Page 76 of 616
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.
Page 90 of 616

90 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
■Seat belt damage and wear
● 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 a seat
belt. Have any necessary repairs carried out by your Toyota dealer. Inap-
propriate handling of the pretensioner may cause it to activate or operate
improperly and may cause death or serious injury.
■ 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 the event of a sudden stop,
sudden swerve or accident. ( P. 86)
■ 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 SRS warning light will come on. In
that case, the seat belt cannot be used again and must be replaced at
your Toyota dealer.
Page 125 of 616

125
1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
■
SRS airbag precautions
● If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel
pad and front, center and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked,
have them replaced by your Toyota dealer.
● 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 SRS front
passenger airbag may not deploy in the event of a collision.
■ Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perfo rm any of the following modifications
without consulting your Toyota dealer.
The SRS airbag may malfunction or deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing
death or serious injury.
● Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags
● Repairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel,
instrument panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, center and
rear pillars or roof side rail
● Repairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper, or side of the
occupant compartment
● Installation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars, kan-
garoo bar etc.)
● Modifications to the vehicle’s suspension system
● Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios or CD
players
● Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability
Page 130 of 616

130 1-8. Safety information
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant cl assification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding front passenger occupant clas-
sification system.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
● Wear the seat belt properly.
● Make sure the front passenger’s seat belt tab has not been left inserted
into the buckle before someone sits in the front passenger seat.
● Make sure the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is not illuminated when using
the seat belt extender for the front passenger seat. If the “AIR BAG OFF”
indicator light is illuminated, disconnect the extender tongue from the seat
belt buckle, then reconnect the seat belt. Reconnect the seat belt extender
after making sure the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light is illuminated. If you
use the seat belt extender while the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light is illumi-
nated, the front passenger airbag on the front passenger side may not
activate correctly, which could cause death or serious injury in the event of
collision.
● Do not apply a heavy load to the front passenger seat or equipment (e.g.
seatback pocket).
● Do not put weight on the front passenger seat by putting your hands or
feet on the front passenger seatback from the rear passenger seat.
● Do not let a rear passenger lift the front passenger seat with their feet or
press on the seatback with their legs.
● Do not put objects under the front passenger seat.
● Do not recline the front passenger seatback so far that it touches a rear
seat. This may cause the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light to be illuminated,
which indicates that the passenger’s airbags will not deploy in the event of
a severe accident. If the seatback touches the rear seat, return the seat-
back to a position where it does not touch the rear seat. Keep the front\
passenger seatback as upright as possible when the vehicle is moving.
Reclining the seatback excessively may lessen the effectiveness of the
seat belt system.
Page 255 of 616
255
2
When driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
2-5. Driving information
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following information about storage precau-
tions, cargo capacity and load.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment when-
ever possible. Be sure all items are secured in place.
● Be careful to keep the vehicle le vel. Placing the weight as far
forward as possible helps maintain vehicle balance.
● For better fuel economy, do no t carry unnecessary weight.
Page 256 of 616

256 2-5. Driving information
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
Capacity and distributionCargo capacity depends on the total weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load capa city) — (Total weight of occupants)
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit—
(1) Locate the statement “The comb ined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on your vehi-
cle’s placard.
(2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs.
(4) The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lb passengers in your vehicle, the amount of avail-
able cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400 - 750 (5
150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing a tr ailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle. C onsult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity
of your vehicle. ( P. 260)
Toyota does not recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle.
Your vehicle is not designed for trailer towing.
Page 257 of 616

257
2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
Example on your vehicle
Cargo capacity
Total load capacity
When 2 people with the combined weight of 366 lb. (166 kg) are
riding in your vehicle, which has a total load capacity of 825 lb. (370
kg), the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity will be
as follows:
825 lb. — 366 lb. = 459 lb. (370 kg — 166 kg = 204 kg)
In this condition, if 3 more pass engers with the combined weight of
388 lb. (176 kg) get on , the available cargo and luggage load will be
reduced as follows:
459 lb. — 388 lb. = 71 lb. (204 kg — 176 kg = 28 kg)
As shown in the above example, if the number of occupants
increases, the cargo and luggage l oad equaling the combined weight
of the occupants who got on later, by an amount. In other words, if an
increase in the number of occupants causes an excess of the total
load capacity (combined weight of occupants plus cargo and luggage
load), you must reduce the carg o and luggage on your vehicle.
Page 259 of 616
259
2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
PRIUS_U (OM47668U) U.S.A.
CAUTION
■Weight of the load
●Do not exceed the maximum axle weight rating or the total vehicle
weight rating.
●Even if the total load of occupant’s
weight and the cargo load is less
than the total load capacity, do no t apply the load unevenly. Improper
loading may cause deterioration of st eering or braking control which
may cause death or serious injury.