2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Owners Manual

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CAUTION
When returning the seatback to the
upright position, observe the follow-
ing precautions in order to prevent
personal injury in a collision or sud-
den stop:
Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback.
Failure to do so will prevent the
seat belt from operating properly.
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.To flatten the seatbacks, do the follow-
ing:
1. Hold the center of the lever and pull it up, sliding the second seat to the
rearmost position. Then pull the
seat forward slightly until it locks.2. Remove the head restraint. Hold thecenter of the lever and pull it up.
Then slide the front seat further for-
ward than the frontmost lock posi-
tion.
Flattening seatbacks
(manual seat)

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3. Pull the seatback angle adjusting le-
ver up to unlock and push down the
seatback.
When returning the seatback to the up-
right position, be careful not to make
yourself hit by the seatback which will
bound with considerable spring force.
After returning the seat to its original
position, be certain to replace the head
restraint.
CAUTION
Do not allow passengers to ride on
the flattened seat while driving; use
the seat in the normal position.
After returning the seat to its origi-
nal position, try pushing the seat
and seatback forward and rearward
to make sure it is secured in place.
Be certain to replace head restraint.
To flatten the seatbacks, do the follow-
ing:
1. Hold the center of the lever and pull it up, sliding the second seat to the
rearmost position. Then pull the
seat forward slightly until it locks.
Flattening seatbacks
(power seat)

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2. Remove the head restraint. Push the
seat position adjusting switch for-
ward to slide the front seat to the
frontmost position.3. Move the seatback angle adjustingswitch backward to flatten the seat-
back.
After returning the seat to its original
position, be certain to replace the head
restraint.
CAUTION
Do not allow passengers to ride on
the flattened seat while driving; use
the seat in the normal position.
After returning the seat to its origi-
nal position, try pushing the seat
and seatback forward and rearward
to make sure it is secured in place.
Be certain to replace head restraint.

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To turn on the seat heater, push the
switches (“L” switch for the left front
seat and “R” switch for the right front
seat). At this time, the indicator light
will illuminate to indicate the seat heat-
er is operating.
To turn off the seat heater, push the
switch once again.
The key must be in the “ON” position to
operate seat heaters.
CAUTION
Occupants must use caution when op-
erating the seat heater because it
may make them feel too hot or cause
burns at low temperatures (erythema,
varicella). Use extra caution for;
Babies, small children, elderly per-
sons, sick persons or handicapped
persons
Persons who have delicate skin
Persons who are exhausted
Persons who have taken alcohol or
drugs which induce sleep (sleeping
drug, cold remedy, etc.)
To prevent the seat overheating, do
not use the seat heater with a blan-
ket, cushion, or other insulating ob-
jects which cover the seat.
NOTICE
 Do not put unevenly weighed ob-
jects on the seat and do not stick
sharp objects (needles, nails, etc.)
into the seat.
 When cleaning the seats, do not
use organic substances (paint thin-
ner, benzine, alcohol, gasoline,
etc.). They may damage the heater
and seat surface.
 To prevent the battery from being
discharged, turn the switch off
when the engine is not running.
Seat heaters

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Front seats
Second seats
Third seats
For your safety and comfort, adjust the
head restraint before driving.
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
Front head restraints only—On some mod-
els, you can also move the front head
restraint forward or backward. If such ad-
justment is desired, pull or push the base
of the head restraint. Second and third seat head restraints—
When an occupant sits in the second or
third seat, always raise the head restraint
to the lock position.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, using
a cushion on the seatback is not recom-
mended.
CAUTION
Adjust the center of the head re-
straint so that it is closest to the
top of your ears.
After adjusting the head restraint,
make sure it is locked in position.
Do not drive with the head re-
straints removed.
Head restraints

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Front seats
Second seat
To use the armrest, pull it down as
shown in the illustrations.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the armrest,
avoid putting heavy loads on it.
Toyota strongly urges that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase
the chance of injury and/or the severity of
injury in accidents.
The seat belts provided for your vehicle
are designed for people of adult size,
large enough to properly wear them.
Child. Use a child restraint system ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belts. See “Child restraint”
on page 85 in this Section for details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s hould sit in the rear
seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle’s seat belt. According to accident
statistics, the child is safer when properly
restrained in the rear seat than in the
front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the
seat belts should be worn properly. If an
accident occurs and the seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause death or
serious injury to the child.
Armrests Seat belts—
—Seat belt precautions

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Do not allow any children to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. An
unrestrained child could suffer serious in-
jury or death during emergency braking or
a collision. Also, do not let the child sit
on your lap. Holding a child in your arms
does not provide sufficient restraint.
Pregnant woman. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips and not on the
waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-
ry, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.CAUTION
Persons should ride in their seats
properly wearing their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely
to suffer serious bodily injury or
death in the event of sudden braking
or a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe
the following:
Use the belt for only one person at
a time. Do not use a single belt for
two or more people—even children.
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 maximum protection in a
frontal or rear collision when the
driver and the front passenger 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.
Be careful not to damage the belt
webbing or hardware. Take care that
they do not get caught or pinched
in the seat or doors.
Inspect the belt system periodically.
Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Damaged parts should be re-
placed. Do not disassemble or
modify the system.
Keep the belts clean and dry. If
they need cleaning, use a mild soap
solution or lukewarm water. Never
use bleach, dye, or abrasive clean-
ers, or allow them to come into
contact with the belt—they may se-
verely weaken the belts. (See
“Cleaning the interior” on page 353
in Section 5.)
Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage
is not obvious.

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Ta b
Buckle
Adjust the seat as needed and sit up
straight and well back in the seat. To
fasten your belt, pull it out of the re-
tractor and insert the tab into the
buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
The seat belt length automatically adjusts
to your size and the seat position.
The retractor will lock the belt during a
sudden stop or on impact. It also may
lock if you lean forward too quickly. A
slow, easy motion will allow the belt to
extend, and you can move around freely. When a passenger ’s shoulder belt is com-
pletely extended and is then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that
position and cannot be extended. This fea-
ture is used to hold the child restraint
system securely. (For details, see “Child
restraint” on page 85 in this Section.) To
free the belt again, fully retract the belt
and then pull the belt out once more.
If the seat belt cannot be pulled out of the
retractor, firmly pull the belt and release
it. You will then be able to smoothly pull
the belt out of the retractor.CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the belt is not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer. Do not use the seat
until the seat belt is fixed, because
it cannot protect an adult occupant
or your child from injury.
Ta k e u p
slack
To o h i g h
Keep as low on
hips as possible
Adjust the position of the lap and
shoulder belts.
Position the lap belt as low as possible
on your hips—not on your waist, then ad-
just it to a snug fit by pulling the shoulder
portion upward through the latch plate.
—Fastening front and rear
seat belts