tire size TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID 2020 Warranties & Maintenance Guides (in English)

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Customization of Tires, Wheels, or Suspension on
SUVs and Light Trucks
Due to their size, weight and higher center of gravity, vehicles such as
SUVs and light trucks do not have the same handling characteristics
as automobiles. Because of these different characteristics, failure to
operate your SUV or truck in a proper and safe manner can increase
the likelihood of vehicle rollover. Modifications to your SUV or truck
tire size, tire type, wheels or suspension can change your vehicle’s
handling characteristics and further increase the likelihood of vehicle \
rollover. Whether your SUV or truck has the original equipment
configuration for tires, wheels and suspension or whether any of these
items have been modified, always drive safely, avoid sudden, sharp
turns or lane changes and obey all traffic laws. Failure to do so may
result in loss of vehicle control leading to an accident and serious injury
or death.
Tire Alterations
Do not make or allow to be made any alterations on your tires.
Alterations may prevent proper performance, leading to tire damage
that can result in an accident. Tires that become unserviceable due
to alterations such as truing, whitewall inlays, addition of balancing
or sealant liquids, or the use of tire dressing containing petroleum
distillates, are excluded from warranty coverage.
Tire Repairs

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from the tires by raising the vehicle or by removing the tires from the \
vehicle. Failure to store tires in accordance with these instructions
could result in damage to your tires or premature aging of the tires
and sudden tire failure. When tires are stored, be sure they are placed \
away from sources of heat and ozone such as hot pipes and electric
generators. Be sure that surfaces on which tires are stored are clean
and free from grease, gasoline or other substances which could
deteriorate the rubber. Tires exposed to these materials during storage
or driving could be subject to sudden failure.
One reason why your spare tire should be included in the tire rotation
schedule is that temperatures in a vehicle’s closed trunk, especially
in sunny geographical areas, can become high enough so that, over
a sustained period, they can cause small cracks or other changes to
the properties of a tire stored in the trunk. An accumulation of such
changes can weaken the tire and, especially if the tire is not kept
properly inflated, make it unsafe to use when it is needed.
Proper Tire Mounting
Tire mounting can be dangerous and must be done by professionally
trained persons using proper tools and procedures as specified by the
US Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA).
Your tires should be mounted on wheels that are the correct size
and type and are in good, clean condition. Wheels that are bent,
chipped, rusted (steel wheels) or corroded (alloy wheels) may cause
tire damage. The inside of the tire must be free from foreign material.
Have your tire retailer check the wheels before mounting new tires.
Mismatched tires and rims can explode during mounting. Also,
mismatched tires and rims can result in dangerous tire failure on
the road. If a tire is mounted by error on the wrong-sized rim, do not
remount it on the proper rim – scrap it. It may have been damaged
internally (which is not externally visible) by having been dangerously
stretched and could fail on the highway, resulting in an accident.
Old valves may leak. When new tubeless tires are mounted, have
new valves of the correct type installed. Tubeless tires must be
mounted only on wheels designed for tubeless tires, i.e., wheels that

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Reading the Dot
DOT XXXX XXXX XXX (prior to August 2000)
DOT XXXX XXXX XXX
(1990-1999)
DOT XXXX XXXX XXXX (after July 2000)
The Dot
The “DOT” symbol certifies tire manufacturer’s compliance with U.S.
Department of Transportation tire safety standards. Next to the symbol
is the tire identification or “serial number.” The first two characters
identify the plant where the tire was manufactured. The next two
characters reflect the tire size. The following one to four digits may
be used at the tire manufacturer’s option as a descriptive code. The
last three characters are numbers identifying the week and year of
manufacture. (Example: “O25” means second week of the year of
decade, e.g.: 1995, 1985, etc.) For the 1990-1999 decade MICHELIN
®
brand tires are marked with a triangle pointing to the last three numeri\
c
characters. Tires produced after July 2000 have an additional digit
to identify a given decade. For example, 2800 means the tire was
produced during the 28th week of 2000; 0201 during the 2nd week
of 2001. If the last digits of your DOT number contain three numeric
characters and are not marked with a triangle, consult a qualified tire
professional to determine the year of manufacture.
Service Life for Passenger Car and Light Truck Tires
Including Spare Tires
Tires are composed of various types of material and rubber
compounds having performance properties essential to the proper
functioning of the tire itself. These component properties evolve over
time. For each tire, this evolution depends upon many factors such
as weather, storage conditions, and conditions of use (load, speed,
inflation pressure, maintenance etc.) to which the tire is subjected
throughout its life. This service-related evolution varies widely so that
accurately predicting the serviceable life of any specific tire in advance
is not possible. That is why, in addition to regular inspections and
inflation pressure maintenance by consumers, it is recommended

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WHAT IS NOT COVERED?
This Limited Warranty does not cover the following categories
of claims:
Rapid Treadwear: Original equipment tires are not guaranteed to last a
specified number of miles.
Damage from road hazards (not limited to cuts, snags, bruises, impact
breaks, bulges, punctures, stone drills, chips, and scales), fire, theft,
or collision.
Conditions arising from improper tire/vehicle maintenance or use, not
limited to:
•
Irregular or excessive treadwear due to: Incorrect inflation;
overloading; vehicle misalignment; failure to rotate tires; and poor
or defective mechanical condition of brakes, shocks, and wheels;
or other factors attributable to the vehicle or wheel.
•
Any tire which has been run with low air pressure or while flat.
•
Damage due to abuse; vandalism; tire alteration; tire spinning;
racing; or other competitive activities.
•
Damage, corrosion, or deterioration from using oil-based
chemicals, water-based sealers, balancing substances, or
flammable gases.
•
Damage from improper use of tire chains.
Tires with the DOT identification number removed or rendered illegible.
Improper mounting, balancing or repair, not limited to: •
Improper tire mounting, or tire/wheel assembly imbalance.
•
Damage from incorrect mounting or dismounting of the tire,
incorrect wheel size, water or other material trapped inside the tire
during mounting, or failure to keep the tires balanced.
•
Damage resulting from improper repair materials or procedures.

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Nitto speed-rated passenger car tires may be repaired and
returned to service under the following conditions:•
Proper repair materials and procedures have been used.
•
The damage or puncture is not larger than 1/4” (6.4 mm)
in diameter.
•
The repair will be the first repair performed on that tire. (Only
one repair per tire is permitted in order to maintain a limited
speed rating.)
•
The tire must have more than 2/32” (1.6 mm) of tread remaining.
Nitto speed-rated passenger tires that have been properly
repaired qualify for reduced speed ratings as follows:
The maximum speed of a vehicle is limited by the lowest-speedrated
tire on the car.
PROPER SELECTION OF TIRES
When tires need to be replaced, don’t guess what tire is right for your
vehicle. First look at the vehicle Owner’s Manual or the Tire Information
Placard. They tell you the size of the tires that were on the vehicle as
original equipment.

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Replacement tires for any vehicle must be of a size, load range, and
load capacity (by inflation) that is capable of supporting the same load
as the vehicle’s originally installed (OE) tires. Avoid installing used tires
on a vehicle. There is no way to determine what road hazards or abuse
a previously owned tire may have incurred.
The following procedures concerning replacement tires must
be followed:•
Confirm that the load-carrying capacity is greater than or equal
to the load-carrying capacity of the OE tire size at the pressure
indicated on the vehicle Tire Information Placard.
•
Carefully note any differences between recommendations for
front and rear axle positions regarding the tire size and/or
inflation pressure.
•
The speed rating must be equal to or greater than what is specified
by the vehicle manufacturer if the speed capability of the vehicle is
to be maintained.
•
Tires should be mounted on approved wheel widths. If changing
tire sizes, check to make sure the wheel has adequate load and
inflation pressure capacity.
•
Body and chassis clearance must be checked on the vehicle’s
front and rear axles.
In addition to the above, light truck tire replacements should take
into consideration the following:

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• Proper spacing between dual tires is necessary for optimum tire
performance. If chains are used, particular care must be taken to
assure adequate clearance between loaded tires to avoid damage
from the chains. The allowable outside diameter difference
between a tire and its dual mate is ¼” (6.4 mm) for light truck tires.
Considerations in Plus Sizing
Always refer to and follow the vehicle manufacturer’s replacement
tire recommendations. In some cases, a vehicle manufacturer may
specifically advise against the application of replacement tires that
are not of the original size or type.
TIRE AND WHEEL MATCHING AND MOUNTING

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TIRE MIXING
• Nitto recommends that all four tires be of the same size, speed
rating, and construction (radial or non-radial). In some cases the
vehicle manufacturer may require different sized tires for the front
or rear axles. Never mix P-metric or European Metric passenger
tires with LT-metric tires on the same vehicle.
•
Match tire size designations in pairs on an axle, except during the
temporary use of a spare tire.
•
If two radial tires and two non-radial tires are used on a vehicle, put
the radials on the rear axle. If radial and non-radial tires are used

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on a vehicle equipped with dual rear tires, the radial tires may be
used on either axle.
SPEED-RATED TIRES •
If the vehicle Tire Information Placard and/or the vehicle
Owner’s Manual specifies speed-rated tires, the replacement tires
must have the same or higher speed rating to maintain vehicle
speed capability.
•
If a replacement tire has a lower speed capability than that
specified by the vehicle manufacturer, the vehicle’s speed must
be restricted to that of the replacement tire. Vehicle handling
could also be affected. Consult the vehicle Owner’s Manual or tire
manufacturer for recommendations.
•
If tires with different speed ratings are used, it is recommended
that the lower-speed-rated tires always be placed on the front axle.
This is to prevent a potential oversteer condition.
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
(AWD) VEHICLES
If no instructions for tire mixing appear in the vehicle Owner’s Manual,
follow these guidelines: •
Do not mix tire sizes. All four tires must be marked with the same
tire size, unless otherwise specified by the vehicle manufacturer .
This also applies to winter/snow tires.
•
Do not mix tread pattern types such as all-terrain and all-season.
STUDLESS WINTER/SNOW TIRES •
It is always preferable to apply winter/snow tires to all wheel
positions, including dual tires, to maintain vehicle mobility and
control.
•
If winter/snow tires are applied to the front axle of any vehicle,
winter/snow tires must also be installed on the rear axle. DO NOT
apply winter/snow tires only to the front axle. This applies to all
passenger and light truck vehicles, including front-wheeldrive,
4WD, and AWD vehicles.
•
If winter/snow tires are installed on the rear axle of any vehicle, it is
recommended (but not required) that they also be installed on the
front axle.

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REPLACING TWO TIRES•
When a pair of replacement tires is selected in the same size and
construction as those on the vehicle, the two newer tires must be
installed on the rear axle and must be of equal or higher speed
rating than the front tires. Generally, new tires with deeper tread
will provide better grip and evacuate water more effectively, which
is important as a driver approaches hydroplaning situations.
Placing greater traction on the rear axle on wet surfaces is
necessary to prevent a possible oversteer condition and loss of
vehicle stability.
•
When two new tires have been installed onto the rear axle
positions, they are to be kept on the rear but rotated from side
to side. This is recommended after installing two new tires to the
rear position, or if you discover significant tread depth differences
between the front and rear positions during rotation intervals.
REPLACING ONE TIRE •
Replacing a single tire on a vehicle can have an adverse effect on
suspension systems, gear ratios, transmission, and tire treadwear.
•
If single tire replacement is unavoidable, it is recommended that
the single new tire be paired with the tire that has the deepest
tread and both be placed on the rear axle. Placing greater traction
on the rear axle on wet surfaces is necessary to prevent a possible
oversteer condition and loss of vehicle stability.
WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND BALANCING •
Proper wheel alignment and balance are very important
considerations for safety and getting the maximum mileage from
your tires. You need to check how your tires are wearing at least
once a month.
•
Your vehicle may be out of alignment if your tires are wearing
unevenly, such as when the inside shoulder of the tire is wearing
faster than the rest of the tread. This condition not only shortens
the life of your tires, it adversely affects the handling characteristics
of your vehicle, which could be dangerous. If your tires show
irregular wear, have your vehicle’s alignment checked immediately.