Get Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and Mirrors -> Seat belts Guide for Toyota Rav4 SUV Second Generation (2001-2005)

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

Seat belts—

—Seat belt precautions

Toyota strongly urges that the driver and

passengers in the vehicle be properly re-

strained at all times with the seat belts

provided. Failure to do so could increase

the chance of injury and/or the severity of

injury in accidents.

Do not allow the child to stand up or

kneel on either rear or front seats. An

unrestrained child could suffer serious in-

jury or death during emergency braking or

a collision. Also, do not let the child sit

on your lap. It does not provide sufficient

restraint.

CAUTION

D Adjust the center of the head re-

straint so that it is closest to the

top of your ears.

D After adjusting the head restraint,

make sure it is locked in position.

Child. Use a child restraint system ap-

propriate for the child until the child be-

comes large enough to properly wear the

vehicle’s seat belts. See “Child restraint”

on page 59 for details.

Pregnant woman. Toyota recommends the

use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for

specific recommendations. The lap belt

should be worn securely and as low as

possible over the hips and not on the

waist.

D Do not drive with the head re-

straints removed.

If a child is too large for a child restraint

system, the child should sit in the rear

seat and must be restrained using the

vehicle’s seat belt. According to accident

statistics, the child is safer when properly

restrained in the rear seat than in the

front seat.

Injured person. Toyota recommends the

use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-

ry, first check with your doctor for specific

recommendations.

If a child must sit in the front seat, the

seat belts should be worn properly. If an

accident occurs and seat belts are not

worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-

tion of the airbag may cause death or

serious injury to the child.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

42

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

—Front and rear seat belts

D Inspect the belt system periodically.

CAUTION

Check for cuts, fraying, and loose

parts. Damaged parts should be re-

placed. Do not disassemble or

modify the system.

Persons should ride in their seats

properly wearing their seat belts

whenever the vehicle is moving.

Otherwise, they are much more likely

to suffer serious bodily injury or

death in the event of sudden braking

or a collision.

D Keep the belts clean and dry. If

they need cleaning, use a mild soap

solution or lukewarm water. Never

use bleach, dye, or abrasive clean-

ers—they may severely weaken the

belts. (See “Cleaning the interior”

on page 209 in Section 5.)

When using the seat belts, observe

the following:

D Use the belt for only one person at

a time. Do not use a single belt for

two or more people—even children.

D Replace the belt assembly (includ-

ing bolts) if it has been used in a

severe impact. The entire assembly

should be replaced even if damage

is not obvious.

Adjust the seat as needed and sit up

straight and well back in the seat. To

fasten your belt, pull it out of the re-

tractor and insert the tab into the

buckle.

D Avoid reclining the seatbacks too

much. The seat belts provide maxi-

mum protection when the seatbacks

are in the upright position. (Refer

to the seat adjustment instructions.)

You will hear a click when the tab locks

into the buckle.

D Be careful not to damage the belt

webbing or hardware. Take care that

they do not get caught or pinched

in the seat or side doors.

The seat belt length automatically adjusts

to your size and the seat position.

The retractor will lock the belt during a

sudden stop or on impact. It also may

lock if you lean forward too quickly. A

slow, easy motion will allow the belt to

extend, and you can move around freely.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

43

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

If the seat belt cannot be pulled out of the

retractor, firmly pull the belt and release

it. You will then be able to smoothly pull

the belt out of the retractor.

CAUTION

Always make sure the shoulder belt

is positioned across the center of

your shoulder. The belt should be

kept away from your neck, but not

falling off your shoulder. Failure to

do so could reduce the amount of

protection in an accident and cause

serious injuries in a collision.

When a passenger’s shoulder belt is com-

pletely extended and is then retracted

even slightly, the belt is locked in that

position and cannot be extended. This fea-

ture is used to hold the child restraint

system securely. (For details, see “Child

restraint” on page 59 in this section.) To

free the belt again, fully retract the belt

and then pull the belt out once more.

Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder

anchor—

CAUTION

D After inserting the tab, make sure

the tab and buckle are locked and

that the belt is not twisted.

Adjust the shoulder anchor position to

your size.

To raise: Slide the anchor up.

To lower: Push in the lock release button

and slide the anchor down.

D Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in

the buckle as this may prevent you

from properly latching the tab and

buckle.

After adjustment, make sure the anchor is

locked in position.

D If the seat belt does not function

normally, immediately contact your

Toyota dealer. Do not use the seat

until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot

protect an adult occupant or your

child from injury.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

44

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

CAUTION

Take up

slack

D Both high−positioned lap belts and

loose−fitting belts could cause seri-

ous injuries due to sliding under

the lap belt during a collision or

other unintended result. Keep the

lap belt positioned as low on hips

as possible.

Too high

D For your safety, do not place the

shoulder belt under your arm.

Keep as low on

hips as possible

Adjust the position of the lap and

shoulder belts.

To release the belt, press the buckle−re-

lease button and allow the belt to re-

tract.

Position the lap belt as low as possible

on your hips—not on your waist, then ad-

just it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder

portion upward through the latch plate.

If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull

it out and check for kinks or twists. Then

make sure it remains untwisted as it re-

tracts.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

45

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

CAUTION

Make sure the both buckles are cor-

rectly located and securely latched.

Failure to properly match the buckle

and tab may cause severe injury in

case of an accident or a collision.

SEAT BELT FOR REAR CENTER SEAT

Two buckles and tabs for rear center

seat belt

The rear center seat belt is a 3−point type

restraint with 2 buckles. Both seat belt

buckles must be correctly located and se-

curely latched for proper operation.

The 2 buckles for the rear center seat

belt are distinguished with colors of the

buckle release button. Also the

2

tabs

have different shape for its end so that

the belt is not buckled in the wrong place.

Make sure that buckle 1 (with light gray

buckle−release button) is securely latched

for ready use of the center seat belt.

Buckle

1

(with light gray buckle−re-

lease button)—Properly matches with

concave end tab

Buckle 2 (with red buckle−release but-

ton)—Properly matches with round end

tab

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

46

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

—Stowing the rear center seat

belt

To release the concave end tab, insert the

key into the hole on buckle 1 (with light

gray buckle−release button) and allow the

belt to retract.

STOWING THE REAR CENTER SEAT

BELT

CAUTION

1. To stow the rear center seat belt,

pull the seat belt out of its cover a

little and insert the concave end tab

into the higher slot of the cover.

Do not use the rear center seat belt

with either buckle released. Fastening

only the shoulder belt or lap belt may

cause severe personal injury in case

of sudden braking or a collision.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

47

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

—Seat belt extender

If your seat belts cannot be fastened se-

curely because they are not long enough,

a personalized seat belt extender is avail-

able from your Toyota dealer free of

charge.

Please contact your local Toyota dealer so

that the dealer can order the proper re-

quired length for the extender. Bring the

heaviest coat you expect to wear for prop-

er measurement and selection of length.

Additional ordering information is available

at your Toyota dealer.

2. Insert the round end tab into the

cover. You will hear a click when the

tabs are locked in the seat belt cov-

er. Make sure the tabs are securely

locked in the cover.

PULLING OUT THE REAR CENTER SEAT

BELT

To use the rear center seat belt, pull

the belt out a little and then pull the

tabs out from the cover.

Seat belt must be stowed before you fold

the seatback. (See “—Folding up rear

seats” on page 34 or “—Removing rear

seats” on page 37 in this section.)

NOTICE

Stow the rear center seat belt except

when you are wearing it.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

48

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

CAUTION

When using the seat belt extender,

observe the following precautions.

Failure to follow these instructions

could reduce the effectiveness of the

seat belt restraint system in case of

D After inserting the tab, make sure

the tab and buckle are locked and

that the seat belt extender is not

twisted.

D Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in

the buckle as this may prevent you

from properly latching the tab and

buckle.

vehicle

accident,

increasing

the

chance of personal injury.

D Never use the seat belt extender if

you can fasten the seat belt without

it.

D If the seat belt does not function

normally, immediately contact your

Toyota dealer. Do not use the seat

until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot

protect an adult occupant or your

child from injury.

D Remember that the extender pro-

vided for you may not be safe when

To connect the extender to the seat

belt, insert the tab into the seat belt

buckle so that the “PRESS” signs on

the buckle−release buttons of the ex-

tender and the seat belt are both facing

outward as shown.

used on

another person, or at

a

different vehicle, for

different

a

seating position than the one origi-

nally intended.

You will hear a click when the tab locks

into the buckle.

When releasing the seat belt, press on

the buckle−release button on the extender,

not on the seat belt. This helps prevent

damage to the vehicle interior and extend-

er itself.

When not in use, remove the extender

and store in the vehicle for future use.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

49

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

—Front seat belt

pretensioners

The driver and front passenger’s seat

belt pretensioners are designed to be

activated in response to a severe fron-

tal impact.

This indicator comes on when the igni-

The front seat belt pretensioner system

mainly consists of the following compo-

nents and their locations are shown in the

illustration.

tion key is turned to the “ON” position.

It goes off after about 6 seconds. This

means the front seat belt pretensioners

are operating properly.

When the airbag sensor detects the shock

of a severe frontal impact, the front seat

belts are quickly drawn back in by the

retractors so that the belts snugly restrain

the front seat occupants.

1. Front airbag sensors

This warning light system monitors the

airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-

sors, front seat belt pretensioner assem-

blies, inflators, warning light, interconnect-

ing wiring and power sources. (For details,

see “Service reminder indicators and

warning buzzers” on page 93 in Section

1−5.)

2. SRS warning light

3. Front seat belt pretensioner assemblies

4. Airbag sensor assembly

The front seat belt pretensioners are acti-

vated even with no passenger in the front

seat.

The front seat belt pretensioners are con-

trolled by the airbag sensor assembly. The

airbag sensor assembly consists of a saf-

ing sensor and airbag sensor.

Collisions occurring at certain speeds and

angles may cause the seat belt preten-

sioners and SRS airbags not to operate

all together.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

50

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

When the front seat belt pretensioners are

activated, an operating noise may be

heard and a small amount of smoke−like

gas may be released. This gas is harm-

less and does not indicate that a fire is

occurring.

NOTICE

Do not perform any of the following

changes without consulting your

Toyota dealer. Such changes can

interfere with proper operation of the

front seat belt pretensioners in some

cases.

Once the front seat belt pretensioners

have been activated, the seat belt retrac-

tors remain locked.

z Installation of electronic devices

such as

a

mobile two−way radio,

CAUTION

cassette tape player or compact

disc player

Do not modify, remove, strike or open

the front seat belt pretensioner as-

semblies, airbag sensor or surround-

ing area or wiring. Doing so may

cause sudden operation of the front

seat belt pretensioners or disable the

system, which could result in death

or serious injury.

z Repairs on or near the front seat

belt retractor assemblies

This front seat belt pretensioner system

has a service reminder indicator to inform

the driver of operating problems. If any of

the following conditions occurs, this

indicates a malfunction of the airbags or

pretensioners. Contact your Toyota dealer

as soon as possible to service the

vehicle.

z Modification of the suspension sys-

tem

z Modification of the front end struc-

ture

z Attachment of a grille guard (bull

bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,

winches or any other equipment to

the front end

Failure to follow these instructions

can result in death or serious inju-

ries. Consult your Toyota dealer

about any repairs and modifications.

D The light does not come on when the

ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-

tion, or the light remains on.

z Repairs made on or near the front

fenders, front end structure or con-

sole

D The light comes on or flashes while

driving.

D If either front seat belt does not retract

or cannot be pulled out due to a mal-

function or activation of the relevant

front seat belt pretensioner.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

51

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)

SRS driver airbag and front

passenger airbag

Your vehicle is equipped with

a

crash

sensing and diagnostic module, which will

record the use of the seat belt restraint

system by the driver and front passenger

when the SRS airbags are inflated.

CAUTION

The driver or front passenger who is

too close to the steering wheel or

dashboard during airbag deployment

can be killed or seriously injured.

Toyota strongly recommends that:

D The driver sit as far back as pos-

sible from the steering wheel while

still maintaining control of the ve-

hicle.

In the following cases, contact your Toyota

dealer as soon as possible:

The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-

tem) airbags are designed to provide

further protection for the driver and

front passenger in addition to the pri-

mary safety protection provided by the

seat belts.

D The front of the vehicle (shaded in the

illustration) was involved in an accident

that was not severe enough to cause

the front seat belt pretensioners to op-

erate.

D The front passenger sit as far back

as possible from the dashboard.

D All vehicle occupants be properly

restrained using the available seat

belts.

In response to a severe frontal impact,

the SRS airbags work together with the

seat belts to help reduce injury by inflat-

ing. The SRS airbags help to reduce inju-

ries mainly to the driver’s or front passen-

ger’s head or chest caused by directly

hitting the steering wheel or dashboard.

The front passenger airbag is activated

even with no passenger in the front seat.

D Either front seat belt pretensioner as-

sembly

or

surrounding

area

is

scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-

aged.

Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.

2003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)

52

Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and Mirrors -> Seat belts for Your Toyota Rav4 SUV Second Generation (2001-2005)

Related Topics

Popular Owner Manuals

Latest Owner Manuals