
2114-1. Before driving
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Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
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, set the pa rking 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 following 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. 549)
■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, rear differential (AWD models), etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings and su spension joints (where possible), and the
function of all joints, bearings, etc.

2174-1. Before driving
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Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
Contact your Lexus dealer for further information about additional requirements
such as a towing kit, etc.
Trailer towing (vehicles with towing package)
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a passenger-and-load-carrying vehicle.
Towing a trailer can have an adverse im pact on handling, performance, brak-
ing, durability, and fuel consumption. Fo r your safety and the safety of others,
you must not overload your vehicle or trailer. You must also ensure that you
are using appropriate towing equipment, that the towing equipment has been
installed correctly and used properly, and that you employ the requisite driv-
ing habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and braking pe rformance are affected by trailer sta-
bility, brake performance and setting, tr ailer brakes, the hitch and hitch sys-
tems (if equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme ca re and drive the vehicle in accordance
with your trailer’s characteri stics and operating conditions.
Lexus warranties do not apply to damage or malfunction caused by towing a
trailer for commercial purposes.

2234-1. Before driving
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Driving
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Use the wire harness stored in the rear
end under body.
■Auto current cut-off function
In case of over current, the auto cut-off function stops the power flowing to the trailer
lights to prevent damage to the vehicle’s electrical system.
This function is activated when the rated current of any of the following trailer light circuit
components is exceeded:
●Tail lights: maximum 7.8 A
●Stop/turn signal light (right): maximum 4.5 A
●Stop/turn signal light (left): maximum 4.5 A
■When the auto current cu t function is activated
If a trailer light does not come on due to th e activation of the auto current cut function,
the light system will need to be reset.
Follow the reset procedure shown below.
●If a tail light does not come on, turn off the headlight switch.
●If the right-side stop/turn signal light does not come on, put the turn signal in the off
position or remove foot from the brake pedal.
●If the left-side stop/turn signal light does not come on, put the turn signal in the off posi-
tion or remove foot from the brake pedal.
If the emergency flashers do not operate, press the emergency flasher switch to turn
them off.
After the light system is reset, operate the lig ht switches again to see if the lights operate
normally.
If the lights do not operate normally, have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
Connecting trailer lights

2244-1. Before driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an acci-
dent, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when towing:
●Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not exceed the
posted towing speed limit.
●Lexus recommends that the vehicle-traile r speed limit is 65 mph (104 km/h)
on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exce ed this limit, the posted towing speed
limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner’s man-
ual, whichever is lowest. Instability of the towing vehicle-trailer combination
(trailer sway) increases as speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause
loss of control.
●Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-trailer con-
nections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
●Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attached in an area
away from traffic until you become acc ustomed to the feel of the vehicle-
trailer combination.
●Reversing with a trailer attached is di fficult 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 with out 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, resulting in the trailer jackknifing and a
loss of vehicle control. This is especi ally true on wet or slippery surfaces.
●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
●Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, an d slow down before making a turn.
●Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than the vehicle
wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate 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 fo rget the length of your trailer, and be
sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.
Trailer towing tips

2264-1. Before driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
■Matching trailer ball height to trailer coupler height
■Before towing
Check that the followin g conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 589)
●Trailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacturer’s recommendation.
●All trailer lights work as required by law.
●All lights work each time you connect them.
●The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
●The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for improper to ngue weight, overload-
ing, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
●The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
●The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or local regula-
tions. If they do not, install rear view mirrors appropriate for towing purposes.
■AVS (adaptive variable suspension system) (if equipped)
The suspension can be switched fo r improvement in driveability. (P. 382)
No matter which class of tow hitch
applies, for a more safe trailer hookup,
the trailer ball setup
must be the proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
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2

2284-1. Before driving
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WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care and drive the vehicle in accordance with the
trailer’s characteristics and operating conditions. Failure to do so could cause an acci-
dent resulting in deat h or serious injury. Vehicle stab ility and braking performance are
affected by trailer stability, brake setting and performance, and the hitch. Your vehicle
will handle differently when towing a trailer.
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not exceed the TWR, unbraked TWR, GCWR, GVWR or GAWR.
●If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway control device with suffi-
cient capacity is required.
●Adjust the tongue weight within the approp riate range. Place heavier loads as close
to the trailer axle as possible.
●Do not exceed 65 mph (104 km/h), the posted towing speed limit or the speed limit
for your trailer as set forth in your trai ler owner’s manual, whichever is lowest. Slow
down sufficiently before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery surface, etc.
to help avoid an accident. If you experien ce a vehicle-trailer instability from reducing
a certain speed, slow down and make sure you keep your vehicle speed under the
speed of which you experience the instability.
●Do not make jerky, abrupt or sharp turns.
●Do not apply the brakes suddenly as you ma y skid, resulting in jackknifing and loss of
vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or slippery surfaces.
●Do not exceed the trailer hitch assembly weight, gross vehicle weight, gross axle
weight and trailer tongue weight capacities.
●Do not use the following systems when trailer towing.
• Cruise control
*• Dynamic radar cruise control*
• Dynamic radar cruise cont rol with full-speed range*
• LDA (Lane-Departure Alert with steering control)*• LKA (Lane-Keeping Assist)*
• PCS (Pre-Crash Safety system)*
• BSM (Blind Spot Monitor)
*: If equipped
●Slow down and downshift before descending steep or long downhill grades. Do not
make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long downhill grades.
●Vehicle-trailer instability is more likely on steep long downhills. Before descending
steep or long downhill grades, slow down and downshift. Do not make sudden down-
shifts when descending steep or long downhill grades. Avoid ho lding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the brakes too frequently. This could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in reduced braking efficiency.
●Do not tow a trailer when the compact sp are tire is installed on your vehicle.

2294-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
WARNING
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities established by the hitch manu-
facturer. Even though the vehicle may be physically capable of towing a higher weight,
the operator must determine the maximum weight rating of the particular hitch assem-
bly and never exceed the maximum weight rating specified for the trailer-hitch.
Exceeding the maximum weight rating set by the trailer-hitch manufacturer can cause
an accident resulting in death or serious personal injuries.
■When towing a trailer
Lexus recommends trailers with brakes that conform to any applicable federal and
state/provincial regulations.
●If the gross trailer weight exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer brakes are required. Lexus
recommends trailers with brakes that conform to all applicable federal and state/pro-
vincial regulations.
●Never tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic system, as this will lower the vehicle’s braking
effectiveness.
●Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain securely attached to both the trailer
and the vehicle. If damage occurs to the co upling unit or hitch ball, there is danger of
the trailer wandering into another lane.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recommended by your Lexus dealer. Do not install the trailer
hitch on the bumper; this may cause body damage.
■Do not directly splice trailer lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights. Directly splicing trailer lights may damage your
vehicle’s electrical system and cause a malfunction.

232
RX450h_U_OM0E013U4-2. Driving procedures
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is in P.
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
and a message will be
displayed on the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the hybrid system cannot be started.
Press the power switch.
If the “READY” indicator turns on, the
hybrid system will operate normally.
Continue depressing the brake pedal
until the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated.
The hybrid system can be started from
any power switch mode.
Check that the “READY” indicator is illuminated.
The vehicle will not move when the “READY” indicator is off.
Power (ignition) switch
Performing the following operations wh en carrying the electronic key on your
person starts the hybrid system or changes power switch modes.
Starting the hybrid system
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