"2011 Toyota RAV4: The VSC and ABS Lights Keep Coming On"

Black 2011 Toyota RAV4 Front View

What does VSC and ABS warning lights in my Toyota Rav4 mean? The VCS and ABS lights came on while I was driving. The owners manual just says if those lights come on to pull over, turn off car and call Toyota. But it doesn’t say what it means. When I turn the car on again the lights are off. This has happened a couple of times.

Answer: VSC=Vehicle Stability Control, and ABS= Anti-lock Braking System. Both are systems designed help the car keep traction and under control in opposite ways, and are probably under control of the same computer. VSC helps keep your wheels from loosing traction on slippery surfaces (wet, ice, mud, etc.) when accelerating by applying some braking to slow down a wheel that is spinning too fast. ABS keeps the wheel from locking up and skidding when you jam on the brake (again particularly in slippery conditions). If the wheel starts to lock up ABS releases some of the braking force to keep traction with the ground.
Cars didn’t have this feature until the 90s, but know most cars have at least ABS. Assuming no other systems (such as your general braking control) are malfunctioning it is probably safe to drive, but you will be more susceptible to skidding in slippery conditions. I suggest that you have it looked at as soon as possible. There is a good chance that the lights are coming on at a time when it is trying to work, but is malfunctioning.