Page 131 of 528

1313-3. Adjusting the seats
3
Operation of each component
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
CAUTION
■When folding the rear 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
lever 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.
■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.
●Take care when adjusting the seat position to ensure that other passen-
gers are not injured by the moving seat.
●Do not put your hands under the seat or near the moving parts to avoid
injury.
Fingers or hands may become jammed in the seat mechanism.
■After returning the rear seatback to the upright position
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
●Make sure the seatback is securely locked by pushing it forward and rear-
ward on the top.
●Check that the seat belts are not twisted or caught in the seatback.
NOTICE
■Stowing the seat belts
The seat belts and the buckles must be stowed before you fold down the
rear seatbacks.
Page 139 of 528
139
3
Operation of each component
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
3-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
Hold the steering wheel and
push the lever down.
Adjust to the ideal position by
moving the steering wheel hori-
zontally and vertically.
After adjustment, pull the lever up
to secure the steering wheel.
To sound the horn, press on or
close to the mark.
Steering wheel
The steering wheel can be adjusted to a comfortable position.
Adjustment procedure
1
2
Horn
Page 140 of 528
1403-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
CAUTION
■Caution while driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel while driving.
Doing so may cause the driver to mishandle the vehicle and cause an acci-
dent, resulting in death or serious injury.
■After adjusting the steering wheel
Make sure that the steering wheel is securely locked.
Otherwise, the steering wheel may move suddenly, possibly causing an
accident, and resulting in death or serious injury. Also, the horn may not
sound if the steering wheel is not securely locked.
Page 163 of 528

1634-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
Rotor damage may 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.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate
suddenly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the engine is running, and 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.
Page 165 of 528

1654-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
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 overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leading 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.
●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 braking distance will
increase.
If this happens, do not continue to drive the vehicle. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
Page 168 of 528
1684-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following information about storage precau-
tions, cargo capacity and load:
●Stow cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment whenever
possible.
●Be sure all items are secured in place.
●To maintain vehicle balance while driving, position luggage evenly
within the luggage compartment.
●For better fuel economy, do not carry unnecessary weight.
Page 171 of 528

1714-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
■When using the roof rails (if equipped)
●To use the roof rails as a roof luggage
carrier, you must fit the roof rails with
two or more genuine Toyota cross rails
or their equivalent.
●When there is no luggage on the roof
luggage carrier Toyota recommends
that the front and rear cross rails be
secured in the positions indicated in
the illustration. This may reduce wind
noise while driving.
CAUTION
■Things that must not be carried in the luggage compartment
The following things may cause a fire if loaded in the luggage compart-
ment:
●Receptacles containing gasoline
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may prevent the pedals from being depressed properly,
may block the driver’s vision, or may result in items hitting the driver or
passengers, possibly causing an accident.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment whenever possi-
ble.
●Do not stack cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment higher
than the seatbacks.
●Do not place cargo or luggage in or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rear seats (when stacking items)
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard
●Secure all items in the occupant compartment.
●When you fold down the rear seats, long items should not be placed
directly behind the front seats.
●Never allow anyone to ride in the luggage compartment. It is not
designed for passengers. They should ride in their seats with their seat
belts properly fastened. Otherwise, they are much more likely to suffer
death or serious bodily injury, in the event of sudden braking, sudden
swerving or an accident.
Roof rails
Cross rails
Page 172 of 528

1724-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
CAUTION
■Capacity and distribution
●Do not exceed the maximum axle weight rating or the total vehicle
weight rating.
●Even if the total load of occupant’s weight and the cargo load is less
than the total load capacity, do not apply the load unevenly. Improper
loading may cause deterioration of steering or braking control which
may cause death or serious injury.
■When loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier
Observe the following precautions:
●Place the cargo so that its weight is distributed evenly between the
front and rear axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo, never exceed the vehicle overall length
or width. (
P. 4 5 8)
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is securely fastened on the roof
luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier will make the center of grav-
ity of the vehicle higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneuvers, otherwise it may result in loss of
control or vehicle rollover due to failure to operate this vehicle correctly
and result in death or serious injury.
●If driving for a long distance, on rough roads, or at high speeds, stop
the vehicle now and then during the trip to make sure the cross rails
are fixed securely and that the cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 120 lb. (54 kg) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier
Be careful not to scratch the surface of the moon roof (if equipped).