2003 TOYOTA AVALON Owners Manual

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
372003 AVALON (OM41401U)
This indicates that the fuel filler door
is on the left side of your vehicle.1. To open the fuel filler door, pull the
lever up.
When refueling, turn off the engine.
CAUTION
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames when refueling.
The fumes are flammable.
When opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. In hot weath-
er, fuel under pressure could cause
injury by spraying out of the filler
neck if the cap is suddenly re-
moved.
2. To remove the fuel tank cap, turn
the cap slowly counterclockwise,
then pause slightly before removing
it. After removing the cap, hang it
on the cap hanger.
It is not unusual to hear a slight swoosh
when the cap is opened. When installing,
turn the cap clockwise till you hear a
click.
If the cap is not tightened securely, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on.
Make sure the cap is tightened securely.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Fuel tank cap

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
382003 AVALON (OM41401U)
CAUTION
Make sure the cap is tightened se-
curely to prevent fuel spillage in
case of an accident.
Use only a genuine Toyota fuel tank
cap for replacement. It is designed
to regulate fuel tank pressure.
Sliding operation
Tilting operation
To operate the moon roof, use the
switch beside the front personal lights.
The moon roof works when the ignition
switch is in the “ON” position. However,
if both front doors are closed, it works for
about 43 seconds even after the ignition
switch is turned off. It stops working when
either of the front doors is opened.
Sun shade operation—
The sun shade can be opened or closed
by hand.
Sliding operation—
To open: Push the switch on the “SLIDE
OPEN” side.
The roof will open and stop partway 10
mm (0.4 in.) from the fully opened posi-
tion. When you push “SLIDE OPEN” side
again, the moon roof will open fully. To
stop the roof partway, push the switch on
either the “SLIDE OPEN” or “TILT UP”
side briefly while the roof is moving.
As driving with the moon roof opened fully
will cause wind throbs, we recommend
you to drive with the moon roof partway
10 mm (0.4 in.) from the fully opened
position.
The sun shade will be opened together
with the roof.
Electric moon roof

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To close: Push the switch on the “TILT
UP” side.
The roof will fully close. To stop the roof
partway, push the switch on either the
“SLIDE OPEN” or “TILT UP” side briefly.
Tilting operation—
To tilt up: Push the switch on the “TILT
UP” side.
To tilt down: Push the switch on the
“SLIDE OPEN” side.
You may stop the moon roof at any de-
sired position. The roof will move while
the switch is being pushed and stop when
released.
Jam protection function (closing opera-
tion only): During closing operation, the
moon roof stops and opens half way if
something gets caught between the moon
roof and frame.
If the moon roof receives a strong impact,
this function may work even if nothing is
caught.CAUTION
To avoid serious personal injury, you
must do the following.
While the vehicle is moving, always
keep the heads, hands and other
parts of the bodies of all occupants
away from the roof opening. Other-
wise, they could be seriously in-
jured if the vehicle stops suddenly
or if the vehicle is involved in an
accident.
Always make sure nobody places
his/her head, hands and other parts
of the body in the roof opening be-
fore you close the roof. If some-
one’s neck, head or hands get
caught in the closing roof, it could
result in a serious injury. When
anyone closes the roof, first make
sure it is safe to do so.
Never leave small children alone in
the vehicle, especially with the igni-
tion key still inserted. They could
use the moon roof switches and get
trapped in the roof opening. Unat-
tended children can be involved in
serious accidents.
Never sit on top of the vehicle
around the roof opening.
Never try jamming any part of your
body to make the jam protection
function work intentionally.
The jam protection function may
not work if something gets caught
just before the moon roof is fully
closed.

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
402003 AVALON (OM41401U)

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
412003 AVALON (OM41401U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and Mirrors
Seats42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front seats42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving position memory system45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trunk storage extension47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraints48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Armrest49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat heaters49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belts50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS driver airbag and front passenger airbag60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS side airbags68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tilt steering wheel92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside rear view mirrors93 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Antiglare inside rear view mirror94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auto antiglare inside rear view mirror95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vanity mirrors96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1 3

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While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow sitting on top of a
foldeddown seatback, or in the
luggage compartment or cargo area.
Persons not properly seated and/or
properly restrained by seat belts
can be severely injured in the event
of emergency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
CAUTION
The SRS side airbags are installed in
the driver and front passenger seats.
Observe the following precautions.
Do not lean against the front door
when the vehicle is in use, since
the side airbag inflates with consid-
erable speed and force. Otherwise,
you may be killed or seriously in-
jured. Special care should be taken
especially when you have a small
child in the vehicle.
Do not use seat accessories which
cover the parts where the side air-
bags inflate. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from acti-
vating correctly, causing death or
serious injury.
Do not modify or replace the seats
or upholstery of the front seats
with the side airbags. Such changes
may disable the system or cause
the side airbags to inflate acciden-
tally resulting in death or serious
injury. Consult your Toyota dealer if
you insist on modifications of this
kind.
Adjust the driver’s seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of
the driver.
CAUTION
Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When adjusting the seat, be careful
that the seat does not hit a passen-
ger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi-
tion.
After adjusting the seatback, push
back your body to make sure it is
locked in position.
SeatsFront seats—
—Front seat precautions—Seat adjustment precautions

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432003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Do not put objects under the seats.
Otherwise, the objects may interfere
with the seatlock mechanism or
unexpectedly push up the seat posi-
tion adjusting lever and the seat
may suddenly move, causing the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
While adjusting the seat, do not put
your hands under the seat or near
the moving parts. Otherwise, you
may catch and injure your hands or
fingers.
1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LEVER
Hold the center of the lever and pull it
up. Then slide the seat to the desired
position with slight body pressure and
release the lever.
2. SEAT CUSHION ANGLE ADJUSTING
KNOB
Turn the knob either way.
3. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING
LEVER
Lean forward and pull the lever up.
Then lean back to the desired angle
and release the lever.
—Adjusting front seats
(manual seat)

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
442003 AVALON (OM41401U)
CAUTION
To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more than
needed. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection in a frontal or rear
collision when the driver and the pas-
senger are sitting up straight and
well back in the seats. If you are
reclined, the lap belt may slide past
your hips and apply restraint forces
directly to the abdomen. In the event
of a frontal collision, the more the
seat is reclined, the greater the risk
of personal injury.
1. SEAT POSITION AND SEAT CUSHION
ANGLE ADJUSTING SWITCH
Move the control switch in the desired
direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seat at
that position.
Do not place anything under the front
seats, as this might interfere with the seat
movement.
2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING
SWITCH
Move the control switch in the desired
direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seat-
back at that position.
—Adjusting front seats (power
seat)