Owners of other Toyota and Lexus vehicles such as the Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Prius, Avalon, C-HR, GR86, Venza, Sienna, Sequoia, 4Runner, IS 250, IS 300, IS 350, ES 350, GS 350 and GX 460 may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The OEM (original equipment manufacturer) 12V battery is a "Group Size" H5 (also known as "47") and the part number is Toyota 375LN2-MF (made by Johnson Controls). The slightly larger group size H6 (or "48") would also fit.

A few compatible replacement H5 and H6 12V car batteries with their part numbers are as follows: ACDelco 47AGMA, Odyssey ODP-AGM48 H6, Delphi BU9047, Optima DH6, EverStart MAXX-H5 (Walmart) and Interstate H5 (47) (at Costco).

The tools needed to complete this procedure include a 10mm socket with a 1/4" drive ratchet, a 12mm socket with a long extension bar and a 3/8" drive ratchet.

Attention: I highly recommend wearing gloves and safety glasses!

The first two steps are to open the hood and move to the right (driver) side of the engine bay.

The 12V car battery is located just behind the air filter housing, to the left of the fuse box and just in front of the brake fluid reservoir.

Loosen the nut on the "-" negative terminal by turning it in the counterclockwise direction with the 10mm socket and a 1/4" drive ratchet.

You don't need to remove the terminal nut, just loosen it a few turns.

Warning: Do NOT touch the two battery terminals or posts at the same time to avoid being electrocuted!

Wrap the negative terminal in a small towel and tuck it away behind the old battery to help avoid accidental electrical contact.

Move to the front of the battery and locate the red plastic cover on the "+" positive terminal.

Pull the red plastic cover off the positive terminal and set it aside in a safe place.

Loosen the nut on the positive terminal by rotating it a few turns in the counterclockwise direction with the 10mm socket and a 1/4" drive ratchet.

Tuck the positive terminal away on the front left side of the old battery.

Locate the black metal hold down clamp at the front bottom edge of the battery tray.

It is held in place by a single silver metal bolt.

Loosen the bolt on the hold down bar by turning it in the counterclockwise direction until it can be removed.

Lift the hold down clamp out of the engine bay and set it aside in a safe place.

Gently set the old battery down on the ground. Try to avoid dropping or tipping over the old battery to prevent from having acid leak out.

Be sure to take the old battery with you to the auto parts store, Walmart or Costco to avoid having to pay a "core" or "recycling" fee.

The OEM (original equipment manufacturer) 12V battery part number in this 2019 RAV4 with the 2.4L I4 gasoline engine was 375LN2-MF which is a group size H5 (47). You can also use the slightly larger H6 (48) batteries.

Carefully lower the new battery down on to the tray with the "+" positive post situated near the front of the car and the "-" negative battery post close to the windshield.

Push the positive terminal on to the "+" battery post. Tighten the 10mm nut in the clockwise direction until it is snug.

Try to avoid over tightening the terminal nut to prevent from cracking the battery post which could result in an acid leak.

You should feel or hear the two retaining clips "click" securely into place.

Lower the hold down clamp down to the front of the battery tray below the air intake hose.

Tighten the bolt in the clockwise direction with the 12mm socket attached to a long extension bar and the 3/8" drive ratchet until it is snug.

Carefully push the negative terminal on to the "-" battery post at the rear of the engine bay close to the brake fluid reservoir.

You might see a small spark when the terminal first makes contact with the battery post.

Warning: Avoid touching both terminals or battery posts at the same time to avoid receiving an electrical shock!

Double check that both the positive and negative terminals are securely attached.

To test the new 12V battery, start the engine and turn on the headlights. If you rev the engine, the headlights should appear to be the same brightness and not dim when you release the accelerator.

If you suspect that your alternator is not charging properly, test it with a digital multimeter. With the engine running, the battery terminals should read any where from 13 to 14 volts if the alternator is working properly. With the ignition switched off, the battery should read over 12 volts and 12.6 volts when fully charged.

In very hot climates, traditional lead acid car batteries only last about 3 to 4 years. If you live in a moderate climate, your 12V car battery may have a life span of 5 to 7 years.

Be sure to write down the battery change in your vehicle's service records and keep the receipt for any warranty claims.

For more, please check out all of my 2019-2023 Toyota RAV4 DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.