Page 95 of 644
95
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47A17U_DVD_(U)
■
Luggage compartment light
The luggage compartment light turns on when the back door is opened with
the luggage compartment light switch on.
■ If the back door opener is inoperative
The back door can be unlocked from the inside.
Open the center deck board. ( P. 381)
On
Off
STEP 1
Remove the cover. (vehicles with center
auxiliary box type B only)
Move the lever.STEP 2
STEP 3
Page 96 of 644

96 1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
PRIUS_OM_OM47A17U_DVD_(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 allow children to play in the luggage compartment.
If a child is accidentally locked in the luggage compartment, they could
have heat exhaustion or other injuries.
● 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.
Page 97 of 644

97
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47A17U_DVD_(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.
Page 98 of 644
98 1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
PRIUS_OM_OM47A17U_DVD_(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.
Page 99 of 644
99
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47A17U_DVD_(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
Page 102 of 644
102 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS_OM_OM47A17U_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 644
104 1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
PRIUS_OM_OM47A17U_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.
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105
1-4. Adjustable components (s
eats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
PRIUS_OM_OM47A17U_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.