Page 138 of 586
1373-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
3
Operation of each component
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
CAUTION
■Important points while driving
Observe the following precautions while driving.
Failure to do so may result in loss of control of the vehicle and cause an accident, result-
ing in death or serious injury.
●Do not adjust the mirrors while driving.
●Do not drive with the mirrors folded.
●Both the driver and passenger side mirrors must be extended and properly adjusted
before driving.
■When the mirror defoggers are operating
Do not touch the rear view mirror surfaces, as they can become very hot and burn you.
Page 147 of 586

146
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)4-1. Before driving
→
P. 1 5 9
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. ( →P. 1 6 4 )
Release the parking brake. ( →P. 1 7 2 )
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal
to accelerate the vehicle.
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift lever to P or
N. ( →P. 1 6 4 )
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( →P. 1 7 2 )
Shift the shift lever to P. ( →P. 1 6 4 )
If parking on a hill, block the wheels as needed.
Press the engine switch to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you ha ve the electronic key on your person.
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving:
Starting the engine
Driving
Stopping
Parking the vehicle
Starting off on a steep uphill
1
2
3
1
2
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
Page 149 of 586

1484-1. Before driving
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
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 th e location of the brake and accelerator ped-
als 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.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in oper- ating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly. This allows 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, resulting in an accident.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●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. 4 5 7
●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 effective-
ness. ( →P. 1 6 4 )
●Do not adjust the positions 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.
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body are not
outside the vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do not
drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and possible
injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.
Page 152 of 586

1514-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire due to engine over-
heating. Additionally, if the vehicle is park ed in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases
may collect and enter the vehicle, leadin g to death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause one side of
the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also, the parking brake may not
securely hold the vehicle.
●If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the systems fails,
the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual and the br aking distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehicle is
stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel the vehi-
cle forward or backward, causing an accident.
Page 153 of 586

1524-1. Before driving
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving, as
this may restrain driving torque.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Always shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or the
vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of 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.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the follo wing situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( →P. 4 8 6 )
■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 Lexus dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, transmission,
transfer (AWD models), differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspension joints (where
possible), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.
Page 158 of 586
1574-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
Trailer towing
Lexus does not recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle. Lexus also does
not recommend the installation of a tow hitch or the use of a tow hitch carrier
for a wheelchair, scooter, bicycle, etc. Your vehicle is not designed for trailer
towing or for the use of tow hitch mounted carriers.
Page 159 of 586
1584-1. Before driving
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed to be ding hy towed (with 4 wheels on the ground)
behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to your vehicle
Do not tow your vehicle with the four wheels on the ground.
Page 162 of 586

1614-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
■Auto power off function
If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY mode for more than 20 minutes or IGNITION ON
mode (the engine is not running) for more than an hour with the shift lever in P, the engine
switch will automatically turn off. However, this function cannot entirely prevent battery
discharge. Do not leave the vehicle with the engine switch in ACCESSORY or IGNI-
TION ON mode for long periods of ti me when the engine is not running.
■Electronic key battery depletion
→P. 1 0 1
■Conditions affecting operation
→P. 116
■Notes for the entry function
→P. 117
■If the engine does not start
●Check that the shift lever is securely set in P. The engine may not start if the shift lever is
displaced out of P.
●The engine immobilizer system ma y not have been deactivated. (→P. 6 9 )
Contact your Lexus dealer.
■Steering lock
After turning the engine switch off and opening and closing the doors, the steering wheel
will be locked due to the steering lock func tion. Operating the engine switch again auto-
matically cancels the steering lock.
■When the steering lock cannot be released
■Steering lock motor overheating prevention
To prevent the steering lock motor from overheating, operation of the motor may be sus-
pended if the engine is turned on and off repe atedly in a short period of time. In this case,
refrain from operating the engine switch. After about 10 seconds, the steering lock
motor will resume functioning. “Steering Lock active” will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
Check that the shift lever is in P. Press the
engine switch while turning the steering wheel
left and right.