2015 LEXUS RX450h Owners Manual

1692-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving CAUTION■
When driving the vehicle ●
Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator
pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerato r pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may le ad to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your bo dy around, leading to a difficulty 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. 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 acci-
dent.●
When the hybrid vehicle is driven using the electric motor only, no engine noise is
made. As such, pedestrians, people riding bicycles or other people and vehicles
in the surrounding area may not realize that the vehicle is approaching. Even with
the Vehicle Proximity Notification System active, people may not realize the vehi-
cle is approaching when the surrounding area is noisy and so forth. Therefore,
take extra care while driving.●
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.●
Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or
roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may result in an acci dent or damage to the vehicle.●
If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the back door 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 your Lexus dealer immediately.
●
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.

1702-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION●
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 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 hybrid
system. Engine braking is not availabl e with the hybrid system disengaged.●
During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid sys-
tem off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, however,
power assist to the steering will be lost. This will make it more difficult to steer
smoothly, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the vehicle
in the normal way:  P. 7 9 5●
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 effec-
tiveness. (  P. 1 8 6 )●
When stopped on an incline, use the brake pedal and parking brake to prevent
the vehicle from rolling backward or forward, 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, resulting
in death or serious injury.●
Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their body are not
outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.●
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.

1712-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving CAUTION■
When driving on slippery road surfaces ●
Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehi cle, resulting in an accident.●
Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shift changing, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.●
After driving through a pudd le, lightly depress the brak e pedal to make sure that
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from
functioning properly. If the brakes on on ly one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be af fected, resulting in an accident.■
When shifting the shift lever
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or serious injury.■
If you hear a squealing or scraping no ise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have your Lexus dealer check and replac e the brake pads as soon as possible.
Rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or
those of the brake discs are exceeded.

1722-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION■
When the vehicle is stopped ●
Do not depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly
and unexpectedly, causing an accident.●
Do not leave the vehicle with the hybrid system on for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space and
check that exhaust fumes do no t enter the vehicle interior.●
In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the “READY” indicator is on. Apply the parking
brake as necessary.●
If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the
vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal and securely
apply the parking brake as needed.●
Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause the
exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible material is
nearby.

1732-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving CAUTION■
When the vehicle is parked ●
Do not leave glasses, cigarett e lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehi-
cle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic
material of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of
the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehicle's electrical com-
ponents.●
Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a place such
as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when luggage is loaded
or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.●
Do not attach adhesive discs to the wind shield or windows. Do not place contain-
ers such as air fresheners on the instru ment panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs
or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.●
Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a metal-
lized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause the glass to
act as a lens, causing a fire.●
Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the hybrid system
and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the hybrid system is operating.●
Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the hybrid system is operating or immedi-
ately after turning the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.●
Do not leave the hybrid system operating in an area with snow build-up, or where
it is snowing. If snowbanks build up arou nd the vehicle while the hybrid system is
operating, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead to
death or a serious health hazard.

1742-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION■
Exhaust gases
Exhaust gases include harmfu l carbon monoxide (CO) th at is colorless and odor-
less. Inhaling exhaust gases may lead to death or a serious health hazard. ●
If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area, stop the hybrid system. In a closed
area, such as a garage, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may
lead to death or a serious health hazard.●
The exhaust system should be checked occasionally. If there is a hole or crack
caused by corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise, be sure to
have the vehicle inspected and repaired by your Lexus dealer . Failure to do so
may allow exhaust gases to enter the vehicl e, resulting in death or a serious health
hazard.■
When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire due to
hybrid system overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly venti-
lated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to death or a
serious health hazard.■
When braking the vehicle ●
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 electronically controlled brake syst em 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.
●
The brake system consists of 2 or more individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems fails, the other(s) wi ll still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual and the braking distance will increase. Have
your brakes fixed immediately.

1752-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving CAUTION■
If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehi-
cle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel
the vehicle forward or backward, causing an accident.
NOTICE■
When driving the vehicle ●
Do not depress the accelerator and brake pe dals 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 accel erator 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 damag-
ing the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc. ■
If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually depress the brak e pedal to slow down the vehicle.●
It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●
The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
●
The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire (  P. 76 4 )

1762-1. Driving procedures
NOTICE■
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, hybrid trans-
mission, etc., and, for AWD models, the rear electric motor (traction motor).●
Lubricant condition for the bearings, susp ension joints (where possible) and the
function of all joints, bearings, etc.