Page 43 of 640
43
1-1. Hybrid system
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
NOTICE
■
Hybrid battery (traction battery) air vent
●Do not put foreign objects near the air vent. The hybrid battery (traction
battery) may overheat and be damaged.
● Clean the air vent regularly to prevent the hybrid battery (traction battery)
from overheating.
● Do not wet or allow foreign substances to enter the air vent as this may
cause a short circuit and damage the hybrid battery (traction battery).
● Do not carry large amounts of water such as water cooler bottles in the
vehicle. If water spills onto the hybrid battery (traction battery), the battery
may be damaged. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer.
● If the rear seat belt becomes separated from the guide ( P. 105), it could
obstruct the hybrid battery (traction battery) air vent. Set the rear seat belt
into the guide to use.
Page 94 of 640

94 1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
CAUTION
■To prevent an accident
Observe the following precautions while driving the vehicle.
Failure to do so may result in a door opening and an occupant falling out,
resulting in death or serious injury.
●Always use a seat belt.
● Always lock all the doors.
● Ensure that all doors are properly closed.
● Do not pull the inside handle of the doors while driving.
The doors may be opened and the passengers are thrown out of the vehi-
cle and it may result in serious injury or death.
Be especially careful for the front doors, as the doors may be opened even
if the inside lock buttons are in locked position.
● Set the rear door child-protector locks when children are seated in the rear
seats.
■ When opening or closing a door
Check the surroundings of the vehicle such as whether the vehicle is on an
incline, whether there is enough space for a door to open and whether a
strong wind is blowing. When opening or closing the door, hold the door han-
dle tightly to prepare for any unpredictable movement.
Page 103 of 640
103
1-4. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(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
Page 104 of 640
104
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(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
Page 105 of 640
105
1-4. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
Folding down the seatbacks
Fold the seatback down while
pushing the lock release button.
To return the rear seatbacks to
their original positions, lift them
up until they lock.
■Remove the seat belt from the guide
■ Returning rear seatbacks
If the seat belt interferes with luggage on
the folded seats, remove the seat belt
from the guide.
Tilt the rear seatback up until it locks,
making sure that you hold the seat belt to
prevent it from getting caught between
the seatback and the inner side of the
vehicle.
If the seat belt is removed from the guide,
make sure the belt pass through the
guide.
Page 106 of 640

106 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
CAUTION
■When folding the seatbacks down
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
●Do not fold the seatbacks down while driving.
● Stop the vehicle on level ground, set the parking brake and shift the shift
position to P.
● Do not allow anyone to sit on a folded seatback or in the luggage compart-
ment while driving.
● Do not allow children to enter the luggage compartment.
■ After returning the seatback to the upright position
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
● Check that the seat belts are not twisted or caught in the seatback.
●Make sure that the seatback is securely
locked in position by lightly pushing it
back and forth.
If the seatbacks is not securely locked,
the red marking will be visible on the
seatback lock release button. Make
sure that the red marking is not visible.
Page 111 of 640
111
1
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
Seat belts
Make sure that all occupants are wearing their seat belts before driv-
ing the vehicle.
■Correct use of the seat belts
●Extend the shoulder belt so
that it comes fully over the
shoulder, but does not
come into contact with the
neck or slide off the shoul-
der.
● Position the lap belt as low
as possible over the hips.
● Adjust the position of the
seatback. Sit up straight
and well back in the seat.
● Do not twist the seat belt.
■ Fastening and releasing the seat belt
To fasten the seat belt, push
the plate into the buckle
until a click sound is heard.
To release the seat belt,
press the release button
with a hand on the plate.
Release button
Page 112 of 640
112 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS_OM_OM47857U_DVD_(U)
Seat belt pretensioners (front seats)
The pretensioner helps the seat
belt to quickly restrain the occu-
pant by retracting the seat belt
when the vehicle is subjected to
certain types of severe frontal
collision.
The pretensioner does not acti-
vate in the event of a minor frontal
impact, a side impact, a rear
impact or a vehicle rollover.
■Adjusting the seat belt shoulde r anchor height (front seats)
Push the seat belt shoulder
anchor down while pressing
the release button.
Push the seat belt shoulder
anchor up.
Move the height adjuster up
and down as needed until you
hear a click.