2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Owners Manual

105
1-4. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
■Seat belt extender
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
sudden braking or an accident.
Failure to do so may cause death or severe injury.
■Wearing a seat belt
●Ensure that all passengers wear a seat belt.
● Always wear a seat belt properly.
● Each seat belt should be used by one person only. Do not use a seat belt
for more than one person at once, including children.
● Toyota recommends that children be seated in the rear seat and always
use a seat belt and/or an appropriate child restraint system.
● Do not recline the seat any more than necessary to achieve a proper seat-
ing position. The seat belt is most effective when the occupants are sitting
up straight and well back in the seats.
● Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm.
● Always wear your seat belt low and snug across your hips.
■ Adjustable shoulder anchor
Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the center of your
shoulder. The belt should be kept away from your neck, but not falling off
your shoulder. Failure to do so could reduce the amount of protection in an
accident and cause death or serious injuries in a collision. ( →P. 102)
If your seat belts cannot be fastened
securely because they are not long
enough, a personalized seat belt
extender is available from your Toyota
dealer free of charge.

106 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
CAUTION
■Seat belt pretensioners
●Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger's seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger's weight, which prevents the sensor
from detecting the passenger's weight properly. As a result, the seat belt
pretensioner for the front passenger's seat may not activate in the event of
a collision.
● If the pretensioner has activated, the seat belt becomes locked: it cannot
be further extended, nor will it return to the stowed position. The seat belt
cannot be used again and must be replaced at your Toyota dealer.
■ Child restraint lock function belt precaution
Do not allow children to play with the child restraint lock function belt. If the
belt becomes twisted around a child’s neck, it will not be possible to pull the
belt out leading to choking or other serious injuries that could result in death.
If this occurs and the buckle cannot be unfastened, scissors should be used
to cut the belt.
■ Seat belt damage and wear
●Do not damage the seat belts by allowing the belt, plate, or buckle to be
jammed in the door.
● Inspect the seat belt system periodically. Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Do not use a damaged seat belt until it is replaced. Damaged seat
belts cannot protect an occupant from death or serious injury.
● Ensure that the belt and tab are locked and the belt is not twisted.
If the seat belt does not function correctly, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer.
● Replace the seat assembly, including the belts, if your vehicle has been
involved in a serious accident, even if there is no obvious damage.
● Do not attempt to install, remove, modify, disassemble or dispose of the
seat belts. Have any necessary repairs carried out by your Toyota dealer.
Inappropriate handling of the pretensioner may prevent it from operating
properly resulting in death or serious injury.

107
1-4. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■Using a seat belt extender
●Do not wear the seat belt extender if you can fasten the seat belt without
the extender.
● Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restraint system
because the belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, increas-
ing the risk of death or injury in the event of a collision.
● The personalized extender may not be safe on another vehicle, when
used by another person, or at a different seating position other than the
one originally intended.
NOTICE
■When using a seat belt extender
When releasing the seat belt, press on the buckle release button on the
extender, not on the seat belt.
This helps prevent damage to the vehi cle interior and the extender itself.

108
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
Steering wheel
CAUTION
■Caution while driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Doing so may cause the driver to mishandle the vehicle and an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.
■ After adjusting the steering wheel
Make sure that the steering wheel is securely locked.
Otherwise, the steering wheel may move suddenly, possibly causing an
accident and resulting in death or serious injury.
The steering wheel can be adjust ed to a comfortable position.
Hold the steering
wheel and press the
lever down.
Adjust to the ideal
position by moving the
steering wheel hori-
zontally and vertically.
Pull the lever up.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

109
1
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
Before driving
Anti-glare inside rear view mirror
Glare from the headlights of vehicles behind can be reduced by
using the following functions.
Manual anti-glare inside rear view mirror
Normal position
Anti-glare position
Auto anti-glare inside rear view mirror
In automatic mode, sensors are used to detect the headlights of
vehicles behind and automatical ly reduces the reflected light.
Turns automatic mode on/off
The indicator comes on when
automatic mode is turned on.
The mirror will revert to auto-
matic mode each time the
“POWER” switch is turned to
the ON mode.

110 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
■To prevent sensor error (vehicles with auto anti-glare inside rear view
mirror)
CAUTION
■Caution while driving
Do not adjust the position of the mirror while driving.
Doing so may lead to mishandling of the vehicle and an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
To ensure that the sensors operate prop-
erly, do not touch or cover them.

111
1
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
Before driving
Outside rear view mirrors
Folding back the mirrorsPush backward to fold the mir-
rors.
Mirror angle can be adjusted usin g the switch when the “POWER”
switch is in ACCESSORY or ON mode.
Select a mirror to adjust.
Left
Right
Adjust the mirror. Up
Right
Down
LeftSTEP1
STEP2

112 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
■When the mirrors are fogged up (vehicles with outside rear view mirror
defoggers)
Turn on the mirror defoggers to defog the mirrors. ( →P. 275)
CAUTION
■When driving the vehicle
Observe the following precautions while driving.
Failing to do so may result in loss of control of the vehicle and cause an acci-
dent, resulting in death or serious injury.
●Do not adjust the mirrors while driving.
● Do not drive with the mirrors folded back.
● Both the driver and passenger side mirrors must be extended and properly
adjusted before driving.
■ When the mirror defoggers are oper ating (vehicles with outside rear
view mirror defoggers)
Do not touch the surface of the mirror, as it may be hot.