2013 TOYOTA PRIUS Owners Manual

97
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47791U_(U)
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.

98 1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
PRIUS_OM_OM47791U_(U)
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 suddenly
shut 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 suddenly shut 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 com-
partment.

99
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47791U_(U)
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 suddenly shut 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.
●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.

100 1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
PRIUS_OM_OM47791U_(U)
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

101
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47791U_(U)
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
Front seats
Manual seat (if equipped)
Seat position adjustment
lever
Seatback angle adjustment
lever
Vertical height adjustment
lever (for driver’s side)

102 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS_OM_OM47791U_(U)
Active head restraints
When 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.
Power seat (if equipped for driver’s seat) Seat position adjustment
switch
Seatback angle adjustment
switch
Seat cushion (front) angle
adjustment switch
Vertical height adjustment
switch
Lumbar support adjustment
switch

103
1-4. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47791U_(U)
■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
● 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.
During
rear-end
collision
Inner
structure

104
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS_OM_OM47791U_(U)
Rear seats
Before folding down the seatbacksPark the vehicle in a safe place.
Apply the parking brake firmly and shift the shift position to P.
(P. 207)
Adjust the position of the front seat and the angle of the seat-
back. (
P. 101)
Depending on the position of the front seat, if the seatback is folded
backward, it may interfere with the operation of the rear seat.
Stow the buckle of the seat belts.
Lower the head restraint of the rear seat. (
P. 107)
Vehicles with an armrest: Stow the armrest of the rear seat if it
is pulled out. ( P. 375)
This step is not necessary when operating the driver’s side seat only.
The seatbacks can be folded down.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5