type truck, use a
towing dolly. (P.633, 634)
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
Be sure to transp ort the vehicle
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the tires co ntacting the
ground, the drivetrain or related
parts may be damaged, the vehi-
cle may fly off the truck, or elec-
tricity generated by the operation
of the motor may cause a fire to
occur depending o n the nature of
the damage or malfunction.
■While towing (vehicles with
towing eyelet)
●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.
●Do not turn the power switch off.
There is a possi bility that the
steering wheel is locked and
cannot be operated.

6348-2. 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 hybrid system warning
message is shown on the
multi-information display and
the vehicle does not move.
 The vehicle makes an abnor-
mal sound.
From the front
Use a towing dolly under the
rear wheels.
WARNING
■Installing towing eyelets to
the vehicle (vehicles with
towing eyelets)
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 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 mecha-
nism 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.
■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 (vehicles with towing
eyelet)
Do not secure cables or chains to
the suspension components.
■Recreational towing (behind
motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to
prevent causing serious damage
to the AWD system and hybrid
transmission. ( P.209)
Situations when it is nec-
essary to contact dealers
before towing
Towing with a wheel-lift
type truck

6358-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the
front wheels.
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 power switch off.
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 short
distances 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.
1
Take out the wheel nut
wrench and towing eyelet.
( P.653)
2 Using a flathead screw-
driver, remove eyelet cover
NOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type
truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck
to prevent body damage.
Using a flatbed truck
Emergency towing (vehi-
cles with towing eyelet)
Emergency towing proce-
dure (vehicles with towing
eyelet)

6368-2. Steps to take in an emergency
( ), and then remove eyelet
cover ( ).
To protect the bodywork, place a
rag between the screwdriver and
the vehicle body as shown in the
illustration.
3Insert the towing eyelet into
the hole and tighten partially
by hand.
4 Tighten down the towing eye-
let securely using a wheel nut
wrench or hard metal bar.
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 hybrid system.
Turn off the Parking Support Brake
function. (if equipped): P.299
If the hybrid system does not start,
turn the power switch to ON.
7 Shift the shift lever to N and
release the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off. ( P.225)
When the shift lever cannot be
shifted: P.221
■While towing
If the hybrid system is not running,
the power assist for the brakes and
steering will not function, making
steering and braking more difficult.
■Wheel nut wrench
Wheel nut wrench is installed in the
tool bag. ( P.653)
A
B

6378-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
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 hybrid system
 Engine missing, stumbling or
running roughly
 Appreciable loss of power
 Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
 Vehicle pulls heavily to one
side when driving on a level
road
 Loss of brake effectiveness,
spongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor
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

6388-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)
■Brake system warning light
■Charging system warning light
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer
sounds
Calmly perform the following actions if any of the warning
lights comes on or flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, but
then goes off, this does not necessarily indicate a malfunc-
tion in the system. However, if this continues to occur, have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer.
Actions to the warning lights or warning buzzers
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
(Canada) (Red)
Indicates that:
 The brake fluid level is low; or
 The brake system is malfunctioning
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place and contact your Toyota dealer.
Continuing to drive the vehicle may be
dangerous.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(Yellow)
Indicates a malfunction in:
The parking brake system;
 The regenerative braking system; or
 The electronically controlled brake system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates a malfunction in the vehicle’s charging
system
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place and contact your Toyota dealer.

6398-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
■High coolant temperature warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the mu lti-information display with a message.
■Hybrid system overheat warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the mu lti-information display with a message.
■Low engine oil pressure warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the mu lti-information display with a message.
■Malfunction indicator lamp
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the engine is overheating
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place.
Handling method ( P.671)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the hybrid system has overheated
 Stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Handling method ( P.671)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the engine oil pressure is too low
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place and contact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Indicates a malfunction in:
 The hybrid system;
 The electronic engi ne control system;
 The electronic throttle control system; or
 The emission control s ystem (if equipped)
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.

6408-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■SRS warning light
■ABS warning light
■Electric power steering system warning light (warning
buzzer)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates a malfunction in:
The SRS airbag system;
 The front passenger o ccupant classification
system; or
 The seat belt pretensioner system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Indicates a malfunction in:
 The ABS; or
 The brake assist system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(Red/yellow)
Indicates a malfunction in the EPS (Electric
Power Steeri ng) system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.