tires TOYOTA RAV4 2023 Owners Manual

4TABLE OF CONTENTS
5-1. Using the air conditioning
system and defogger
Manual air conditioning sys-
tem .............................. 332
Automatic air conditioning system ......................... 338
Heated steering wheel/seat heaters/seat ventilators 345
5-2. Using the interior lights Interior lights list ............ 348
5-3. Using the storage features List of storage features . 350
Luggage compartment fea- tures ............................ 354
5-4. Using the other interior fea- tures
Other interior features ... 359
Garage door opener...... 370
6-1. Maintenance and care Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior ............ 380
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ............. 384
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements.................................... 387
General maintenance.... 389
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M) pro-
grams .......................... 3916-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service pre-cautions ....................... 393
Hood .............................. 395
Positioning a floor jack .. 396
Engine compartment ..... 398
Tires .............................. 405
Tire inflation pressure .... 416
Wheels .......................... 418
Air conditioning filter ...... 420
Wiper insert replacement .................................... 422
Wireless remote control/elec- tronic key battery ......... 425
Checking and replacing fuses ............................ 428
Headlight aim ................ 431
Light bulbs ..................... 432
7-1. Essential information Emergency flashers....... 440
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency
.................................... 440
If the vehicle is submerged or water on the road is rising
.................................... 441
7-2. Steps to take in an emer- gency
If your vehicle needs to be towed ........................... 443
If you think something is wrong........................... 447
Fuel pump shut off system .................................... 448
5Interior features
6Maintenance and care
7When trouble arises

15Pictorial index
Precautions against winter season ......................................P.325
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer)
*...................P.344
Precautions against car wash (R ain-sensing windshield wipers)
*
............................................................... ..............................P.381
Replacing the wiper insert ..................................... ...............P.422
Fuel filler door ............................................... .....................P.231
Refueling method ............................................... ..................P.231
Fuel type/fuel tan k capacity .................................................P.488
Tires ....................................................................................P.405
Tire size/inflation pressure ................................... ................P.492
Winter tires/tire chain ........................................ ...................P.325
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system
*.................P.405
Coping with flat tires......................................... ....................P.463
Hood ....................................................................................P.395
Opening ........................................................ .......................P.395
Engine oil ..................................................... ........................P.488
Coping with overheat ........................................... ................P.480
Warning messages ..............................................................P.459
Headlights..................................................... ......................P.219
Turn signal lights ...............................................................P.212
Parking lights .....................................................................P.219
Daytime running lights .. ....................................................P.219
Side marker lights ............................................. .................P.219
Fog lights
*............................................................... ............P.226
Stop lights/tail lights/turn s ignal lights ....................P.212, 219
Tail lights .................................................... ........................P.219
Back-up lights
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P .432, Watts: P.496)
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O

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.

1814-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●During normal driving, do not
turn off the engine. 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.440
●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.209)
●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 failure, 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 b efore driving at
such speeds.
■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
to stall or lead to poor brake and
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 sh ift 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.

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.

1894-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
■Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle. It
may not only cause damage to
the tires, but also degrade steer-
ing and braking ability, resulting in
an accident.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed
primarily as a passenger-
and-load-carrying vehicle.
Towing a trailer can have an
adverse impact on handling,
performance, braking, dura-
bility, and fuel consump-
tion. For your safety and the
safety of others, you must
not overload your vehicle or
trailer. You must also
ensure that you are using
appropriate towing equip-
ment, that the towing equip-
ment has been installed
correctly and used properly,
and that you employ the
requisite driving habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and
braking performance are
affected by trailer stability,
brake performance and set-
ting, trailer brakes, the hitch
and hitch systems (if
equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the
vehicle in accordance with
your trailer’s characteris-
tics and operating condi-
tions.

1904-1. Before driving
■Before towing
Check that the following conditions
are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires
are properly inflated. ( P.492)
●Trailer tires are inflated according
to the trailer manufacturer’s rec-
ommendation.
●All trailer lights work as required
by law.
●All lights work each time you con-
nect them.
●The trailer ball is set at the proper
height for the coupler on the
trailer.
●The trailer is level when it is
hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not
level, and check for improper
tongue weight, overloading, worn
suspension, or other possible
causes.
●The trailer cargo is securely
loaded.
●The rear view mirrors conform to
all applicable federal, state/provin-
cial or local regu lations. If they do
not, install rear view mirrors
appropriate for towing purposes.
■When towing a trailer
Disable the following systems, as
the systems may not operate prop-
erly.
●LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
(  P.250)
●Dynamic radar cruise control with
full-speed range ( P.264)
●PKSB (Parking Suppor t Brake) (if
equipped) ( P.294)
●BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) (if
equipped) ( P.275)
●Intuitive parking assist (if
equipped) ( P.280)
●RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert)
function (if equipped) ( P.275)
Toyota warranties do not
apply to damage or mal-
function caused by towing a
trailer for commercial pur-
poses.
Contact your Toyota dealer for
further information about addi-
tional requirements such as a
towing kit, etc.
WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the vehi-
cle in accordance with the trailer’s
characteristics and operating con-
ditions. Failure to do so could
cause an accident resulting in
death or serious injury. Vehicle
stability and brak ing performance
are affected by trailer stability,
brake setting and performance,
and the hitch. Yo ur vehicle will
handle differently when towing a
trailer.
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not exceed the TWR,
unbraked TWR, GCWR, GVWR
or GAWR.
●Vehicles with towing package: If
the gross trailer weight is over
2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway con-
trol device with sufficient capac-
ity is required.
●Adjust the tongue weight within
the appropriate range. Place
heavier loads as close to the
trailer axle as possible.

1984-1. Before driving
Please consult your dealer
when installing trailer lights, as
incorrect installation may cause
damage to the vehicle’s lights.
Please take care to comply with
your state’s laws when installing
trailer lights.
Your vehicle will handle differ-
ently when towing a trailer. Help
to avoid an accident, death or
serious injury, keep the follow-
ing in mind when towing:
Speed limits for towing a
trailer vary by state or prov-
ince. Do not exceed the
posted towing speed limit.
 Toyota recommends that the
vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65
mph (104 km/h) on a flat,
straight, dry road. Do not
exceed this limit, the posted
towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as
set forth in your trailer owner’s
manual, whichever is lowest.
Instability of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer combination (trailer
sway) increases as speed increases. Exceeding speed
limits may cause loss of con-
trol.
 Before starting out, check the
trailer lights, tires and the
vehicle-trailer connections.
Recheck after driving a short
distance.
 Practice turning, stopping and
reversing with the trailer
attached in an area away
from traffic until you become
accustomed to the feel of the
vehicle-trailer combination.
 Reversing with a trailer
attached is difficult and
requires practice. Grip the
bottom of the steering wheel
and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the
right to move the trailer to
right. (This is generally oppo-
site to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp
or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when
reversing to reduce the risk of
an accident.
 As stopping distance is
increased when towing a
trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased.
For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of
speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length.
 Avoid sudden braking as you
may skid, resulting in the
trailer jackknifing and a loss of
Connecting trailer lights
NOTICE
■Do not directly splice trailer
lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights.
Directly splicing trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction.
Trailer towing tips

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

2184-2. Driving procedures
■When an inspection at your
Toyota dealer is necessary
When the brake hold standby indi-
cator (green) does not illuminate
even when the brake hold switch is
pressed with the brake hold system
operating conditions met, the sys-
tem may be malfunctioning. Have
the vehicle inspected at your Toyota
dealer.
■If “Brake Hold Malfunction
Press Brake to Deactivate Visit
Your Dealer” or “Brake Hold
Malfunction Visit Your Dealer”
is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display
The system may be malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
■Warning messages and buzzers
Warning messages and buzzers are
used to indicate a system malfunc-
tion or to inform the driver of the
need for caution. If a warning mes-
sage is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display, read the message and
follow the instructions.
■If the brake hold operated indi-
cator flashes
 P.454
WARNING
■When the vehicle is on a
steep incline
Take care when using the brake
hold system on a steep incline,
exercise caution. The brake hold
function may not hold brakes in
such situations.
Also, the system may not activate
depending on the angle of the
slope.
■When stopped on a slippery
road
The system cannot stop the vehi-
cle when the gripping ability of the
tires has been exceeded. Do not
use the system w hen stopped on
a slippery road.
NOTICE
■When parking the vehicle
The brake hold system is not
designed for use when parking
the vehicle for a long period of
time. Turning the engine switch
off while the system is holding the
brake may release the brake,
which would cause the vehicle to
move. When operating the engine
switch, depress the brake pedal,
shift the shift lever to P and set
the parking brake.