How to reset the maintenance required light on a 2019 to 2026 RAV4

Quick picks

What the RAV4 maintenance required light actually is

So on a 2019 or newer RAV4, the maintenance light is really a message on the gauge screen, the screen behind the steering wheel that Toyota calls the multi-information display. And the message isn't a sensor reading. Basically, it's a mileage counter.

Toyota's manual lists two messages.

• "Maintenance Required Soon" comes on about 4,500 miles after the message was last reset. Toyota says the maintenance on the schedule should be done soon.
• "Maintenance Required Visit Your Dealer" comes on about 5,000 miles after the message was last reset. Toyota says to do the maintenance, then reset the message.

And the counter doesn't measure your oil at all. A lot of videos and websites call the reset an "oil life reset" or say the oil is "back to 100%." But the RAV4 has no oil life percentage. Toyota's manuals call it the Scheduled Maintenance reminder.

Now the 5,000 miles lines up with Toyota's schedule, which is a visit every 5,000 miles or 6 months. But under normal driving, the oil change itself is every 10,000 miles or 12 months. So on a normal-driving RAV4, every other message is a tire rotation and inspection, not an oil change. I go through what each visit includes in my RAV4 maintenance schedule.

Which reset steps you need, by year and gauge screen

So the steps depend on the year and on the gauge screen behind your steering wheel. I explain how to tell the screens apart in my gauge screen guide.

Before you start the maintenance reminder reset

• Park the RAV4. Toyota's 2026 manual says to stop the vehicle before using the gauge screen buttons.
• Turn the RAV4 on. In the two owner videos below, both owners pressed the power button twice with their foot off the brake. That turns the RAV4 on without starting the engine. On a Hybrid, Prime or Plug-in Hybrid, having the READY light on works too.
• Find the buttons. You use the meter control switches on the left spoke of the steering wheel. That's the four-way pad with up, down, left and right arrows around an OK button, plus a back button, which Toyota calls the return button, next to the pad.
• Clear the message first. If "Maintenance Required" is filling the gauge screen, press the back button to clear it. Then go to the gear icon.

How to reset the maintenance light on a 2019 to 2025 RAV4 with the 4.2-inch or 7-inch screen

So these steps are for every 2019 to 2022 RAV4, gas, Hybrid and Prime, and for 2023 to 2025 RAV4s with the 7-inch gauge screen.

1. Pick the gear icon. Press the left or right arrow until the gear icon, which is Settings, is picked on the gauge screen.
2. Open Vehicle Settings. Press up or down to Vehicle Settings. Then press and hold OK for about a second.
3. Open Scheduled Maintenance. Press up or down to Scheduled Maintenance, then press OK.
4. Pick Yes. The screen asks whether to reset the data. Press up or down to Yes, then press OK. The gauge screen says "Reset Complete."

Resetting the maintenance light on a 2023 to 2025 RAV4 with the 12.3-inch screen

So the 12.3-inch screen uses the same menus with one extra step at the start.

1. Press and hold OK to bring up the cursor in the center area of the gauge screen.
2. Pick the gear icon. Press up or down to the gear icon, then press OK.
3. Open Vehicle Settings. Press up or down to Vehicle Settings, which is the car with a gear icon. Then press and hold OK.
4. Open Scheduled Maintenance. Press up or down to Scheduled Maintenance, then press OK.
5. Pick Yes and press OK. A message shows when the reset is done.

How to reset the maintenance light on a 2026 RAV4

So on the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid, the maintenance reset is still on the gauge screen. And that's different from the 2026 tire pressure reset, which moved to the center touchscreen. I cover that one in my tire pressure reset guide.

1. Pick the gear icon. With the cursor in the left area of the gauge screen, press the left or right arrow to the gear icon, then press OK.
2. Open Vehicle Settings. Pick the Vehicle Settings icon, which is a car with a gear, then press OK.
3. Open Scheduled Maintenance. Pick Scheduled Maintenance, then press OK.
4. Pick Yes and press OK. A message shows when the reset is done.

And if one press of OK doesn't open the next screen on a 2026, press and hold OK. Basically, Toyota's 2026 manual says menu items with their own setting screen open with a press and hold.

How to check the maintenance reset worked

So the easiest check is to turn the RAV4 off and back on. Basically, if the reset worked, the "Maintenance Required" message won't come back. One owner on video does exactly that on their 2024 RAV4 Hybrid. And the 5,000-mile counter starts over, so the next message comes on about 5,000 miles later.

Messages the maintenance reset does not clear

Now something important to note is that a few other messages also have the word "maintenance" or "oil" in them. These are real warnings, not the 5,000-mile counter, and the Scheduled Maintenance reset won't clear them.

• "Engine Oil Level Low Add or Replace" means the oil may actually be low. Toyota says the message can show up when you're parked on a slope, so move to level ground and see if the message goes away. If it doesn't, check the dipstick.
• "Engine Maintenance Required Visit Your Dealer" means Toyota says the engine or an engine part is malfunctioning. On some 2019 to 2021 RAV4s, the message comes from a leaking coolant bypass valve, which Toyota covers under a free program called 24TE04. I explain the coolant bypass valve in my RAV4 years to avoid guide.
• "Maintenance Required for Traction Battery Cooling Parts" on a Hybrid or Prime means the hybrid battery's cooling filter or vent is clogged. Clean the filter or vent. Toyota says you may need to drive for about 20 minutes before the message goes away. I cover the filter in my RAV4 Hybrid battery life guide.
• "Maintenance Required For Traction Battery At Your Dealer" on a Hybrid or Prime means the hybrid battery is due to be inspected or replaced. Toyota says to go now, because if you keep driving, the hybrid system won't start.

I go through the rest of the gauge screen messages in my RAV4 warning lights guide.

The odometer button trick is for 2018 and older RAV4s

So a lot of web pages copy the old reset, where you hold the trip or odometer button while turning the key on. That's how owners reset 2018 and older RAV4s. But none of the 2019 to 2026 manuals mention it, and on a 2019 or newer RAV4, the reset is in the gauge screen menu.

When to reset the maintenance reminder, and the warranty question

So you reset the reminder after the 5,000-mile visit is done, whether that visit was an oil change or just a tire rotation. Toyota's manuals say to reset the message after the maintenance is performed.

• Resetting the reminder yourself is a normal owner job. Toyota gives owners the steps in the manual, and the reset has nothing to do with your warranty. What protects your warranty is keeping records, which I cover in my maintenance schedule's warranty section.
• If you never reset the message, Toyota says the indicator won't work properly. Basically, the counter won't count the next 5,000 miles from your real service.
• If a shop forgot to reset the reminder, you can do the reset yourself with the steps above.
• If you just bought a used RAV4 with the message on, you may not know when the last owner had it serviced. So get the service done, or confirm the service from records or a CARFAX, then reset the message.

If you don't drive much, don't wait for the message

Now Toyota's schedule says every 5,000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. But the manual only describes the message coming on by miles. Toyota's maintenance guide says if you've driven less than 5,000 miles at six months, you should get the maintenance at six months. So if you don't drive much, don't wait for the message.

If you drive 40,000 miles a year or more

So at 40,000 miles a year, the message comes on about every 6 to 7 weeks. And if you drive rideshare, deliveries or lots of idling, Toyota calls that special operating conditions, with an oil change every 5,000 miles. In that case, every message is an oil change. I explain the special conditions in my maintenance schedule.

Oil and filter for a do-it-yourself oil change

So if you change your own oil before you reset, this is the short version. The full oil table by year is in my maintenance schedule.

• 2019 to 2025 RAV4, gas, Hybrid and Prime use 0W-16.
• 2026 RAV4 Hybrid uses SAE 0W-8, JASO GLV-1, about 4.5 quarts with the filter.
• 2026 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid uses SAE 0W-16, ILSAC GF-6B, about 4.5 quarts with the filter, or 4.2 quarts without.

And these are the genuine Toyota parts, with prices checked October 15, 2026.

• Toyota oil filter 90915-YZZN1 replaces 90915-10009. The 90915-YZZN1 filter is $4.68 at ToyotaPartsDeal (MSRP $6.57), checked Oct 15, 2026. ToyotaPartsDeal lists it for 2019 to 2023 gas and Hybrid RAV4s. One 2026 Hybrid oil change video lists the same filter, but a Toyota catalog doesn't confirm it for the 2026.
• Toyota Genuine Motor Oil 0W-16, case of 6 quarts (00279-16QTE) is $42.82 at ToyotaPartsDeal (MSRP $59.92), checked Oct 15, 2026. The 0W-16 oil fits 2019 to 2025 RAV4s and the 2026 Plug-in Hybrid.
• Toyota Genuine Motor Oil 0W-8 GLV-1, case of 6 quarts (00279-08QTE) is $74.02 at ToyotaPartsDeal (MSRP $104.40), checked Oct 15, 2026. The 0W-8 oil is for the 2026 RAV4 Hybrid.

Videos worth watching about the RAV4 maintenance reset

And if you'd like to see the menus, these are the clearest videos. Under each video is a quick summary of what the video covers.

And if you're doing a full 30,000-mile service yourself, WheeNC DIY resets the reminder at about 24:00 to 26:30 of WheeNC DIY's 2020 RAV4 30K service video.