Toyota RCTA OFF indicator
Toyota’s indicator that Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) has been switched off. Flashing, it means a malfunction or a dirty sensor.
How to read it
RCTA uses the Blind Spot Monitor’s rear radar sensors to help the driver check areas that are hard to see when backing up. Toyota’s 2024 RAV4 manual says that when a vehicle is detected approaching from the left or right behind the car, both outside mirror indicators blink and a buzzer sounds. The RCTA OFF indicator comes on when the function is disabled, and RCTA is enabled again each time the engine switch is turned off and back to ON.
Also searched as: RCTA OFF light, Rear Cross Traffic Alert off light, Toyota RCTA light.
Toyota lights vary by model and year. The owner’s manual for the vehicle says what each light means on it, and a Toyota dealer or a qualified mechanic can say what it means for a particular car.
Steady or flashing
Steady, the light means RCTA is off. The manual’s warning light table lists it flashing as well: with a buzzer, it indicates a malfunction in the RCTA function; without one, it indicates that the rear bumper around the radar sensor is covered with dirt or the like.
What the manual says to do
For the flashing light with a buzzer, Toyota’s RAV4 manual says: “Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.”
What NHTSA calls it
NHTSA calls this kind of system rear cross traffic warning: it alerts the driver, while in reverse, to potential collisions that may be outside the view of the backup camera. NHTSA notes that makers use different names for the same driver assistance technologies.
Look-alikes
The BSM indicator belongs to the Blind Spot Monitor, whose rear radar sensors RCTA uses. It comes on when the BSM function is turned on.
Read next
- Next in Toyota dashboard symbolsToyota PCS warning lightToyota's warning light for its Pre-Collision System (PCS): it comes on when the system has a malfunction or has become temporarily unavailable.
- The same shape in Accessibility symbolsClosed captioning symbol (CC)CC means closed captioning: the dialogue and other sounds of a programme shown as text on screen, which viewers can turn on or off. It is mainly for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
More toyota dashboard symbols
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with letters and numbers or squares and rectangles.
Sources
- 2024 Toyota RAV4 Owner’s Manual, OM0R147U, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., 4-5. Using the driving support systems: RCTA function, pp. 288–289; 7-2. Steps to take in an emergency, p. 451
- Driver Assistance Technologies, U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Collision Warning: Rear Cross Traffic Warning
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research
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