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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
IS250/220d/200d_EE
When to contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly
qualified and equipped professional
In the following cases, contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or
another duly qualified and equipped professional, 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 the doors 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,
dashboard or lower portion of the
instrument panel is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
The surface of the seats with the side
airbag is scratched, cracked, or other-
wise damaged.
The portion of the front pillars, rear
pillars or roof side rail garnishes (pad-
ding) containing the curtain shield air-
bags inside is scratched, cracked, or
otherwise damaged.
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1-7. Safety information
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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.
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is the first 50 - 75 mm (2 - 3 in.) of
inflation, placing yourself 250 mm (10 in.) 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 250
mm (10 in.) 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 250 mm
(10 in.) distance, even with the driver seat all the way forward, simply
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
airbag toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended above, while still maintain-
ing control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view of the instru-
ment panel controls.
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1-7. Safety information
IS250/220d/200d_EE
CAUTION
SRS airbag precautions
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, steering wheel pad and lower
portion of the instrument panel.
These items can become projectiles
when SRS driver, front passenger and
knee airbags deploy.
Do not attach anything to areas such
as the door, windshield glass, side
door glass, front and rear pillars, roof
side rail or assist grip. (Except for the
speed limit label P. 502)
Do not hang coat hangers or other hard
objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and
seriously injure or kill you, should the
SRS curtain shield airbag deploy.
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1-7. Safety information
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Before driving
IS250/220d/200d_EE
CAUTION
SRS airbag precautions
If a vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbag will deploy,
be sure to remove it.
Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side air-
bags inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags.
Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS air-
bag components shown on P. 111.
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS air-
bags have deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
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 pillar garnish, are damaged or cracked, have them replaced
by any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and
equipped professional.
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1-7. Safety information
IS250/220d/200d_EE
CAUTION
Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifica-
tions without consulting any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another
duly qualified and equipped professional.
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 an RF-transmitter or CD players.
Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability
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2-1. Driving procedures
IS250/220d/200d_EE
Starting off on a hill (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Hill-start assist control will operate. (P. 223)
Driving in the rain
Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road sur-
face, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driv-
ing. This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implemen-
tation to meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
When the accelerator pedal is released
Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recom-
mended to observe:
For the first 300 km (186 miles):
Avoid sudden stops.
For the first 800 km (500 miles):
Do not tow a trailer.
For the first 1000 km (621 miles):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
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2-1. Driving procedures
IS250/220d/200d_EE
CAUTION
When starting the vehicle
With automatic transmission vehicles, always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
When driving the vehicle
Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi-
culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the
vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator
pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake
pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materi-
als.
With automatic transmission vehicles, 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 trunk is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can
cause driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a serious
health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Lexus dealer
or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional, immedi-
ately.
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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
IS250/220d/200d_EE
CAUTION
On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not shift the shift lever to
P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
Do not shift the shift lever to D (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
or 1 (vehicles with a manual transmission) while the vehicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is
selected.
During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more difficult
to steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as
it is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 5 3 1
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. 161)
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.