Toyota RAV4 (XA40) 2013-2018 Owners Manual: Driving the vehicle

The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving:

Starting the engine

Driving

1. With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to d.
2. Release the parking brake.
3. Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.

Stopping

1. With the shift lever in d, depress the brake pedal.
2. If necessary, set the parking brake.

If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift lever to p or n.

Parking the vehicle

1. With the shift lever in d, depress the brake pedal.
2. Shift the shift lever to p.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Vehicles without a smart key system: turn the engine switch to the “lock” position to stop the engine.

   Vehicles with a smart key system: press the engine switch to stop the engine.

5. Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your person.

   If parking on a hill, block the wheels as needed.

Starting off on a steep uphill

1. Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to d.
2. Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
3. Release the parking brake.

Driving in the rain

• Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
• Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be especially slippery.
• Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the 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 automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation to meet driving 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

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.

Drum-in-disc type parking brake system

Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your toyota dealer perform the bedding down operation.

Operating your vehicle in a foreign country

Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the correct fuel.

Eco driving indicator

Suggests zone of eco driving and eco driving ratio based on acceleration.

1. Eco driving indicator light

During eco-friendly acceleration (eco driving), eco driving indicator light will turn on.

When the acceleration exceeds zone of eco driving, or when the vehicle is stopped, the light turns off.

Eco driving indicator light availability can be customized. The default setting is on.

2. Eco driving indicator zone display

Eco driving indicator zone display availability can be customized at your toyota dealer. The default setting is off.

3. Zone of eco driving
4. Eco driving ratio based on acceleration

If the acceleration exceeds zone of eco driving, the right side of eco driving indicator zone display blinks.

Eco driving indicator will not operate in the following conditions:

• The shift lever is anything other than d.
• Neither normal mode nor eco drive mode is selected.
• The vehicle speed is approximately 80 mph (130 km/h) or higher.

Caution

Observe the following precautions.

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 unfamiliar 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 moving 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 emergency, resulting in an accident.

Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.

The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.

Caution

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

When driving the vehicle

• During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking 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

• Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a steep hill.

  Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effectiveness

• Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside rear view mirrors while driving.

  Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.

• Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body are not outside the vehicle.
• Do not drive the vehicle off-road.

  This is not an awd vehicle designed for off-road driving. Proceed with all due caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.

• Do not drive across river crossings or through other bodies of water.

  This may cause electric/electronic components to short circuit, damage the engine or cause other serious damage to 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 highspeed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.

Caution

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

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 properly. 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 backward 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 transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.

• Do not shift the shift lever to r while the vehicle is moving forward.

  Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.

• Do not shift the shift lever to d while the vehicle is moving backward.

  Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.

• Moving the shift lever to n while the vehicle is moving will disengage the engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when n is selected.
• Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.

  Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than p or n may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.

Caution

If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators)

Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your toyota dealer as soon as possible.

It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.

When the vehicle is stopped

• Do not race the engine.

  If the vehicle is in any gear other than p or n, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.

• In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing the brake pedal while the engine is running, and apply the parking brake as necessary.
• If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal and securely apply the parking brake as needed.
• Avoid revving or racing the engine.

  Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible material is nearby.

Caution

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 following:

• 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, causing 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 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, causing 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 unattended while the engine is running.

Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately after turning the engine off.

Doing so may cause burns.

Caution

When taking a nap in the vehicle

Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle 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 power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow 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.

• 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 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 forward or backward, causing an accident.

Notice

When driving the vehicle

• Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving, as this may restrain driving torque.
• Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.

When parking the vehicle

Always 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.

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, underside of the vehicle, etc.

If you get a flat tire while driving

A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.

• It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
• The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
• The vehicle will lean abnormally.

Information on what to do in case of a flat tire

Notice

When encountering flooded roads

Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may cause the following serious damage 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 your toyota dealer check the following:

• Brake function
• Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, transaxle, transfer (awd models), rear differential (awd models), etc.
• Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft (awd models), bearings and suspension joints (where possible), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.