TOYOTA RAV4 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

1714-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the engine
 P.195, 196
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal
depressed, shift the shift
lever to D. ( P.201)
2 Release the parking brake.
( P.205)
If the parking brake is in automatic
mode, the parking brake is
released automatically when shift-
ing the shift lever to any position
other than P. ( P.206)
3 Gradually release the brake
pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to acceler-
ate the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 With the shift lever in D,
depress the brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking
brake. ( P.205)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the
shift lever to P. ( P.201)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D,
depress the brake pedal. 2
Set the parking brake
( P.205), and shift the shift
lever to P ( P.201).
3 Turn the engine switch to
OFF to stop the engine.
4 Lock the door, making sure
that you have the key on your
person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels
as needed.
■Starting off on a steep
uphill
1 With the brake pedal
depressed, shift the shift
lever to D. ( P.201)
2 Pull the parking brake switch
and parking brake is set
manually. ( P.205)
3 Release the brake pedal and
gently depress the accelera-
tor pedal to accelerate the
vehicle.
Parking brake automatic release
function ( P.207)
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will acti-
vate. ( P.364)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully whe n it is raining,
because visibility will be reduced,
the windows may become fogged-
up, and the road could be slip-
pery.
●Drive carefully whe n it starts to
rain, as the road surface could be
especially slippery.
●Refrain from hig h speeds when
driving on an expressway in the
rain, because there may be a
layer of water between the tires
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures
should be observed to
ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

1724-1. Before driving
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.
(  P.643)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-
Start Control)
●When the following unusual oper-
ation is performed, the engine out-
put may be restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from
R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P
to R (D includes S) with the accel-
erator pedal depressed, a warning
message appears on the multi-
information display. If a warning
message is shown on the multi-
information display, read the mes-
sage and follow the instructions.
• When the accelerator pedal is
depressed too much while the
vehicle is in reverse.
●While Drive-Start C ontrol is being
activated, your vehicle may have
trouble escaping from the mud or
fresh snow. In such case, deacti- vate TRAC (
P.365) to cancel
Drive-Start Cont rol so that the
vehicle may be able to escape
from the mud or fresh snow (AWD
models).
●Drive-Start Contro l does not work
when Mud & Sand or Rock & Dirt
mode is selected fo r Multi-terrain
Select.
■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 v ehicle in a for-
eign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle
registration laws and confirm the
availability of the correct fuel.
(  P.678)
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.

1734-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if y ou 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 respon se 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 if there is any
flammable material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not
turn off the engi ne. 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.628
●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.201)
●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 fa ilure, 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 before driving at
such speeds.

1744-1. Before driving
WARNING
■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
t o st all or lea d to po o r br ak e a nd
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 shift 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.
●Moving the shift lever to N while
the vehicle is moving will disen-
gage the engine from the trans-
mission. Engine braking is not
available when N is selected.
●Be careful not to shift the shift
lever with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear
other than P or N may lead to
unexpected rapid acceleration
of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or
serious injury. Doing so can
damage the transmission and
may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
■If you hear a squealing or
scraping noise (brake pad
wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and
replaced by your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the
pads are not replaced when
needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle
when the wear limits of the brake
pads and/or those of the brake
discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other
than P or N, the vehicle may
accelerate suddenly and unex-
pectedly, causin g an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents
due to the vehicle rolling away,
always keep depressing the
brake pedal while the engine is
running, and apply the parking
brake as necessary.

1754-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●If the vehicle is stopped on an
incline, in order to prevent acci-
dents caused by the vehicle roll-
ing forward or backward, always
depress the brake pedal and
securely apply the parking
brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the
engine.
Running the engine at high
speed while the vehicle is
stopped may cause the exhaust
system to overheat, which could
result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette
lighters, spray cans, or soft
drink cans in the vehicle when it
is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the fol-
lowing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may
lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic
lenses and plastic material of
glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray
over the interior of the vehicle,
and may also caus e a short cir-
cuit in the vehicle’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in
the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter
is in a place such as the glove
box or on the floor, it may be lit
accidentally when luggage is
loaded or the seat is adjusted,
causing a fire.
●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 a s a lens, caus-
ing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake,
shift the shift lever to P, stop the
engine and loc k 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 engine off. Other-
wise, if you accidentally move the
shift lever or depress 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.

1764-1. Before driving
WARNING
■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. Also, 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 that 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.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator
and brake pedals at the same
time during driving, as this may
restrain the engine output.
●Do not use the accelerator
pedal or depress the accelera-
tor and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on
a hill.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle
parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel
fully in either direction and hold
it there for an extended period
of time.
Doing so may damage the
power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the
road, drive as slowly as possible
to avoid damaging the wheels,
underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driv-
ing
A flat or damaged tire may cause
the following situations.
●It may be difficult to control your
vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal
sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnor-
mally.
Hold the steering wheel firmly and
gradually depress the brake pedal
to slow down the vehicle.
Information on what to do in case
of a flat tire ( P.653)

1774-1. Before driving
4
Driving
NOTICE
■When encountering flooded
roads
Do not drive on a road that has
flooded after heavy rain, etc.
Doing so may cause the following
serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by
water immersion
In the event that you drive on a
flooded road and the vehicle is
flooded, be sure to have your
Toyota dealer c heck the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality
of oil and fluid used for the
engine, transaxle, transfer
(AWD vehicles), rear differen-
tial (AWD vehicles), etc.
●Lubricant condition for the pro-
peller shaft (AWD models),
bearings and suspension joints
(where possible), and the func-
tion of all joints, bearings, etc.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and
shift the shift leve r to P. Failure to
do so may cause the vehicle to
move or the vehi cle may acceler-
ate suddenly if the accelerator
pedal is accidentally depressed.
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following
information about storage
precautions, cargo capacity
and load.
WARNING
■Things that must not be car-
ried in the luggage compart-
ment
The following things may cause a
fire if loaded in the luggage com-
partment:
●Receptacles containing gaso-
line
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may prevent the
pedals from being depressed
properly, may block the driver’s
vision, or may res ult in items hit-
ting the driver or passengers, pos-
sibly causing an accident.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the
luggage compartment when-
ever possible.
●Do not stack anything in the lug-
gage compartment higher than
the seatbacks.
●Do not place cargo or luggage
in or on the follo wing locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rear seats (when stacking items)
• On the luggage cover (if equipped)
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard

1784-1. Before driving
Cargo capacity depends on the
total weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load
capacity) - (Total weight of occu-
pants)
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit 
(1) Locate the statement “The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on your
vehicle’s placard.
(2) Determine the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
(4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs. and
there will be five 150 lb passen-
gers in your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400 -
750 (5 
150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi-
cle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the
available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
( P.180)
WARNING
●Secure all items in the occupant
compartment.
●When you fold down the rear
seats, long items should not be
placed directly behind the front
seats.
●Never allow anyone to ride in
the luggage compartment. It is
not designed for passengers.
They should ride in their seats
with their seat belts properly
fastened. Otherwise, they are
much more likely to suffer death
or serious bodily injury, in the
event of sudden braking, sud-
den swerving or an accident.
Capacity and distribution
WARNING
■Capacity and distribution
●Do not exceed the maximum
axle weight rating or the total
vehicle weight rating.
●Even if the total load of occu-
pant’ weight and the cargo load
is less than the total load capac-
ity, do not apply the load
unevenly. Improper loading may
cause deterioration of steering
or braking control which may
cause death or serious injury.

1794-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Cargo capacity
Total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight) (P.676)
When 2 people with the com-
bined weight of A lb. (kg) are rid-
ing in your vehicle, which has a
total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight) of B lb. (kg),
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity will
be C lb. (kg) as follows:
B
*2 lb. (kg) - A*1 lb. (kg) = C*3 lb.
(kg)
*1: A = Weight of people
*2: B = Total load capacity
*3: C = Available cargo and luggage load
In this condition , if 3 more passen-
gers with the combined weight of D
lb. (kg) get on, the available cargo
and luggage load will be reduced E
lb. (kg) as follows:
C lb. (kg) - D*4 lb. (kg) = E*5 lb.
(kg)
*4: D = Additional weight of people
*5: E = Available cargo and luggage load
As shown in the example above,
if the number of occupants
increases, the cargo and lug-
gage load will be reduced by an
amount that equals the
increased weight due to the
additional occupants. In other
words, if an increase in the num-
ber of occupants causes an
excess of the total load capacity
(combined weight of occupants
plus cargo and luggage load),
you must reduce the cargo and
luggage on your vehicle.
Calculation formula for
your vehicle
A
B
:$51,1*
■When loading cargo on the
roof luggage carrier (if
equipped)
Observe the following precau-
tions:
●Place the cargo so that its
weight is distributed evenly
between the front and rear
axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo,
never exceed the vehicle overall
length or width. ( P.676)
●Before driving, m ake sure the
cargo is securely fastened on
the roof luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof lug-
gage carrier will make the cen-
ter of gravity of the vehicle
higher. Avoid high speeds, sud-
den 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 and result in death or
serious injury.

1804-1. Before driving
■Total load capacity and seating
capacity
These details are also described on
the tire and loading information
label. ( P.604)
WARNING
●If driving for a long distance, on
rough roads, or at high speeds,
stop the vehicle now and then
during the trip to make sure the
cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 176.4 lb. (80 kg)
cargo weight on the roof lug-
gage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo on the
roof luggage carrier (if
equipped)
Be careful not to scratch the sur-
face of the moon roof (if
equipped) or the panoramic moon
roof (if equipped).
Vehicle load limits
Vehicle load limits include
total load capacity, seating
capacity, TWR (Trailer
Weight Rating) and cargo
capacity.
 Total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight):  P.676
Total load capacity means the
combined weight of occu-
pants, cargo and luggage.
 Seating capacity:  P.677
Seating capacity means the
maximum number of occu-
pants whose estimated aver-
age weight is 150 lb. (68 kg)
per person.
 TWR (Trailer Weight Rat-
ing):  P.187, 676
TWR means the maximum
gross trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo weight)
that your vehicle is able to
tow.
 Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase
or decrease depending on the
weight and the number of
occupants.