What Does 'RAB Off' Mean On A Subaru's Dashboard (And How To Turn It Back On)

These days, vehicles come equipped with more viable safety measures, bells, and whistles than at any other moment in history. So much so that even some of those bells and whistles seem to have bells and whistles of their own. That's particularly true when it comes to Subarus, as vehicles from the Japanese automaker are particularly well thought of in the automobile arena for their safety features. They've got so many safety features and alerts built in, it can be tough to keep track of what they all do — especially those with acronyms, like RAB.

If you have seen those three letters pop up on your Subaru's LCD screen, they may well have been followed by the word "Off." It's also likely that when you saw the "RAB Off" notification, you were backing your vehicle up, as the "R" in RAB stands for "Reverse." As for the "AB," they mean "Automatic Braking." So when you see "RAB Off" pop up on your screen, it means the vehicle's Reverse Automatic Braking system has been disabled. 

The name Reverse Automatic Braking is, of course, relatively self-explanatory, as the sonar-based feature works in similar fashion to an automatic emergency braking system, and is essentially designed to apply the brakes on your car for you when you get too close to an object. And yes, it could save you a few headaches — not to mention a load of cash — if you regularly parallel park or just have trouble backing up. 

As it is, the Reverse  Automatic Braking system will also offer an audible alert to drivers before engaging, giving them the chance to apply the brakes on their own. If, however, you'd prefer not to utilize the function when you're driving your Subaru, RAB is pretty easy to turn off. Here's how to do it: 

1. Turn your Subaru on.
2. Place your foot on the brake, and put the vehicle in Reverse gear using the shifter.
3. The reverse camera angle will appear on the Infotainment screen.
4. In the bottom left of the touch screen, a little green button should show "RAB On."
5. Press and hold the button until the green light turns gray. It should now say "RAB Off."

Turning RAB off won't disable the sonar utilized by the system, or the beeping alert it produces to encourage you to hit the brakes. You can also turn that off by pressing and holding the green button located on the bottom right hand side of the touch screen until it grays out and shows "Off." 

If want to re-engage RAB on your Subaru, follow these steps to turn it back on:

1. With the car on and in reverse, locate the "RAB Off" button on the touch screen.
2. Press and hold the button until it turns green and displays "RAB On."

Congratulations, the Reverse Automatic Braking system on again. Now you'll need to do the same to re-engage the sonar, as the RAB won't work properly without it.