TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID 2021 Owners Manual
Page 561 of 666
8
559
8
When trouble arises
When trouble arises
8-1. Essential information 
Emergency flashers .......... 560 
If your vehicle has to be  
stopped in an emergency 560 
If the vehicle is trapped in rising  
water ............................... 561 
8-2. Steps to take in an emer - 
gency 
If your vehicle needs to be  
towed .............................. 563 
If you think something is wrong 
....................................... 566 
If a warning light turns on or a  
warning buzzer sounds... 568 
If a warning message is dis - 
played ............................. 578 
If you have a flat tire (vehicles  
without spare tire) ........... 582 
If you have a flat tire (vehicles  
with spare tire) ................ 593 
If the hybrid system will not  
start ................................ 601 
If you lose your keys ......... 603 
If the fuel filler door cannot be  
opened ........................... 603 
If the electronic key does not  
operate properly ............. 604 
If the 12-volt battery is dis - 
charged .......................... 606 
If your vehicle overheats... 611 
If the vehicle becomes stuck 
....................................... 615 
Page 562 of 666
5608-1. Essential information
8-1.Essential information
Press the switch.
All the turn signal lights will flash. 
To turn them off, press the switch once 
again.
■Emergency flashers
●If the emergency flashers are used for  a long time while the hybrid system is  
not operating (while the “READY” indi - 
cator is not illumi nated), the 12-volt  battery may discharge.
●If any of the SRS airbags deploy (inflate) or in the event of a strong rear  
impact, the emergency flashers will 
turn on automatically.
The emergency flashers will turn off  automatically after operating for  
approximately 20 m inutes. To manu- 
ally turn the emerg ency flashers off,  press the switch twice. (The emer - 
gency flashers may not turn on auto - 
matically depending on the force of  the impact and co nditions of the colli- 
sion.)
1 Steadily step on the brake pedal  
with both feet and firmly depress 
it.
Do not pump the brake pedal repeat - 
edly as this will in crease the effort  required to slow the vehicle.
2 Shift the shift lever to N.
If the shift lever is shifted to N 
3 After slowing down, stop the  
vehicle in a saf e place by the  
road. 
4 Stop the hybrid system.
If  th e s hif t le ver  ca nn o t b e s hif te d  
to N 
3 Keep depressing the brake  
pedal with both feet to reduce 
vehicle speed as much as possi - 
ble.
Press and hold the power switch for 2  
consecutive seconds or more, or press 
Emergency flashers
The emergency flashers are  
used to warn other drivers 
when the vehicle has to be 
stopped in the road due to a 
breakdown, etc.
Operating instructions
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 vehicle using the 
following procedure:
Stopping the vehicle 
Page 563 of 666
561
8 
8-1. Essential information
When trouble arises
it briefly 3 times or  more in succession.
5Stop the vehicle in a safe place  
by the road.
■If emergency stopped 
The functions of the air conditioning, etc.  
may be partially  limited in order to  reduce the power consumption of the  
12-volt battery.
 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 s witch and exit  
the vehicle through the window. 
 If the window can not be opened  
using the power window 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 o utside of the  
vehicle, and then open the door 
and exit the vehicle.
WARNING
■If the hybrid system has to be  
turned off while driving 
Turning the hybrid system off while  
driving will not c ause a loss of steer- 
ing or braking control. However,  power assist for the steering wheel  
may be lost making it  difficult to steer  
smoothly before st opping the vehicle  depending on the remaining charge in  
the 12-volt battery  or usage condi- 
tions. Decelerate as much as possible  before turning off  the hybrid system.
If the vehicle is trapped  
in rising water
In the event the  vehicle is sub- 
merged in wate r, remain calm  
and perform the following.
WARNING
■Using an emergency hammer* f o r   
emergency escape 
The rear side windows and rear win - dow of this vehicl e can be shattered  
by an emergency hammer* used for  
emergency escape,  however, since  the windshield and front side windows  
are laminated glass they can not be  
shattered by an emergency hammer*.*: Contact any authorized Toyota  
retailer or Toyota authorized  
repairer, or any reliable repairer, or 
aftermarket accessory manufac - 
turer for further information about 
an emergency hammer. 
Page 564 of 666
5628-1. Essential information
WARNING
■Escaping the vehicle from the  
window 
There are cases where escaping the  vehicle from the window is not possi - 
ble due to seating position, passenger 
body type, etc. 
When using an emergency hammer,  
consider your seat  location and the  
size of the window opening to ensure 
that the opening is accessible and  large enough to escape. 
Page 565 of 666
563
8 
8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
When trouble arises
8-2.Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle needs to  
be towed
If towing is necessary, we rec - 
ommend having  your vehicle  
towed by any authorized 
Toyota retailer or Toyota 
authorized repairer, or any reli - 
able repairer or commercial 
towing service, using a wheel-
lift type truck or  flatbed truck.
Use a safety chain system for  
all towing, and abide by all 
state/provincia l and local laws.
If towing your vehicle with a  
wheel-lift type truck, use a tow - 
ing dolly. ( →P.563, 564)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or  
serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle 
Be sure to transport the vehicle with  
all four wheels raise d off the ground.  
If the vehicle is t owed with the tires  contacting the groun d, the drivetrain  
or related parts may be damaged, the 
vehicle may fly off  the truck, or elec- tricity generated by  the operation of  
the motor may caus e a fire to occur  
depending on the  nature of the dam- age or malfunction.
■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, bro - 
ken debris may hit people, and 
cause serious damage.
●Do not turn the  power switch off. 
There is a possibility that the steer - ing wheel is locked and cannot be  
operated.
■Installing towing eyelets to the 
vehicle 
Make sure that towing eyelets are  installed securely . If not securely  
installed, towing ey elets may come  
loose during towing. 
Page 566 of 666
5648-2. Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a prob- 
lem with your transmission. Contact 
any authorized Toyota retailer or 
Toyota authorized repairer, or any 
reliable repairer or commercial tow - 
ing service before towing. 
 The hybrid system warning mes- 
sage is shown on the multi-infor - 
mation display and the vehicle 
does not move. 
 The vehicle makes an abnormal  
sound.
From the front 
Use a towing dolly under the rear  
wheels.
From the rear 
Use a towing dolly under the front  
wheels.
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 mechanism is not  strong enough to hold the front  
wheels straight.
●When raising the vehicle, ensure  adequate ground clearance for tow - 
ing at the opposite end of the raised 
vehicle. Without adequate clear - ance, the vehicle could be dam - 
aged 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 
Do not secure cables or chains to the  suspension components.
Situations when it is neces - 
sary to contact dealers  
before towing
Towing with a wheel-lift type  
truck
NOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type truck 
Do not tow with a s ling-type truck to  prevent body damage. 
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565
8 
8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
When trouble arises
When using a flat-bed truck to  
transport the vehicle, use tire strap - 
ping belts. Refer to the owner’s 
manual of the flat-bed truck for the 
tire strapping method. 
In order to supp ress vehicle move- 
ment during transportation, 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 30 
km/h (18 mph). 
A driver must be i n 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 eyelet 
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.583,  
594) 
2 Using a flathead screwdriver,  
remove eyelet  cover ( ), and  
then remove eyelet cover ( ).
To protect the bodywork, place a rag  
between the screwdriver and the vehi - cle body as shown in the illustration.
3 Insert the towing eyelet into the  
hole and tighten partially by 
hand. 
4 Tighten down the towing eyelet  
securely using a wheel nut 
wrench (if equipped) or hard 
metal bar.
Using a flatbed truck
Emergency towing
Emergency towing proce - 
dure
A
B 
Page 568 of 666
5668-2. Steps to take in an emergency
5Securely attach cables or chains  
to the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehicle  
body.
6 Enter the vehicle being towed  
and start the hybrid system.
Turn off the Parking Support Brake  
function. (if equipped):  →P.420 
If the hybrid system d oes 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.327) 
When the shift lever cannot be shifted:  
→ P.323
■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 (if equipped) 
Wheel nut wrench is  installed in the  deck under tray. ( →P.583, 594)
Fluid leaks under the vehicle 
(Water dripping from the air con - 
ditioning after use is normal.) 
 Flat-looking tires or uneven tire  
wear 
 High coolant temperature warn- 
ing light flashes or come on 
 Changes in exhaust sound 
 Excessive tire squeal when cor- 
nering 
 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
If you think something is  
wrong
If you notice any of the follow - 
ing symptoms, your vehicle 
probably needs adjustment or 
repair. Contact any authorized 
Toyota retailer or Toyota 
authorized repairer, or any reli - 
able repairer as soon as possi - 
ble.
Visible symptoms
Audible symptoms
Operational symptoms 
Page 569 of 666
567
8 
8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
When trouble arises
 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 
Page 570 of 666
5688-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)
■Brake 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 c omes on or flashes, but then goes  
off, this does not necessarily i ndicate a malfunction in the system.  
However, if this continues to occur, have the vehicle inspected  by  
any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, o r any  
reliable repairer.
Actions to the warning lights or warning buzzers
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(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 any authorized Toyota retailer or 
Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable 
repairer. Continuing to drive the vehicle may 
be dangerous.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(Yellow)
Indicates a ma lfunction in: 
 The parking brake system; 
 The regenerative braking system; or 
 The electronically controlled brake system 
→ Have the vehicle inspected by any authorized  
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, 
or any reliable re pairer immediately.