TOYOTA RAV4 PRIME 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

3815-5. Using the driving support systems
5
Driving
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Con-
trol)
Helps the driver to control skid-
ding when swerving suddenly or
turning on slippery road sur-
faces.
■Enhanced VSC (Enhanced
Vehicle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control of
the ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS.
Helps to maintai n directional
stability when swerving on slip-
pery road surfaces by con-
trolling steering performance.
■Trailer Sway Control
Helps the driver to control trailer
sway by selectively applying
brake pressure for individual
wheels and reducing driving
torque when trailer sway is
detected.
■TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power
and prevent the drive wheels
from spinning when starting the
vehicle or accelerating on slip-
pery roads
■Active Cornering Assist
(ACA)
Helps to prevent the vehicle
from drifting to the outer side by
performing inner wheel brake
control when attempting to
accelerate while turning
■Hill-start assist control
Helps to reduce the backward movement of the vehicle when
starting on an uphill
■EPS (Electric Power Steer-
ing)
Employs an electric motor to
reduce the amount of effort
needed to turn the steering
wheel
■E-Four (Electronic On-
Demand AWD system)
Automatically switches from
front wheel drive to all-wheel
drive (AWD) according to the
driving conditions, helping to
ensure reliable handling and
stability. Examples of condi-
tions where the system will
switch to AWD are when corner-
ing, going uphill, starting off or
accelerating, and when the road
surface is slippery due to snow,
rain, etc.
■The Secondary Collision
Brake
When the SRS airbag sensor
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/ABS/T railer Sway
Control systems are operating
The slip indicator light will flash
while the TRAC/VSC/ABS/Trailer
Sway Control systems are operat-
ing.

3825-5. Using the driving support systems
■Disabling the TRAC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in mud, dirt
or snow, the TRAC system may
reduce power from the hybrid sys-
tem 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 .
“Traction Control Turned OFF” will
be shown on the multi-information
display.
Press again to tu rn the system
back on.
■Turning off the
TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway Con-
trol systems
To turn the TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway
Control systems off, 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-information display.
*
Press again to tu rn the systems
back on.
*: PCS will also be disabled (only
Pre-Collision warning is avail-
able). The PCS warning light will
come on and a message will be
displayed on the multi-information
display. ( P.322)
■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 the following four 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.
●The parking brake is not engaged.
■Automatic system cancelation
of hill-start assist control
The hill-start assist control will turn
off in any of the fo llowing situations:
●The shift lever is shifted to P or N.
●The accelerator pedal is
depressed.
●The parking brake is engaged.
●No more than 2 seconds have
elapsed after the brake pedal is
released.
■Sounds and vibrations caused
by the ABS, brake assist, VSC,
Trailer Sway Control, TRAC and
hill-start assist control systems
●A sound may be heard from the
engine compartment when the
brake pedal is depressed repeat-

3835-5. Using the driving support systems
5
Driving
edly, when the hybrid system is
started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This sound does
not indicate that a malfunction has
occurred in any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions
may occur when the above sys-
tems 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 indicate 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’ 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 opera-
tion sounds and vibrations
When the Active Cornering Assist is
operated, operation sounds and
vibrations may b e generated from
the brake system, but this is not a
malfunction.
■EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is oper-
ated, a motor sou nd (whirring
sound) may be heard. This does not
indicate a malfunction.
■Automatic reactivation of
TRAC, Trailer Sway Control and
VSC systems
After turning the TRAC, Trailer
Sway Control and VSC systems off,
the systems will be automatically re-
enabled in the following situations:
●When the power switch is turned
off.
●If only the TRAC sy stem is turned
off, the TRAC will turn on when
vehicle speed increases.
If both the TRAC and VSC sys-
tems are turned of f, automatic re-
enabling will not occur when vehi-
cle speed increases.
■Operating conditions of Active
Cornering Assist
The system operates when the fol-
lowing occurs.
●TRAC/VSC can operate
●The driver is attempting to accel-
erate while turning
●The system detects that the vehi-
cle is drifting to the outer side
●The brake pedal is released
■Reduced effectiveness of the
EPS system
The effect iveness of the EPS sys-
tem is reduced to prevent the sys-
tem from overheating when there is
frequent steering input over an
extended period of time. The steer-
ing wheel may feel heavy as a
result. Should this occur, refrain
from excessive steering input or
stop the vehicle a nd turn the hybrid
system off. The EPS system should
return to normal within 10 minutes.
■Secondary Collision Brake
operating conditions
The system operates when the SRS
airbag sensor de tects a collision
while the vehicle is in motion. How-
ever, the system does not operate in
any of the following situations.
●The vehicle speed is below 6 mph
(10 km/h)
●Components are damaged
■Secondary Collision Brake
automatic cancellation
The system is automatically can-
celed in any of th e following situa-
tions.

3845-5. Using the driving support systems
●The vehicle speed drops below
approximately 6 mph (10 km/h)
●A certain amount of time elapses during operation●The accelerator pedal is
depressed a large amount
■If a message about AWD is shown
on the multi-information display
Perform the following actions.
MessageDetails/Actions
“AWD System Over- heated Switching to 2WD Mode”
AWD system is overheating.
Drive the vehicle at low speeds and stop the
vehicle in a safe plac e with the hybrid sys-
tem operating until the message is cleared.
Once the display message on the multi-informa-
tion display turns off, there is no problem continu-
ing to drive.
If the message does not disappear, have your
vehicle checked by your Toyota dealer immedi-
ately.
“AWD System Over- heated 2WD Mode Engaged”
The vehicle switched from all-wheel drive (AWD)
to front wheel drive due to overheating.
 Drive the vehicle at low speeds and stop the
vehicle in a safe plac e with the hybrid sys-
tem operating until the message is cleared.
Once the display message on the multi-informa-
tion display turns off, the AWD system returns to
normal.
If the message does not disappear, have your
vehicle checked by your Toyota dealer immedi-
ately.
“AWD System Malfunc- tion 2WD Mode
Engaged Visit Your Dealer”A malfunction occurred in the AWD system.
 Have your vehicle checked by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
WARNING
■The ABS does not operate
effectively when
●The limits of tire gripping perfor-
mance have been exceeded
(such as excessively worn tires
on a snow covered road).
●The vehicle hydroplanes while
driving at high speed on wet or
slick roads.

3855-5. Using the driving support systems
5
Driving
WARNING
■Stopping distance when the
ABS is operating may exceed
that of normal conditions
The ABS is not designed to
shorten the vehicle’s stopping dis-
tance. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front of
you, especially in the following sit-
uations:
●When driving on d irt, gravel or
snow-covered roads
●When driving with tire chains
●When driving over bumps in the
road
●When driving over roads with
potholes or uneven surfaces
■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/ABS/VSC/Trailer Sway
Control is activated
The slip indicator light flashes.
Always drive carefully. Reckless
driving may cause an accident.
Exercise particula r 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.

3865-5. Using the driving support systems
WARNING
■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 pressure level.
The ABS, TRAC and VSC/Trailer
Sway Control 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.
■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 swaying 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 traile r should stabi-
lize. ( P.269)
■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 changes accord-
ing to various conditions. Overly
relying on the system may result
in death or serious injury.

3875-6. Driving tips
5
Driving
5-6.Driving tips
Use fluids that are appropriate
to the prevailing outside tem-
peratures.
• 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
preparations and inspec-
tions before driving the
vehicle in winter. Always
drive the vehicle in a man-
ner 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 in excess of 75
mph (120 km/h), regardless of
the type of 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
vehicle being unable to be driven
safely, and may cause death or
serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the
speed limit specifi ed for the tire
chains being used, or 30 mph
(50 km/h), whichever is lower.
●Avoid driving on bumpy road
surfaces or over potholes.
●Avoid sudden acceleration,
abrupt steering, sudden brak-
ing and shifting operations that
cause sudden engine braking.
●Slow down sufficiently before
entering a curve to ensure that
vehicle control is maintained.
●Do not use LTA (Lane Tracing
Assist) system.

3885-6. 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, vehicle’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.

Park the vehicle and move
the shift lever to P without set-
ting the parking brake. The
parking brake may freeze up,
preventing 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 dan-
gerous because it may cause
the vehicle to move unexpect-
edly, possibly leading to an
accident.
When the parking brake is in
automatic mode, release the
parking brake after shifting
the shift lever to P. ( P.290)
 If the vehicle is left parked
with the brakes damp in cold
temperatures, there is a pos-
sibility of the brakes freezing.
 If the vehicle is parked without
setting the parking brake,
confirm that the shift lever
cannot be moved out of P
*.
*: The shift lever will be locked if it is
attempted to be shifted from P to
any other position without
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow
tires
Request repairs or replacement of
snow tires from your Toyota
dealer 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.
Before driving the vehicle
When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle

3895-6. Driving tips
5
Driving
depressing the brake pedal. If the
shift lever can be shifted from P,
there may be a problem with the
shift lock system. Have the vehi-
cle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
Vehicles with 225/60R18 tires
Use the correct tire chain size
when mounting the tire chains.
Chain size is regulated for each
tire size.
Side chain:
0.12 in. (3 mm) in diameter
0.39 in. (10 mm) in width
1.18 in. (30 mm) in length
Cross chain:
0.16 in. (4 mm) in diameter
0.55 in. (14 mm) in width
0.98 in. (25 mm) in length
Vehicles with 235/55R19 tires
Tire chains cannot be mounted.
Snow tires should be used
instead.
Regulations regarding the use
of tire chains vary depending on
location and type of road.
Always check local regulations
before installing chains.
■Tire chain installation
Observe the followi ng precautions
when installing and removing
chains:
●Install and remove tire chains in a
safe location.
●Install tire chains on the front tires
only. Do not install tire chains on
the rear tires.
●Install tire chains on front tires as
tightly as possible. Retighten
chains after drivi ng 1/4 - 1/2 mile
(0.5 - 1.0 km).
●Install tire chains following the
instructions provided with the tire
chains.
■Consumption of fuel and elec-
tricity
In cold temperatures, resistance of
the parts of a vehicle (transmission,
tires, etc.) generally increases,
resulting in increase of energy con-
sumption. As a result, fuel economy
is likely to decrease.
Consumption of fuel and electricity
of this vehicle is also likely to
become worse in cold temperatures.
WARNING
■When parking the vehicle
When parking the v ehicle without
applying the parking brake, make
sure to chock the wheels. If you
do not chock the wheels, the vehi-
cle may move unexpectedly, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident.
Selecting tire chains
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3905-6. Driving tips
Specific design characteris-
tics give it a higher center of
gravity than ordinary passen-
ger cars. This vehicle design
feature causes this type of
vehicle to be more likely to
rollover. And, utility vehicles
have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types
of vehicles.
 An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better
view of the road allowing you
to anticipate problems.
 It is not designed for corner-
ing at the same speeds as
ordinary passenger cars any
more than low-slung sports
cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road
conditions. Therefore, sharp
turns at excessive speeds
may cause the vehicle to roll-
over.
NOTICE
■Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves
and transmitters may not function
correctly when tire chains are fit-
ted.
Utility vehicle precau-
tions
This vehicle belongs to the
utility vehicle class, which
has higher ground clear-
ance and narrower tread in
relation to the height of its
center of gravity to make it
capable of performing in a
wide variety of off-road
applications.
Utility vehicle feature