ECO mode TOYOTA RAV4 2023 Owner's Manual

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.

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.

1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
If the gross trailer weight is
over the unbraked TWR,
trailer service brakes are
required.
 Vehicles with towing package:
If the gross trailer weight is
over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway
control device with sufficient
capacity is required.
Confirm that the gross trailer
weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and tongue
weight are all within the limits.
■GCWR*
Without towing package
Vehicles without Dynamic
Torque Vectoring AWD system:
6110 lb. (2770 kg)
Vehicles with Dynamic Torque
Vectoring AWD system: 6205 lb.
(2815 kg)
With towing package
8205 lb. (3725 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi- cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
■TWR*
Without towing package
1500 lb. (680 kg)
With towing package
3500 lb. (1590 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi- cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
■Unbraked TWR*
1000 lb. (450 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi-cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
 A recommended tongue
weight varies in accordance
with the types of trailers or
towing as described below.
 To ensure the recommended
values shown below, the
trailer must be loaded by
referring to the following
instructions.
• Tongue Weight
The gross trailer weight should be
distributed so that the tongue
weight is 9% to 11%.
(Tongue weight /Gross trailer
weight x 100 = 9% to 11%)
Vehicles without towing pack-
age
Gross trailer weight
GCWR, TWR and
Unbraked TWR
Trailer Tongue Weight
A

2004-1. Before driving
3When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb
the load.
4 Apply the parking brake
firmly.
5 Shift into P and turn off the
engine.
 When restarting after parking
on a slope:
1 With the transmission in P,
start the engine. Be sure to
keep the brake pedal
depressed.
2 Shift into a forward gear. If
reversing, shift into R.
3 If the parking brake is in man-
ual mode, release the park-
ing brake. ( P.213)
4 Release the brake pedal, and
slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and
apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the
blocks.
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped
with any new power train compo-
nents (such as an engine, transmis-
sion, differential or wheel bearing),
Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer unt il the vehicle has
been driven for over 500 miles (800
km).
After the vehicle has been driven for
over 500 miles (800 km), you can
start towing. However, for the next
500 miles (800 km), drive the vehi-
cle at a speed of less than 45 mph
(72 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a traile
r, your vehicle
will require more fr equent mainte-
nance due to the additional load.
(See “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner ’s Manual Sup-
plement”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the
towing ball and bracket after
approximately 600 miles (1000
km) of tra iler towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds,
passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.)
can adversely affect handling of
your vehicle and t railer, causing
instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to contr ol trailer sway-
ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal immediately but very gradu-
ally to reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not
apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction
with the steering or brakes, your
vehicle and trailer should stabilize (if
enabled, Trailer Sway Control can
also help to stabilize the vehicle and
trailer.).
●After the trailer swaying has
stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occu- pants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not
shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is
appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is not over-
loaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the

2044-2. Driving procedures
Some electrical components such
as the audio system can be used.
ON (“ON” position)
All electrical components can be
used.
START (“START” position)
For starting the engine.
■Turning the key from ACC to
OFF
1 Shift the shift lever to P.
2 Push in the key and turn it to
OFF.
■Key reminder function
A buzzer sounds if the driver’s door
is opened while the engine switch is
in OFF or ACC to remind you to
remove the key.
1 Pull the parking brake switch
to check that the parking
brake is set. ( P.213)
The parking brak e indicator will
come on.
2 Check that the shift lever is
set in P.
3 Firmly depress the brake
pedal.
and a message will be dis-
played on the multi-information dis-
play.
If it is not displ ayed, the engine
cannot be started.
4 Press the engine switch
shortly and firmly.
When operating the engine switch,
one short, firm press is enough. It is
not necessary to press and hold the
switch.
The engine will crank until it starts
or for up to 30 seconds, whichever
is less.
Continue depressing the brake
pedal until the engine is completely
started.
The engine can be started from any
WARNING
■Caution when driving
Do not turn the engine switch to
OFF while driving. If, in an emer-
gency and you must turn the
engine off while the vehicle is
moving, turn the engine switch
only to ACC to stop the engine.
An accident may result if the
engine is stopped while driving.
(  P.440)
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the engine switch in
ACC or ON for long periods of
time without the engine running.
C
D
Engine (ignition)
switch (vehicles with
smart key system)
Performing the following
operations when carrying
the electronic key on your
person starts the engine or
changes engine switch
modes.
Starting the engine

2054-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
engine switch mode.
■If the engine does not start
●The engine immobilizer system
may not have been deactivated.
( P.70)
Contact your Toyota dealer.
●If a message related to start-up is
shown on the multi-information
display, read the message and fol-
low the instructions.
●If the door is unlocked with the
mechanical key, the engine can-
not be started using the smart key
system. Refer to P.475 to start the
engine. However, if the electronic
key is carried inside the vehicle
and the doors are locked
(  P.123), the engine can be
started.
■If the battery is discharged
The engine cannot be started using
the smart key system. Refer to
P.476 to restart the engine.
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P.114
■Conditions affecting operation
 P.141
■Note for the entry function
 P.141
■If there is a mal function in the
smart key system
If “Smart Key System Malfunction”
is displayed on the multi-information
display, the system may be mal-
functioning. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
■When “Check Fuel Cap” is dis-
played on the multi-information
display
 P.232
■Electronic key battery
 P.425
■Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly
and firmly, the engine switch
mode may not change or the
engine may not start.
●If attempting to restart the engine
immediately after turning the
engine switch to OFF, the engine
may not start in some cases. After
turning the engine switch to OFF,
please wait a few seconds before
restarting the engine.
■Customization
If the smart key system has been
deactivated in a customized setting,
refer to P.475.
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sit-
ting in the driver’s seat. Do not
depress the accelerator pedal
while starting the engine under
any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident
resulting in dea th or serious
injury.
NOTICE
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have
your vehicle checked by your
Toyota dealer immediately.

2064-2. Driving procedures
1Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in man-
ual mode, set the parking
brake. ( P.213)
Check the parking brake indicator
is illuminated.
3 Shift the shift lever to P.
4 Press the engine switch
shortly and firmly.
The engine will stop, and the meter
display will be extinguished.
5Release the brake pedal and
check that “ACCESSORY” or
“IGNITION ON” is not shown
on the multi-information dis-
play.
■Automatic engine shut off fea-
ture
●The vehicle is equipped with a
feature that automatically shuts off
the engine when the shift lever is
in P with the engine running for an
extended period.
●The engine will automatically shut
off after approximately 1 hour if it
has been left running while the
shift lever is in P.
●The timer for the automatic engine
shut off feature will reset if the brake pedal is depressed or if the
shift lever is in a position other
than P.
●After the vehicle
is parked, if the
door is locked with the door lock
switch ( P.123) from the inside
or the mechanical key ( P.475)
from the outside , the automatic
engine shut off feature will be dis-
abled. The timer for the automatic
engine shut off feature will be re-
enabled if the driver’s door is
opened.
NOTICE
■Symptoms indicating a mal-
function with the engine
switch
If the engine switch seems to be
operating somewhat differently
than usual, such as the switch
sticking slightly, there may be a
malfunction. Contact your Toyota
dealer immediately.
Stopping the engine
WARNING
■Stopping the engine in an
emergency
●If you want to stop the engine in
an emergency while driving the
vehicle, press and hold the
engine switch for more than 2
seconds, or press it briefly 3
times or more in succession.
(  P.440)
However, do not touch the
engine switch while driving
except in an emergency. Turn-
ing the engine off while driving
will not cause loss of steering or
braking control, but the power
assist to these systems will be
lost. This will make it more diffi-
cult to steer and brake, so you
should pull over and stop the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to
do so.
●If the engine switch is operated
while the vehicle is running, a
warning message will be shown
on the multi-information display
and a buzzer sounds.
●When restarting the engine after
an emergency shutdown, shift
the shift lever to N and press the
engine switch shortly and firmly.

2094-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
*1: Shifting to the D position allows the system to select a gear suit-
able for the driving conditions.
Setting the shift lever to the D
position is recommended for nor-
mal driving.
*2: Selecting shift ranges using S mode restricts the upper limit of
the possible gear ranges, con-
trols engine braking force, and
prevents unnecessary upshifting.
■When driving with dynamic
radar cruise control with full-
speed range activated
Even when performing the following
actions with the in tent of enabling
engine braking, e ngine braking will
not activate because dynamic radar
cruise control with full-speed range will not be canceled.
●While driving in S mode, down-
shifting to 7, 6
, 5, or 4. (P.211)
●When switching th e driving mode
to sport mode while driving in D.
(  P.310)
■If “High Transmission Fluid
Temp” is displayed on the
multi-information display (AWD
models)
Make sure to return to D position
driving and reduce speed by easing
off the accelerato r pedal. Stop the
vehicle in a safe place, shift the shift
lever to P and le t the engine idle
until the warning message goes out.
When the warning message goes
out, the vehicle can be driven again.
If the warning message does not go
out after waiting a while, have your
vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-
Start Control)
 P.185
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automa tically selects
the suitable gear according to driver
performance and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically oper-
ates when the shift lever is in D.
(Shifting the shift lever to S cancels
the function.)
Automatic transmis-
sion
Select the shift position
depending on your purpose
and situation.
Shift position purpose
and functions
Shift
positionObjective or function
PParking the vehi-
cle/starting the engine
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2
(  P.211)
WARNING
■When driving on slippery
road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears
suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine brak-
ing may cause the vehicle to spin
or skid, resulting in an accident.

2154-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■Turning the automatic
mode off
While the vehicle is stopped and
depressing the brake pedal,
press and hold the parking
brake switch until a buzzer
sounds and a message is
shown on the multi-information
display.
■Parking brake operation
●When the engine switch is not in
ON, the parking brake cannot be
released using the parking brake
switch.
●When the engine switch is not in
ON, automatic mode (automatic
brake setting and releasing) is not
available.
■Parking brake automatic
release function
When all of the follo wing conditions
are met, the parking brake can be
released by depressing the acceler-
ator pedal.
●The driver’s door is closed
●The driver is wearing the seat belt
●The shift lever is in a forward driv-
ing position or reverse driving
position
●The malfunction in dicator lamp or
brake system warning light is not
illuminated
When depressing the accelerator
pedal, depress it slowly. If the parking brak
e is not released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed, release the parking
brake manually.
When the shift lever is shifted from
P, the parking brake will be released
automatically.
■If “Parking Brake Temporarily
Unavailable” is displayed on
the multi-info rmation display
If the parking brake is operated
repeatedly over a short period of
time, the system may restrict opera-
tion to prevent ove rheating. If this
happens, refrain from operating the
parking brake. Normal operation will
return after about 1 minute.
■If “Parking Brake Unavailable”
is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display
Operate the parking brake switch. If
the message does not disappear
after operating the switch several
times, the system may be malfunc-
tioning. Have the vehicle inspected
by your Toyo ta dealer.
■Parking brake operation sound
When the parking brake operates, a
motor sound (whirr ing sound) may
be heard. This does not indicate a
malfunction.
■Parking brake indicator light
and Parking brake switch indi-
cator
●Depending on the engine switch
position / mode, the parking brake
indicator light and the parking
brake switch indicator will turn on
and stay on as described below:
ON: Comes on until the parking
brake is released.
Not in ON: Stays on for approxi-
mately 15 seconds.
●When the engine switch is turned
off with the parking brake set, the
parking brake indicator light and
the parking brake switch indicator
will stay on for abo ut 15 seconds.

2204-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Canada
1 The side marker, park-
ing, tail, license plate, instru-
ment panel lights, and
daytime running lights
( P.220) turn on.
2 The headlights and all
lights listed above (except
daytime running lights) turn
on.
3 The headlights, daytime
running lights ( P.220) and
all the lights listed above turn
on and off automatically.
■AUTO mode can be used when
The engine switch is in ON.
■Daytime runni ng light system
●Vehicles with multi-LED head-
lights and LED projector head-
lights with bulb type front turn
signal lights: The daytime running
lights illuminate u sing the same
lights as the low beam headlights
and illuminate d immer than the
low beam headlights.
●Vehicles with LED projector head-
lights with LED type front turn sig-nal lights: The daytime running
lights illuminate using the same
lights as the parking lights and illu-
minate brighter than the parking
lights.
●To make your vehicle more visible
to other drivers
during daytime
driving, the daytime running lights
turn on automatically when all of
the following conditions are met.
(The daytime running lights are
not designed for use at night.)
• The engine is running
• The parking brake is released
• For the U. S. A.: The headlight
switch is in the , or
*
position
• For Canada: The headlight switch
is in the or
* position
*: When the surroundings are bright
The daytime running lights remain
on after they illumi nate, even if the
parking brake is set again.
●For the U.S.A.: Daytime running
lights can be turned off by operat-
ing the switch.
●Compared to turning on the head-
lights, the daytime running light
system offers greater durability
and consumes less electricity, so
it can help improve fuel economy.
■Headlight control sensor (if
equipped)
The sensor may not function prop-
erly if an object is placed on the sen-
sor, or anything that blocks the
sensor is affixed to the windshield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor
detecting the level of ambient light
and may cause t he automatic head-
light system to malfunction.