2010 TOYOTA PRIUS Owners Manual

73
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors and back door
1
Before driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
■
Luggage compartment light
■ When closing the back door
■ If the back door opener is inoperative
The back door can be opened from the inside.
Door position
Off
Lower the back door using the back door
handles, and make sure to push the back
door down from the outside to close it.
Be careful not to pull the back door side-
ways when closing the back door with the
handle.
Remove the cover.
Move the lever.STEP1
STEP2

74 1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors and back door
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
■While driving
● Keep the back door closed while driving. 
If the back door is left open, it may hit near-by objects while driving or lug-
gage may be unexpectedly thrown out, causing an accident. 
In addition, exhaust gases may enter the vehicle, causing death or a seri-
ous health hazard. Make sure to close the back door before driving.
● Before driving the vehicle, make sure that the back door is fully closed. If
the back door is not fully closed, it may open unexpectedly while driving,
causing an accident.
● Never let anyone sit in the luggage compartment. In the event of sudden
braking or a collision, they are susceptible to death or serious injury.
■ When children are in the vehicle
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
● Do not leave children alone in the luggage compartment. 
If a child is accidentally locked in the luggage compartment, they could
overheat.
● Do not allow a child to open or close the back door. 
Doing so may cause the back door to operate unexpectedly, or cause the
child’s hands, head, or neck to be caught by the closing back door.

75
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors and back door
1
Before driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
■
Operating the back door
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may cause parts of the body to be caught, resulting in seri-
ous injury.
● Remove any heavy loads, such as snow and ice, from the back door
before opening it. Failure to do so may cause the back door fall closed
again after it is opened.
● When opening or closing the back door, thoroughly check to make sure
the surrounding area is safe.
● If anyone is in the vicinity, make sure they are safe and let them know that
the back door is about to open or close.
● Use caution when opening or closing the back door in windy weather as it
may move abruptly in strong wind.
●The back door may fall if it is not
opened fully. It is more difficult to open
or close the back door on an incline
than on a level surface, so beware of
the back door unexpectedly opening or
closing by itself. Make sure that the
back door is fully open and secure
before using the luggage compartment.

76 1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors and back door
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
●Do not pull on the back door damper stay to close the back door, and do
not hang on the back door damper stay. 
Doing so may cause hands to be caught or the back door damper stay to
break, causing an accident.
● Do not attach any accessories other than genuine Toyota parts to the back
door. Such additional weight on the back door may cause the back door to
fall closed again after it is opened.
●When closing the back door, take extra
care to prevent your fingers etc. from
being caught.
● When closing the back door, make sure
to press it lightly on its outer surface. If
the back door handle is used to fully
close the back door, it may result in
hands or arms being caught.

77
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors and back door
1
Before driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
NOTICE
■
Back door damper stays
The back door is equipped with damper stays that hold the back door in
place. 
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may cause damage to the back door damper stay, resulting
in malfunction.
● Do not attach any foreign objects, such
as stickers, plastic sheets, or adhesives
to the damper stay rod.
● Do not touch the damper stay rod with
gloves or other fabric items.
● Do not attach any accessories other
than genuine Toyota parts to the back
door.
● Do not place your hand on the damper
stay or apply lateral forces to it.
Damper stays

78
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
Front seats
Active head restraintsWhen the occupant’s lower back
presses against the seatback
during a rear-end collision, the
head restraint moves slightly for-
ward and upward to help reduce
the risk of whiplash on the seat
occupant.
Seat position adjustment
lever
Seatback angle adjustment
lever
Vertical height adjustment
lever (if equipped for
driver’s side)
Lumbar support control
switch (if equipped for
driver’s side)

79
1-4. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
■Active head restraints
Even small forces applied to the seatback may cause the head restraint to
move. Pushing up a locked head restraint forcibly may make the inner struc-
ture of the head restraint appear. This does not indicate a problem.
CAUTION
■Seat adjustment
● Be careful that the seat does not hit passengers or luggage.
● Do not recline the seat more than necessary when the vehicle is in motion
to reduce the risk of sliding under the lap belt. 
If the seat is too reclined, during an accident the lap belt may slide past the
hips and apply restraint forces directly to the abdomen or your neck may
contact the shoulder belt, increasing the risk of death or serious injury.
● After adjusting the seat, make sure that the seat is locked in position.
During 
rear-end 
collision
Inner 
structure

80
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
Rear seats
■Remove the seat belt from the guide
■ Returning rear seatbacks
The seatbacks can be folded down.
Fold the seatback down while
pushing the lock release but-
ton.
Press the button until the lock
is completely released.
If the seat belt interferes with luggage on
the folded seats, remove the seat belt
from the guide.
Tilt the rear seatback up until it locks,
making sure that you hold the seat belt to
prevent it from getting caught between
the seatback and the inner side of the
vehicle.
If the seat belt is removed from the guide,
make sure the belt pass through the
guide.