2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER towing

2214-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)■
Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train components
(such as an engine, transmission, differ ential or wheel bearing), Toyota rec-
ommends 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 additional load. (See “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s
Manual Supplement”.)
● Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ball 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 swaying by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal immediately 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 swaying 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 v ehicle-trailer combination. Drive at a
lower speed to prevent instability. Remember that swaying of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer increases as speed increases.

2224-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
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 accident resulting in death or serious injury. Vehicle stability
and braking performance are affected by trailer stability, brake setting and
performance, and the hitch. Your vehi cle 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 sufficient capacity is required.
● If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2268 kg), a weight distributing
hitch with sufficient capacity is required.
● Adjust the tongue weight within the appropriate 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 trailer 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
experience 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 may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or slippery sur-
faces.
● Do not exceed the trailer hitch assembly weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and trailer tongue weight capacities.
● Do not use cruise control when towing.
● Slow down and downshift before descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long
downhill grades.

2234-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
WARNING
●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 downshifts when descending steep or long downhill
grades. Avoid holding 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.
● Vehicles with a compact spare tire: Do not tow a trailer when the compact
spare tire is installed on your vehicle.
■ Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities established by the
hitch manufacturer. 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 assembly 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
Toyota recommends trailers with brakes that conform to any applicable fed-
eral and state/provincial regulations.
●If the gross trailer weight exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer brakes are
required. Toyota recommends trailers with brakes that conform to all appli-
cable federal and state/provincial regulations.
● Never tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic system, as this will lower the vehi-
cle’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 coupling 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 Toyota 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.

2244-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed to be dinghy towed (with 4 wheels
on the ground) behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to your vehicle
■ To prevent causing serious damage to the Dynamic Torque Control
AWD system (AWD models) and transmission
Do not tow your vehicle with 4 wheels on
the ground.
2WD models: Never tow this vehicle from
the rear with the front wheels on the
ground. This may cause serious damage
to the transmission.
AWD models: Never tow this vehicle with
any of the wheels on the ground. This
may cause serious damage to the
Dynamic Torque Control AWD system
and transmission.

2674-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
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WARNING
■To avoid operating the cruise control by mistake
Switch the cruise control off using the “ON-OFF” button when not in use.
■ Situations unsuitable for cruise control
Do not use cruise control in any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in loss of control and could cause an accident resulting
in death or serious injury.
●In heavy traffic
● On roads with sharp bends
● On winding roads
● On slippery roads, such as those covered with rain, ice or snow
● On steep hills
Vehicle speed may exceed the set speed when driving down a steep hill.
● When your vehicle is towing a trailer or during emergency towing

2804-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
WARNING
■Situations unsuitable for dynamic radar cruise control
Do not use dynamic radar cruise control in any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in inappropriate speed control and could cause an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury.
●Roads where there are pedestrians, cyclers, etc.
● In heavy traffic
● On roads with sharp bends
● On winding roads
● On slippery roads, such as those covered with rain, ice or snow
● On steep downhills, or where there are sudden changes between sharp up
and down gradients
Vehicle speed may exceed the set speed when driving down a steep hill.
● At entrances to expressways
● When weather conditions are bad enough that they may prevent the sen-
sors from detecting correctly (fog, snow, sandstorm, heavy rain, etc.)
● When an approach warning buzzer is heard often
● When your vehicle is towing a trailer or during emergency towing
■ When the sensor may not be correct ly detecting the vehicle ahead
In the case of the following and depending on the conditions, operate the
brake pedal when deceleration of the system is insufficient or operate the
accelerator pedal when acceleration is required.
As the sensor may not be able to correctly detect these types of vehicles,
the approach warning ( P. 274) will not be activated, which may lead to an
accident resulting in death or serious injury.
● Vehicles that cut in suddenly
● Vehicles traveling at low speeds
● Vehicles that are not moving in the same lane
● Vehicles with small rear ends (trailers with no load on board etc.)

3114-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)
■The pre-collision system is operational when
The PCS OFF switch is not pressed and the following conditions are met:
● Pre-collision warning:
• Vehicle speed is greater than about 10 mph (15 km/h).
• The speed at which your vehicle is approaching the obstacle or the vehi-
cle running ahead of you is greater than about 10 mph (15 km/h).
● Pre-collision brake assist:
• The VSC OFF switch is not pressed.
• Vehicle speed is greater than about 19 mph (30 km/h).
• The speed at which your vehicle is approaching the obstacle or the vehi-
cle running ahead of you is greater than about 19 mph (30 km/h).
• The brake pedal is depressed.
● Pre-collision braking:
• The VSC OFF switch is not pressed.
• Vehicle speed is greater than about 10 mph (15 km/h).
• The speed at which your vehicle is approaching the obstacle or the vehi-
cle running ahead of you is greater than about 10 mph (15 km/h).
■ Conditions that may trigger the system even if there is no danger of a
collision
In any of the following situations where the frontal area of the radar sensor is
interrupted, the radar sensor may detect possibility of a frontal collision and
the system may be activated.
● When passing by an oncoming vehicle in a curve or a turn to the right or the
left
● When rapidly approaching an obstacle ahead (e.g. preceding vehicle, toll
gate barrier, etc.)
● When there is a structural object (billboard, low ceiling, fluorescent light,
etc.) above the uphill road ahead
● When driving on a narrow road or through under a low overhead structure
(bridge, tunnel, fly-under, etc.)
● When driving on an uneven road surface
● When there is a metal object, bump, or protrusion on the road surface
● When vehicle’s front part is raised or lowered depending on loading condi-
tions
● When the direction of radar sensor is misaligned by strong impact applied
on an area around the radar sensor, etc.
● When there is an obstacle (guard rail, etc.) by the roadside at the entrance
to a curve
● When the front of your vehicle is pointing upwards (caused by towing a
trailer, during emergency towing or putting a heavy load in the luggage com-
partment etc.)
When the system is activated in the situations described above, there is also
a possibility that the brakes may be applied with a force greater than normal.

3224-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U (OM48F09U)■
Conditions under which the Blind Spot Monitor function may not func-
tion correctly
●The Blind Spot Monitor function may not detect vehicles correctly in the fol-
lowing conditions:
• During bad weather such as heavy rain, fog, snow etc.
• When ice or mud etc. is attached to the rear bumper
• When driving on a road surface that is wet due to rain, standing water etc.
• When there is a significant difference in speed between your vehicle and
the vehicle that enters the detection area
• When a vehicle is in the detection area from a stop and remains in the detection area as your vehicle accelerates
• When driving up or down consecutive steep inclines, such as hills, a dip
in the road etc.
• When multiple vehicles approach with only a small gap between each vehicle
• When vehicle lanes are wide, and the vehicle in the next lane is too far away from your vehicle
• When the vehicle that enters the detection area is traveling at about the
same speed as your vehicle
• When there is a significant difference in height between your vehicle and the vehicle that enters the detection area
• Directly after the BSM main switch is set to on
• When towing a trailer
● Instances of the Blind Spot Monitor function unnecessarily detecting a vehi-
cle and/or object may increase under the following conditions:
• When there is only a short distance between your vehicle and a guardrail,
wall etc.
• When there is only a short distance between your vehicle and a following vehicle
• When vehicle lanes are narrow and a vehicle driving 2 lanes across from
your vehicle enters the detection area
• When items such as a bicycle carrier ar e installed on the rear of the vehi-
cle