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77 1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
■When to contact your Toyota dealer
In the following cases, contact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
●Any of the SRS airbags have been inflated.
●The front of the vehicle is damaged or
deformed, or was involved in an acci-
dent that was not severe enough to
cause the SRS airbags to inflate.
●A portion of a door is damaged or
deformed, or the vehicle was involved
in an accident that was not severe
enough to cause the SRS side airbags
and curtain shield airbags to inflate.
●The pad section of the steering wheel
or dashboard (shaded in the illustration)
is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
●The surface of the seats with the side
airbag is scratched, cracked, or other-
wise damaged.
●Curtain shield airbags: The portion of
the front pillars, rear pillars or roof side
rail garnishes (padding) containing the
curtain shield airbags inside is
scratched, cracked or otherwise dam-
aged.
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78 1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the airbags.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
●The driver and all passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts
properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the seat belts.
●The SRS driver airbag deploys with considerable force, and can cause
death or serious injury especially if the driver is very close to the airbag.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for the driver’s airbag is the first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm)
of inflation, placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag pro-
vides you with a clear margin of safety. This distance is measured from the
center of the steering wheel to your breastbone. If you sit less than 10 in.
(250 mm) away now, you can change your driving position in several
ways:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the
pedals comfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat.
Although vehicle designs vary, many drivers can achieve the 10 in.
(250 mm) distance, even with the driver seat all the way forward, sim-
ply by reclining the back of the seat somewhat. If reclining the back of
your seat makes it hard to see the road, raise yourself by using a firm,
non-slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle has that feature.
• If your steering wheel is adjustable, tilt it downward. This points the air-
bag toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while
still maintaining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view of
the instrument panel controls.
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80 1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●Do not allow a child to stand in front of
the SRS front passenger airbag unit or
sit on the knees of a front passenger.
●Do not drive the vehicle while the driver
or passenger has items resting on their
knees.
●Do not lean against the door, the roof
side rail or the front, side and rear pil-
lars.
●Do not allow anyone to kneel on the
passenger seat toward the door or put
their head or hands outside the vehicle.
●Do not attach anything to or lean any-
thing against areas such as the dash-
board or steering wheel pad.
These items can become projectiles
when SRS driver and front passenger
deploy.
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82 1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbag has deployed, open a
door or window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do
so. Wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent skin irritation.
●If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel
pad and front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked, have
them replaced by your Toyota dealer.
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications
without consulting your Toyota dealer.
The SRS airbags 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, side 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 108 of 501
108 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. This may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●Vehicles with an automatic transmission: Do not let the vehicle roll back-
wards while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll forward while the
shift lever is in R. Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor
brake and steering performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the
vehicle.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and
check that the back door is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehi-
cle can cause driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a
serious health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
●Do not under any circumstances shift the shift lever to P (vehicles with an
automatic transmission) or R while the vehicle is moving. Doing so can
cause significant damage to the transmission system and may result in a
loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving. Doing so may
cause insufficient engine braking and lead to an accident.
●Do not turn the engine off while driving. The power steering and brake
booster systems will not operate properly if the engine is not running.
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill. Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to
overheat and lose effectiveness. (P. 120)
●When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking
brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing
an accident.
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving. Doing so may result in a loss of
vehicle control that can cause accidents that may result in death or serious
injury.
●Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their bod-
ies are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
Page 113 of 501
113 2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during
driving. If the brake pedal is depressed while driving with the accelerator
pedal depressed, driving torque may be restrained.
Manual transmission
●Do not shift gears unless the clutch pedal is fully depressed. After shifting,
do not release the clutch abruptly. Doing so may damage the clutch, tran-
saxle and gears.
●Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal while driving.
Doing so may cause clutch trouble.
●Do not use any gears other than the first gear when starting off and mov-
ing forward.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
●Do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle when stopping on an uphill grade.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
●Do not shift into reverse when the vehicle is still moving. Doing so may
damage the clutch, transaxle and gears.
Automatic transmission
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake
pedals together to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Always put the shift lever in P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to
move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for a
long time. Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
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114 2-1. Driving procedures
NOTICE
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
Rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually press the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
●The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Replace a flat tire with a new one. (P. 414)
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle.
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be
sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following.
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, tran-
saxle, transfer (AWD vehicles), differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft (AWD vehicles), bearings and
suspension joints (where possible) and the function of all joints, bearings,
etc.
Page 116 of 501
116 2-1. Driving procedures
■Changing engine switch position
“LOCK”
The steering wheel is locked
and the key can be removed.
(Vehicles with an automatic
transmission: The key can be
removed only when the shift
lever is in P.)
“ACC”
Some electrical components
such as the audio system can
be used.
“ON”
All electrical components can
be used.
“START”
For starting the engine.
