brakes TOYOTA RAV4 2023 Owner's Manual

3044-5. Using the driving support systems
*: If equipped
■Stopping the engine
While driving with the D shift
position selected, depress the
brake pedal and stop the vehi-
cle. The engine will stop auto-
matically.
When the engine stops, the Stop &
Start indicator will illuminate.
■Restarting the engine
Release the brake pedal. The
engine will start automatically.
When the engine starts, the Stop &
Start indicator will turn off.
■When the brake hold sys-
tem is operating
 When the engine is stopped
by the Stop & Start system, if
the brake pedal is released
the engine will remain
stopped.
 If the accelerator pedal is
depressed while the engine is
stopped by the Stop & Start
system, the engine will
restart.
 While the engine is stopped
by the Stop & Start system, if
the engine is restarted, the
brake hold system will con-
tinue to apply the brakes,
unless the operation condi-
tions of the brake hold system
are no longer met. ( P.217)
■When the dynamic radar
cruise control with full-
speed range is operating
 When the vehicle is stopped
by the dynamic radar cruise
control with full-speed range,
the engine will stop automati-
cally even though the brake
pedal is not depressed.
 When the preceding vehicle
starts off, the engine will
restart automatically.
 If the engine is restarted by
the Stop & Start system while
the vehicle is stopped by the
dynamic radar cruise control
with full-speed range, the
vehicle will remain stopped.
Stop & Start system*
The Stop & Start system
stops and starts the engine
according to brake pedal or
shift lever operation when
the vehicle is stopped, such
as at a stoplight, intersec-
tion, etc., in order to
improve fuel economy and
reduce noise pollution
caused by the engine idling.
Stop & Start system oper-
ation

3144-5. Using the driving support systems
• Mud & Sand mode
Mud & Sand mode indicator, VSC
OFF indicator (P.80) and PCS
warning light ( P.78) illuminate.
•Rock & Dirt mode
Rock & Dirt mode indicator illumi-
nates.
•Normal mode
The indicators and/or warning lights
above turn off.
■Multi-terrain Select
●Multi-terrain Sele ct is intended for
use when driving on rough roads.
Drive in Normal mode during nor-
mal driving.
●The Mud & Sand and Rock & Dirt
modes control the vehicle so that
it can maximize the drive force
and improve the drive force on
rough roads. As a result, fuel effi-
ciency may diminish when com-
pared to driving in Normal mode.
■When Multi-terrain Select brake
control is operating
The slip indicator flashes when
Multi-terrain Selec t brake control is
operating.
■AWD control for Mud & Sand
and Rock & Dirt modes
If the vehicle s peed exceeds the
speeds listed below, the same level
of AWD control for Normal mode is
performed, even if Mud & Sand or
Rock & Dirt mode is selected.
●Mud & Sand mode: Vehicle speed
is approximately 25 mph (40
km/h) or more
●Rock & Dirt mode: Vehicle speed
is approximately 16 mph (25
km/h) or more
If the vehicle speed drops below the
above speeds, the system automati-
cally returns to the AWD control for
each mode.
■When “Traction Control Turned
OFF” is displaye d on the multi-
information display
Multi-terrain Select brake control is
temporarily stopped due to overheat
of the brakes.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location
as soon as possible and wait until
the message disappears from the
multi-informat ion display.
■When the system switches to
Normal mode automatically
In the following situ ations, the sys-
tem switches to N ormal mode auto-
matically:
●When the driving mode is
changed ( P.310)
●When the engine switch is turned
off
■Sounds and vibrations when
driving in Mud & Sand or Rock
& Dirt mode
Any of the following conditions may
occur when Multi-terrain Select is
operating. None of these indicates
that a malfunction has occurred:
●Vibrations may be felt throughout
the vehicle or steering wheel
●Sounds may be heard from the
engine compartment
■When the slip indicator illumi-
nates
The system may be malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer immediately.
■When the indicator for each
mode does no t illuminate
The system may be malfunctioning
if the indicator does not illuminate
when selecting the mode other than
Normal mode. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.

3184-5. Using the driving support systems
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem)
Helps to prevent wheel lock
when the brakes are applied
suddenly, or if the brakes are
applied while driving on a slip-
pery road surface
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of
braking force after the brake
pedal is depressed when the
system detects a panic stop sit-
uation
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Con-
trol)
Helps the driver to control skid-
ding when swerving suddenly or
turning on slippery road sur-
faces.
WARNING
■The system may not operate
on the following surfaces,
which may lead to an acci-
dent causing death or serious
injury
●Slippery surfaces such as wet
or muddy roads
●Icy surface
●Unpaved roads
Driving assist systems
To keep driving safety and
performance, the following
systems operate automati-
cally in response to various
driving situations. Be
aware, however, that these
systems are supplementary
and should not be relied
upon too heavily when oper-
ating the vehicle.
Summary of the driving
assist systems

3204-5. Using the driving support systems
detects a collision and the sys-
tem operates, the brakes and
brake lights are automatically
controlled to reduce the vehicle
speed and help reduce the pos-
sibility of further damage due to
a secondary collision.
■When the TRAC/VSC/Multi-ter-
rain Select/Trailer Sway Con-
trol systems are operating
The slip indicator light will flash
while the TRAC/VSC/Multi-terrain
Select/Trailer Sway Control systems
are operating.
■Disabling the TRAC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in mud, dirt
or snow, the TRAC system may
reduce power from the engine to the
wheels.
Pressing to turn the system off
may make it easier for you to rock
the vehicle in order to free it.
To turn the TRAC system off,
quickly press and release .
The “Traction Control Turned OFF”
will be shown on the multi-informa-
tion display. Press again to turn the system
back on.
■Turning off the
TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway Con-
trol systems
To turn the TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway
Control systems of f, press and hold
for more than 3 seconds while
the vehicle is stopped.
The VSC OFF indicator light will
come on and the “Traction Control
Turned OFF” will be shown on the
multi-informat ion display.
*
Press again to turn the systems
back on.
*: PCS (Pre-Collision System) will
also be disabled (only pre-collision
warning is available). The PCS
warning light will come on and a
message will be disp layed on the
multi-information display.
(  P.249)
■When the message is dis-
played on the multi-information
display showing that TRAC has
been disabled even if has
not been pressed
TRAC is temporary deactivated. If
the information continues to show,
contact your Toyota dealer.
■Operating conditions of hill-
start assist control
When all of the fo llowing conditions
are met, the hill-star t assist control
will operate:
●The shift lever is in a position
other than P or N (when starting
off forward/backward on an
upward incline)
●The vehicle is stopped
●The accelerator pedal is not
depressed

3234-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
WARNING
■TRAC/VSC may not operate
effectively when
Directional control and power may
not be achievable while driving on
slippery road surfaces, even if the
TRAC/VSC system is operating.
Drive the vehicle carefully in con-
ditions where stability and power
may be lost.
■Active Cornering Assist does
not operate effectively when
●Do not overly rely on Active
Cornering Assist. Active Corner-
ing Assist may not operate
effectively when accelerating
down slopes or driving on slip-
pery road surfaces.
●When Active Cornering Assist
frequently operates, Active Cor-
nering Assist may temporarily
stop operating to ensure proper
operation of the brakes, TRAC
and VSC.
■Hill-start assist control does
not operate effectively when
●Do not overly rely on hill-start
assist control. Hill-start assist
control may not operate effec-
tively on steep inclines and
roads covered with ice.
●Unlike the parking brake, hill-
start assist control is not
intended to hold the vehicle sta-
tionary for an extended period
of time. Do not attempt to use
hill-start assist control to hold
the vehicle on an incline, as
doing so may lead to an acci-
dent.
■When the TRAC/VSC/Trailer
Sway Control is activated
The slip indicator light flashes.
Always drive carefully. Reckless
driving may cause an accident.
Exercise particular care when the
indicator light flashes.
■When the TRAC/VSC/Trailer
Sway Control systems are
turned off
Be especially careful and drive at
a speed appropriate to the road
conditions. As these are the sys-
tems to help ensure vehicle stabil-
ity and driving force, do not turn
the TRAC/VSC/Tra iler Sway Con-
trol systems off unless necessary.
Trailer Sway Control is part of the
VSC system and will not operate
if VSC is turned off or experiences
a malfunction.
■Dynamic Torque Vectoring
AWD system (if equipped)
The cornering performance of the
newly developed AWD system
has been improved. However, do
not overly rely on the system and
drive with caution.
■Replacing tires
Make sure that all tires are of the
specified size, brand, tread pat-
tern and total load capacity. In
addition, make sure that the tires
are inflated to the recommended
tire inflation p ressure level.
The ABS, TRAC, Trailer Sway
Control and VSC systems will not
function correctly if different tires
are installed on the vehicle.
Contact your Toyota dealer for
further information when replacing
tires or wheels.
■Handling of tires and the sus-
pension
Using tires with any kind of prob-
lem or modifying the suspension
will affect the driving assist sys-
tems, and may cause a system to
malfunction.

3244-5. Using the driving support systems
WARNING
■Trailer Sway Control precau-
tion
The Trailer Sway Control system
is not able to reduce trailer sway
in all situations . Depending on
many factors such as the condi-
tions of the vehicle, trailer, road
surface and driving environment,
the Trailer Sway Control system
may not be effective. Refer to
your trailer owner’s manual for
information on how to tow your
trailer properly.
■If trailer sway occurs
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failing to do so may cause death
or serious injury.
●Firmly grip the steering wheel.
Steer straight ahead. Do not try
to control trailer sway by turning
the steering wheel.
●Begin releasing the accelerator
pedal immediately but very
gradually 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 stabi-
lize. ( P.189)
■Secondary Collision Brake
Do not rely solely upon the Sec-
ondary Collision Brake. This sys-
tem is designed to help reduce
the possibility of further damage
due to a secondary collision, how-
ever, that effect c hanges accord-
ing to various conditions. Overly
relying on the system may result
in death or serious injury.

3264-6. Driving tips
Perform the following according
to the driving conditions:
Do not try to forcibly open a
window or move a wiper that
is frozen. 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 accumulated on the air
inlet vents in front of the wind-
shield.
 Check for and remove any
excess ice or snow that may
have accumulated on the
exterior lights, outside rear
view mirrors, windows, vehi-
cle’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 suit-
able to road conditions.
 Turn automatic mode of the parking brake off. Otherwise,
the parking brake may freeze
and not be able to be
released automatically.
Also, avoid using the following as
the parking brake may operate
automatically, 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 park-
ing brake may freeze up, pre-
venting it from being released.
If the vehicle is parked without
setting the parking brake,
make sure to block the
wheels. Failure to do so may
be dangerous because it may
cause the vehicle to move
unexpectedly, possibly lead-
ing to an accident.
 When the parking brake is in
automatic mode, release the
parking brake after shifting
the shift lever to P. ( P.215)
 If the vehicle is parked without
setting the parking brake,
confirm that the shift lever
cannot be moved out of P.
 If the vehicle is left parked
with the brakes damp in cold
temperatures, there is a pos-
sibility of the brakes freezing.
Before driving the vehicle
When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle

3294-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
road, please observe the follow-
ing precautions to ensure your
driving enjoyment and to help
prevent the closure of areas to
off-road vehicles:
Drive your vehicle only in
areas where off-road vehicles
are permitted to travel.
 Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before
entering 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 techniques should be
changed or travel delayed to
prevent damage to roads.
■Additional information for off-
road driving
For owners in U.S. mainland,
Hawaii and Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information per-
taining to driving your vehicle off-
road, consult the following organiza-
tions: • State and Local Parks and Recre-
ation Departments
• State Motor Vehicle Bureau
• Recreational Vehicle Clubs
• U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
WARNING
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe t he following pre-
cautions to minim ize the risk of
death, serious injury or damage to
your vehicle:
●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 ou tside of the
rim.
●Always check your brakes for
effectiveness 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 breakdown or
fire could occur.

3816-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
contact your Toyota dealer.
• When washing the vehicle, use water to wash off dirt. If the vehi-
cle is particularly dirty, use a
diluted neutral detergent and a
sponge or a soft cloth and wash
off the dir t by hand.
• Wash detergent off with water immediately after use. After using
detergent, wash the detergent off
with water and wipe the vehicle
dry with a soft cloth.
●For vehicles with matte painted
wheels: Make sure to observe the
following precautions to prevent
damage to the matte paint.
• Do not polish or scrub with dry
cloths, brushes, etc.
• Do not use detergents containing coatings or abrasives.
• If using an automatic car wash, make sure it does not include ded-
icated wheel brushes.
• Do not use high-pressure spray guns or steam cleaners.
• Do not use det ergent on the
wheels when they are hot, such
as after driving or parking in hot
weather.
■Brake pads and calipers
Rust may form if the vehicle is
parked with wet brake pads or disc
rotors, causing them to stick. Before
parking the vehicle after it is
washed, drive slow ly and apply the
brakes several times to dry the
parts.
■Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Plated portions
If dirt cannot be removed, clean the
parts as follows:
●Use a soft cloth dampened with
an approximately 5% solution of
neutral detergent and water to
clean the dirt off.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft
cloth to remove any remaining
moisture.
●To remove oily deposits, use alco- hol wet wipes or a similar product.
WARNING
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of
the engine compartment. Doing
so may cause the electrical com-
ponents, etc. to catch fire.
■When cleaning the windshield
(vehicles with rain-sensing
windshield wipers)
Set the wiper switch to off.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”,
the wipers may operate unexpect-
edly in the following situations,
and may result in hands being
caught or other serious injuries
and cause damage to the wiper
blades.
Off
AUTO
●When the upper part of the
windshield where the raindrop
sensor is located is touched by
hand
●When a wet rag or similar is
held close to the raindrop sen-
sor
●If something bumps against the
windshield
●If you directly touch the raindrop
sensor body or if something
bumps into the ra indrop sensor
A
B

3906-2. Maintenance
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to
one side when
the brakes are
applied.
• The brakes should work
effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel
spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get
too close to the
floor when the
brakes are
applied.
Head
restraints
• Do the head restraints move
smoothly and
lock securely?
Indica-
tors/buzzers
• Do the indica-tors and buzzers
function prop-
erly?
Lights
• Do all the lights come on?
• Are the head- lights aimed cor-
rectly?
Parking brake
• Does the park-ing brake oper-
ate normally?
• When parked on a slope and the
parking brake is
on, is the vehicle
securely
stopped?
ItemsCheck points
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operate
smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be
damaged.
Seats
• Do the seat con-trols operate
properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steer-ing wheel rotate
smoothly?
• Does the steer- ing wheel have
the correct
amount of free
play?
• There should not be any strange
sounds coming
from the steer-
ing wheel.
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors
• Do the doors operate
smoothly?
Engine hood
• Does the engine hood lock system
work properly?
Fluid leaks
• There should not be any signs of
fluid leakage
after the vehicle
has been parked.
ItemsCheck points