engine TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID 2023 Owner's Guide

2925-1. Before driving
WARNING
●Avoid revving or racing the engine. Running the engine at high speed
while the vehicle is stopped may cause the exhaust system to over-heat, 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 follow-ing:
• 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, caus- ing the contents to spray over the
interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit 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 fresh-eners on the instrument panel or
dashboard. Adhesive discs or con- tainers 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 sil- ver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause the glass to act as a
lens, causing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the hybrid system and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat- tended while the “READY” indicator is illuminated.
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 acci- dent.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the “READY” indicator is illu-minated or immediately after turn-
ing the hybrid system off. Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move
the shift lever or depress the acceler- ator pedal, this could cause an acci-dent or fire due to hybrid system
overheating. Additionally, if the vehi- cle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and
enter the vehicle, leading 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. Also, the parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
●If the electronically controlled brake system does not operate, do not fol-
low other vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be depressed more firmly than usual.
Also, the braking distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed immediately.

293
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
WARNING
●The brake system consists of 2 or more 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
Do not spin the wheels excessively
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 propel the vehicle for- ward or backward, causing an acci-dent.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time
during driving, as this may restrain the hybrid system output.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator 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, under-side of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
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 abnormally.
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.548, 559)
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain, etc. Doing so may cause the following serious dam-
age 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 any autho-rized Toyota retailer or Toyota autho-
rized repairer, or any reliable repairer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine,
hybrid transaxle (front and rear), etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings and suspension joints (where possi-ble), and the function of all joints,
bearings, etc.
●Components connected to the trac-
tion battery.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or
the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.

3085-1. Before driving
is especially true when driving on
wet or slippery road surfaces.
■Sudden acceleration/steering
input/cornering
Executing sharp turns when towing
may result in the trailer colliding
with your vehicle. Decelerate well in
advance when approaching turns
and take them slowly and carefully
to avoid sudden braking.
■Important points regarding
turning
The wheels of the trailer will travel
closer to the inside of the curve
than the wheels of the vehicle. To
make allowance for this, take the
turns wider than you would nor-
mally do.
■Important points regarding
stability
Vehicle movement resulting from
uneven road surfaces and strong
crosswinds will affect handling. The
vehicle may also be rocked by
passing buses or large trucks. Fre-
quently check behind when moving
alongside such vehicles. As soon
as such vehicle movement occurs,
immediately start to decelerate
smoothly by slowly applying the
brakes. Always steer the vehicle
straight ahead while braking.
■Passing other vehicles
Consider the total combined length
of your vehicle and trailer and
ensure that the vehicle-to-vehicle
distance is sufficient before execut-ing lane changes.
■Transmission information
To maintain engine braking effi-
ciency, when using engine braking,
do not use the transmission in D.
(P.315)
■If the hybrid system overheats
Towing a loaded trailer up a long,
steep incline in temperatures
exceeding 30°C (85°F) may result
in the hybrid system overheating. If
the high coolant temperature warn-
ing light indicates that the hybrid
system is overheating, turn the air
conditioning off immediately, leave
the road and stop the vehicle in a
safe place. (P.578)
■When parking the vehicle
Always place wheel chocks under
the wheels of both the vehicle and
trailer. Firmly set the parking brake
and shift the shift lever to P.
■Break-in schedule
Toyota recommends that vehicles fitted
with new power train components
should not be used for towing trailers for
the first 800 km (500 miles).
■Maintenance
●Maintenance must be performed more
frequently when using the vehicle for
towing due to the greater weight bur-
den placed on the vehicle compared
to normal driving.
●Retighten all bolts securing the hitch-
ing ball and bracket after towing for
approximately 1000 km (600 miles).
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, pass-
ing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can

315
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving*1: To improve fuel efficiency and
reduce noise, shift the shift lever to
D for normal driving.
*2: Vehicles with paddle shift switches
only: Selecting shift ranges in the D
position allows suitable use of
engine braking. ( P.317)
*3: By selecting shift ranges using S
mode, you can control accelerating
force and engine braking force.
■When driving with dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range or cruise control activated (if
equipped)
Even when performing the following actions with the intent of enabling
engine braking, engine braking will not activate because dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range, or cruise
control will not be canceled.
●While driving in D or S mode, down-
shifting to 5 or 4. ( P.317, 318)
●When switching the driving mode to sport mode while driving in D position.
( P.411)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive- Start Control)
 P.294
Hybrid transmission
Select the shift position
depending on your purpose
and situation.
Shift position purpose and
functions
Shift
positionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/start-
ing the hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1, 2
SS mode driving*3
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
Be careful of downshifting and sud-
den acceleration, as this could result in the vehicle skidding to the side or spinning.
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery (traction battery) charge
If the shift lever is in N, the hybrid bat- tery (traction battery) will not be charging, even when the engine is
running. Therefore, if the vehicle is left with the shift lever in N for a long
period of time, the hybrid battery (traction battery) will discharge, and this may result in the vehicle not
being able to start.

317
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
5 Press and hold the shift lock override
button and then push the button on the shift knob.The shift lever can be shifted while
both buttons are pressed.
 P.411
To drive using temporary shift
range selection, operate the “-”
paddle shift switch. The shift range
can then be selected by operating
the “-” and “+” paddle shift
switches. Changing the shift range
allows restriction of the highest
gear, preventing upshifting and
enabling the level of engine braking
force to be selected.
1 Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The selected shift range, from D1 to
D6, will be displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
■Shift ranges and their functions
●You can choose from 6 levels of accelerating force and engine braking force.
●A lower shift range will provide greater accelerating force and engine braking
force than a higher shift range, and the engine revolutions will also increase.
■Downshifting restriction warning
buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving per- formance, downshifting operation may
sometimes be restricted. In some cir- cumstances, downshifting may not be possible even when the paddle shift
switch is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)
■Automatic deactivation of shift
range selection in the D position
Shift range selection in the D position will be deactivated in the following situa-
tions:
●When the vehicle comes to a stop
●If the accelerator pedal is depressed for more than a certain period of time
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock override button, make sure to set the parking brake and depress the brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed instead of the brake pedal when the shift lock override button is
pressed and the shift lever is shifted out of P, the vehicle may suddenly start, possibly leading to an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving mode
Selecting shift ranges in the
D position (vehicles with
paddle shift switches)

3185-2. Driving procedures
●When the shift lever is shifted to a
position other than D
●When the “+” paddle shift switch is
held down for a period of time
When the shift lever is in the S posi-
tion, the shift lever or paddle shift
switches (if equipped) can be oper-
ated as follows:
1 Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The selected shift range, from S1 to S6,
will be displayed on the multi-informa-
tion display.
The initial shift range in S mode is
set automatically to S4.*
*: It is set to S3 when the driving mode
is set to sport mode. ( P.411)
■S mode
●You can choose from 6 levels of accelerating force and engine braking force.
●A lower shift range will provide greater accelerating force and engine braking
force than a higher shift range, and the engine revolutions will also increase.
●To prevent the engine from over-rev-ving, upshifting may automatically
occur when the shift range is 1 or 2.
●When the shift range is 4 or lower,
holding the shift lever toward “+” sets the shift range to 6.
■Downshifting restriction warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving per- formance, downshifting operation may sometimes be restricted. In some cir-
cumstances, downshifting may not be possible even when the shift lever or paddle shift switches (if equipped) is
operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)
■If the “S” indicator does not come on or the “D” indicator is displayed even after shifting the shift lever to
S
This may indicate a malfunction in the transmission system. Have the vehicle
inspected by any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or
any reliable repairer immediately. (In this situation, the transmission will oper-ate in the same manner as when the
shift lever is in D.)
Changing shift ranges in S
mode

399
5 5-5. Using the driving support systems
Driving
tors, motorcycle engines, air brakes of
large vehicles, the clearance sonar of
other vehicles or other devices which
produce ultrasonic waves are near the
vehicle.
●A sensor is coated with a sheet of
spray or heavy rain.
●If objects draw too close to the sensor.
●When a pedestrian is wearing clothing
that does not reflect ultrasonic waves
(ex. skirts with gathers or frills).
●When objects that are not perpendicu-
lar to the ground, not perpendicular to
the vehicle traveling direction,
uneven, or waving are in the detection
range.
●Strong wind is blowing.
●When driving in inclement weather
such as fog, snow or a sandstorm.
●When an object that cannot be
detected is between the vehicle and a
detected object.
●If an object such as a vehicle, motor-
cycle, bicycle or pedestrian cuts in
front of the vehicle or runs out from
the side of the vehicle.
●If the orientation of a sensor has been
changed due to a collision or other
impact.
●When equipment that may obstruct a
sensor is installed, such as a towing
eyelet, bumper protector (an addi-
tional trim strip, etc.), bicycle carrier,
or snow plow.
●If the front of the vehicle is raised or
lowered due to the carried load.
●If the vehicle cannot be driven in a
stable manner, such as when the
vehicle has been in an accident or is
malfunctioning.
●When tire chains, a compact spare
tire or an emergency tire puncture
repair kit are used.
■Situations in which the system may
operate even if there is no possibil-
ity of a collision
In some situations, such as the follow-ing, the system may operate even
though there is no possibility of a colli-
sion.
●When driving on a narrow road.
●When driving toward a banner, flag,
low-hanging branch or boom barrier
(such as those used at railroad cross-
ings, toll gates and parking lots).
●When there is a rut or hole in the sur-
face of the road.
●When driving on a metal cover (grat-
ing), such as those used for drainage
ditches.
●When driving up or down a steep
slope.
●If a sensor is hit by a large amount of
water, such as when driving on a
flooded road.
●There is dirt, snow, water drops or ice
on a sensor. (Cleaning the sensors
will resolve this problem.)
●A sensor is coated with a sheet of
spray or heavy rain.
●When driving in inclement weather
such as fog, snow or a sandstorm.
●When strong winds are blowing.
●When vehicle horns, vehicle detec-
tors, motorcycle engines, air brakes of
large vehicles, the clearance sonar of
other vehicles or other devices which

4145-5. Using the driving support systems
and the system will operate properly.
■When Trail Mode is canceled
In the following situations, Trail Mode is automatically canceled even if it is selected:
●When the driving mode is changed. ( P.411)
●When the hybrid system is restarted.
■Sounds and vibrations when driv- ing in Trail Mode
Any of the following conditions may occur when Trail Mode is operating. None of these indicates that a malfunc-
tion has occurred:
●Vibrations may be felt throughout the
vehicle or steering wheel
●Sounds may be heard from the engine
compartment
■When the Trail Mode indicator does not illuminate
When the Trail Mode indicator does not
illuminate even though the Trail Mode switch is pressed, the system may be malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer immediately.
■If “Exhaust Filter Full See Owner’s
Manual” is shown on the multi- information display
●The message may be displayed while high load driving with particulate mat-ter accumulating.
●Hybrid system output (engine speed) is restricted when a certain amount of
particulate matter accumulates, how- ever, it is possible to drive the vehicle unless the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on.
●Particulate matter can accumulate
more quickly if the vehicle is fre- quently driven short trips or at low speeds, or if the hybrid system is reg-
ularly started in an extremely cold environment. Excessive accumula-
tion of particulate matter can be pre- vented by periodically driving long distances continuously with intermit-
tent releasing of the accelerator pedal, such as when driving on highways and freeways.
■If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on or “Hybrid System Mal- function Output Power Reduced Visit Your Dealer” is shown on the
multi-information display
The amount of accumulated particulate matter has exceeded a certain level.
Have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer immediately.
NOTICE
■In order to ensure that Trail Mode operates properly
Do not continuously use the Trail Mode for a long period of time. Depending on the driving conditions,
the load on related parts increases and the system may not operate prop-erly.
GPF (Gasoline Particu-
late Filter) system
The GPF system collects par-
ticulate matter in the exhaust
gas by using an exhaust gas
filter. The system will operate
to regenerate the filter auto-
matically, depending on the
vehicle conditions.

4185-5. Using the driving support systems
■Sounds and vibrations caused by
the ABS, brake assist, VSC, Trailer
Sway Control, TRC and hill-start
assist control systems
●A sound may be heard from the
engine compartment when the brake
pedal is depressed repeatedly, when
the hybrid system is started or just
after the vehicle begins to move. This
sound does not indicate that a mal-
function has occurred in any of these
systems.
●Any of the following conditions may
occur when the above systems are
operating. None of these indicates
that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the
vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard also
after the vehicle comes to a stop.
■ECB operating sound
ECB operating sound may be heard in
the following cases, but it does not indi-
cate that a malfunction has occurred.
●Operating sound heard from the
engine compartment when the brake
pedal is operated.
●Motor sound of the brake system
heard from the front part of the vehicle
when the driver’s door is opened.
●Operating sound heard from the
engine compartment when one or two
minutes passed after the stop of the
hybrid system.
■Active Cornering Assist operation
sounds and vibrations
When the Active Cornering Assist is
operated, operation sounds and vibra-
tions may be generated from the brake
system, but this is not a malfunction.
■Automatic reactivation of TRC,
Trailer Sway Control and VSC sys-
tems
After turning the TRC, Trailer Sway
Control and VSC systems off, the sys-
tems will be automatically re-enabled in
the following situations:
●When the power switch is turned off
●If only the TRC system is turned off,
the TRC will turn on when vehicle
speed increases
If both the TRC and VSC systems are
turned off, automatic re-enabling will
not occur when vehicle speed
increases.
■Operating conditions of Active Cor-
nering Assist
The system operates when the following
occurs.
●TRC/VSC can operate
●The driver is attempting to accelerate
while turning
●The system detects that the vehicle is
drifting to the outer side
●The brake pedal is released
■Reduced effectiveness of the EPS
system
The effectiveness of the EPS system is
reduced to prevent the system from
overheating when there is frequent
steering input over an extended period
of time. The steering wheel may feel
heavy as a result. Should this occur,
refrain from excessive steering input or
stop the vehicle and turn the hybrid sys-
tem off. The EPS system should return
to normal within 10 minutes.
■Operating conditions of emergency
brake signal
When the following conditions are met,
the emergency brake signal will operate:
●The emergency flashers are off.
●Actual vehicle speed is over 55 km/h
(35 mph).
●The system judges from the vehicle
deceleration that it is a sudden brak-
ing operation.
■Automatic system cancelation of
emergency brake signal
The emergency brake signal will be can-
celed in any of the following situations:
●The emergency flashers are turned
on.
●The system judges from the vehicle

4225-6. Driving tips
5-6.Driving tips
Use fluids that are appropriate to
the prevailing outside tempera-
tures.
• Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Power control unit coolant
• Washer fluid
 Have a service technician
inspect the condition of the 12-
volt battery.
 Have the vehicle fitted with four
snow tires or purchase a set of
tire chains for the front tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same size
and brand, and that chains match the
size of the tires.*
*: Tire chains cannot be mounted on
vehicles with 235/55R19 tires.
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary prepa-
rations and inspections before
driving the vehicle in winter.
Always drive the vehicle in a
manner appropriate to the pre-
vailing weather conditions.
Pre-winter preparations
WARNING
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or serious injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
●Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.
●Do not drive at speeds in excess of the speed limit or the speed limit specified for the snow tires being
used.
●Use snow tires on all, not just some
wheels.
■Driving with tire chains (except
235/55R19 tires)
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehi- cle being unable to be driven safely, and may cause death or serious
injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit specified for the tire chains being used, or 50 km/h (30 mph), whichever is lower.
●Avoid driving on bumpy road sur-faces or over potholes.
●Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt steering, sudden braking and shift-
ing operations that cause sudden engine braking.
●Slow down sufficiently before enter-ing a curve to ensure that vehicle control is maintained.
●Do not use LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) system (if equipped).
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow tires from any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer or legitimate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and attachment of snow tires affects the operation of the tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters.