Page 165 of 680
1653-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
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Operation of each component
NX300h_OM_USA_OM78082U
WA R N I N G
■When driving the vehicle
Observe the following precautions while driving.
Failing 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 mirror s must be extended and properly adjusted
before driving.
■When a mirror is moving
To avoid personal injury and mirror malfunct ion, be careful not to get your hand caught
by the moving mirror.
■When the mirror defoggers are operating
Do not touch the rear view mirror surfaces, as they can become very hot and burn you.
Page 174 of 680

1744-1. Before driving
NX300h_OM_USA_OM78082U
Driving the vehicle
P. 2 0 1
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. ( P. 2 0 8 )
Release the parking brake. ( P. 2 1 4 )
If the parking brake is in automatic mode, the parking brake is released automatically
when shifting the shift lever to any position other than P. ( P. 2 1 3 )
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. ( P. 2 1 4 )
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift lever to P.
( P. 2 0 8 )
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Shift the shift lever to P. ( P. 2 0 8 )
Set the parking brake. ( P. 2 1 4 )
If the parking brake is in automatic mode, the parking brake is set automatically when
shifting the shift lever to P. ( P. 2 1 3 )
Press the power switch to stop the hybrid system.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the electronic key on your person.
If parking on a hill, bloc k the wheels as needed.
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving:
Starting the hybrid system
Driving
Stopping
Parking the vehicle
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Page 180 of 680

1804-1. Before driving
NX300h_OM_USA_OM78082U
WA R N I N G
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 hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, this could caus e an accident or fire due to hybrid system
overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust
gases may collect and enter the vehicle, lead ing 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 electronically controlled brake system does not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is st ill possible, but the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the braking distan ce will increase. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2 or more indi vidual hydraulic systems; if one of the sys-
tems 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.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)
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 th e driveline components or propel the vehi-
cle forward or backward, causing an accident.
Page 181 of 680

1814-1. Before driving
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Driving
NX300h_OM_USA_OM78082U
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving, the
hybrid system output may be restrained.
●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, set the parking brake. Failure to do so may cause the
vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally 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 brak e 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. 5 7 5 )
■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 transmis-
sion, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings and susp ension joints (where possible), and the
function of all joints, bearings, etc.
Page 193 of 680

1934-1. Before driving
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Driving
NX300h_OM_USA_OM78082U
●Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires practice. Grip the
bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the left to move the
trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to move the trailer to right. (This
is generally opposite to reversing without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or
prolonged turning. Have someone guid e you when reversing to reduce the
risk of an accident.
●As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of speed, allow at least
one vehicle and trailer length.
●Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, re sulting in the trailer jackknifing and a
loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or slippery surfaces.
●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
●Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before making turn.
●Note that when making a turn, the traile r wheels will be closer than the vehicle
wheels to the inside of the turn. Comp ensate by making a wider than normal
turning radius.
●Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery surfaces,
etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
●Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires considerable dis-
tance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of your trailer, and be
sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.
●To maintain engine braking efficiency and charging system performance
when using engine braking, do no t put the transmission in D. (P. 2 0 8 )
●Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or long downhill
grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do not make sudden
downshifts while descending steep or long downhill grades.
●Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the brakes too fre-
quently. This could cause the brakes to overheat and result in reduced braking
efficiency.
●Due to the added load of the trailer, yo ur vehicle’s engine may overheat on hot
days (at temperatures over 85 F [30 C]) when driving up a long or steep
grade. If the engine coolant temperat ure gauge indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air cond itioning (if in use), pull your vehicle off the road and
stop in a safe spot. ( P. 5 9 9 )
Page 194 of 680

1944-1. Before driving
NX300h_OM_USA_OM78082U
●Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the trailer’s wheels
when parking. Put the transmission in P and apply the parking brake. Avoid
parking on a slope, but if unavoidable, do so only after performing the follow-
ing: Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and trailer’s
wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in place, release the brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
Shift into P and apply the parking brake.
Turn off the hybrid system.
●When restarting after parking on a slope:With the transmission in P, start the hybrid system. Be sure to keep the
brake pedal depressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
If the parking brake is in manual mode, release the parking brake.
( P. 2 1 4 )
Release the brake pedal, and slowly pull or back away from the wheel
blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
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Page 196 of 680

1964-1. Before driving
NX300h_OM_USA_OM78082U
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train components (such as an
engine, transmission, differential or wheel bearing), Lexus recommends that you do not
tow a trailer until the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km), you can start towing.
However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the vehicle at a speed of less than
50 mph (80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent maintenance due to the addi-
tional load. (See “Warranty and Services Guide”, “Owner’s Manual Supplement” or
“Scheduled Maintenance”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ba ll and bracket after approximately 600 miles
(1000 km) of trailer towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can adversely
affect handling of your vehicle and trailer, causing instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer sway ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal i mmediately but very gradually to reduce
speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the steering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer
should stabilize.
●After the trailer sw aying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer. Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the speed at which trailer swaying occurred is beyond
the limit of your particular vehicle-trailer combination. Drive at a lower speed to pre-
vent instability. Remember that swaying of the towing vehicle-trailer increases as
speed increases.
Page 199 of 680
1994-1. Before driving
4
Driving
NX300h_OM_USA_OM78082U
Trailer towing (vehicles without towing package)
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.