2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V Owners Manual (in English)

81
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
1
Before driving
PRIUS v_U (OM47784U)
CAUTION
■
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, sudden swerving 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
have heat exhaustion.
● Do not allow a child to open or close the back door.
Doing so may cause the back door to move unexpectedly, or cause the
child’s hands, head, or neck to be caught by the closing back door.

82 1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
PRIUS v_U (OM47784U)
CAUTION
■Operating the back door
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause parts of the body to be caught, resulting in death
or serious 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 to 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.
● 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.

83
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
1
Before driving
PRIUS v_U (OM47784U)
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.
● If a bicycle carrier or similar heavy object is attached to the back door, it
may fall closed again after being opened, causing someone’s hands, head
or neck to be caught and injured. When installing an accessory part to the
back door, using a genuine Toyota part is recommended.
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

84
PRIUS v_U (OM47784U)
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
Front seats
Seat position adjustment
lever
Seatback angle adjustment
lever
Vertical height adjustment
lever (for driver’s side)
*
Lumbar support adjustment
switch (for driver’s side)
*
*
: If equipped

85
1-4. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
PRIUS v_U (OM47784U)
Flattening the seatbacks
■ Before flattening the seatbacks
Stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Apply the parking brake firmly and shift the shift position to P.
(P. 188)
Slide the rear seats as far back as possible. (P. 8 8 )
■ Flattening the seatbacks
Move the front seat forward and
remove the head restraint.
( P. 93)
Pull the seatback angle adjust-
ment lever to flatten the seat-
back.
To return the seats, reverse the procedure.
After returning the seats to their original position, make sure to
replace the head restraint.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3

86 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS v_U (OM47784U)
CAUTION
■Seat adjustment
● To reduce the risk of sliding under the lap belt during a collision, do not
recline the seat more than necessary.
If the seat is too reclined, 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 in the event of
an accident.
Adjustments should not be made while driving as the seat may unexpect-
edly move and cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
● After adjusting the seat, make sure that the seat is locked in position.
■ Flattening the seats
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
● Do not flatten the seats while driving.
● In a flat place, firmly apply the parking brake and shift the shift position to
P.
● Do not flatten the seats if they are occupied.
● Be careful not to get feet or hands caught in the moving parts or joints of
the seats while flattening.
● Do not allow children to flatten the seats.
● Do not drive with passengers sitting on the flattened seatback or in the lug-
gage compartment.

87
1-4. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
PRIUS v_U (OM47784U)
CAUTION
●Do not drive with luggage or passengers on the flattened seats.
● Do not allow children to enter the luggage compartment.
● After flattening, gently rock the seats to ensure they are firmly in place.
● Make sure that the seat belts are not caught in the gaps between the
seats.
■ After returning the seats to their upright positions
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
● Gently rock the seats back and forth to ensure they are firmly in place.
● Be careful not to catch the seat belts.
NOTICE
■Flattening the seats
● When returning the seatback, adjust the reclining setting while holding the
seatback.
● Do not move around on top of the flattened seats. Also, when climbing
over a seat, move carefully and step on the center of the seat.

88
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS v_U (OM47784U)
Rear seats
Seatback angle adjustment
lever
Seat position adjustment
lever