2017 Lexus IS300 warning

1594-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS350/300/200t_U (OM53D76U)
■When starting off on an uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. (→P. 289)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is ra ining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows may
become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, beca use the road surface will be especially slip-
pery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because there may
be a layer of water between the tires and th e road surface, preventing the steering and
brakes from operating properly.
■Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, th e engine speed may become high while driving. This is due
to automatic up-shifting control or down-shi fting implementation to meet driving condi-
tions. It does not indica te sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
●When the accelerator pedal is released
●When the brake pedal is depressed while sport mode is selected
■Restraining the engine output (Brake Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake pedals are depressed at the same time, the engine
output may be restrained.
●A warning message is displayed on the mult i-information display while the system is
operating. If a warning message is shown on the multi-in formation display, read the
message and follow the instructions.
■Restraining sudden start (Dri ve-Start Control) (IS200t)
●When the following unusual operation is performed, the engine output may be
restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D includes M) with the accelerator pedal depressed, a warning message appears on
the multi-information display. ( →P. 527)
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed t oo much while the vehicle is in reverse.
●While Drive-Start Control is being activated, your vehicle may have trouble escaping
from the mud or fresh snow. In such case, deactivate TRAC ( →P. 291) to cancel Drive-
Start Control so that the vehicle may beco me able to escape from the mud or fresh
snow.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observin g the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.

1614-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS350/300/200t_U (OM53D76U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine running. This
prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator ped-
als to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in oper-
ating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving po sture even when moving the vehicle only
slightly. This allows you to depress th e brake and accelerator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay re sponse in an emergency, resulting in an accident.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off while driving
will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems
will be lost. This will make it more difficult to steer and brake, so you should pull over
and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way: →P. 507
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a steep
hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause th e brakes to overheat and lose effective-
ness. ( →P. 177)
●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside rear
view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body are not
outside the vehicle.
●Do not drive across a river or th rough other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/elect ronic components to short circuit, damage the engine or
cause other serious damage to the vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do not
drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h ) may result in tire failure, loss of control and possible
injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or no t before driving at such speeds.

1624-1. Before driving
IS350/300/200t_U (OM53D76U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce your
ability to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine speed
could cause the vehicle to skid.
●After driving through a puddle , lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that the
brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from func-
tioning properly. If the brakes on only on e side are wet and not functioning properly,
steering control may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll
forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering perfor-
mance, resulting in an accide nt or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Shifting the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the engine from
the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is selected.
●Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed. Shifting the
shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of
the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Front brakes only: Moderate levels of brak e pad and disc wear allow enhanced front
braking power. As a result, the discs may wear more quickly than conventional brake
discs. Therefore, when replacing the brake pads, Lexus recommends that you also
have the thickness of the discs measured.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or those
of the brake discs are exceeded.

1634-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS350/300/200t_U (OM53D76U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the shift lever is any position other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly
and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to the ve hicle rolling away, always keep depressing
the brake pedal while the engine is running, and apply the parking brake as neces-
sary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the
vehicle rolling forward or backward, alwa ys 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.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, sp ray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehicle
when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cau se the plastic lenses and plastic mate-
rial of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of the
vehicle, and may also cause a short circui t in the vehicle’s electrical components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a place such as
the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when luggage is loaded or the
seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the windsh ield or windows. Do not place containers
such as air fresheners on th e instrument panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs or con-
tainers may act as lenses, ca using a fire in the vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if th e curved glass is coated with a metallized
film such as a silver-colored one. Reflecte d sunlight may cause the glass to act as a
lens, causing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine and lock the
vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattend ed while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift leve r in P but the parking brake is not set, the
vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately after turn-
ing the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.

1644-1. Before driving
IS350/300/200t_U (OM53D76U)
WARNING
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 over-
heating. Additionally, if the ve hicle 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, bu t the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the braking distan ce will increase. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
●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 hy draulic 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 bra king distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessive ly when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehicle is
stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel the vehi-
cle forward or backward, causing an accident.

1684-1. Before driving
IS350/300/200t_U (OM53D76U)
WARNING
■Things that must not be carried in the trunk
The following things may cause a fire if loaded in the trunk:
●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 hittin g the driver or passengers, possibly causing
an accident.
●Stow cargo and lugg age in the trunk whenever possible.
●To prevent cargo and luggage from sliding forward during braking, do not stack any-
thing in the enlarged trunk. Keep cargo and luggage low, as close to the floor as pos-
sible.
●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 enlarged trunk. It is not designed for passengers.
They should ride in their seats with their seat belts properly fastened.
●Do not place cargo or luggage in or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or re ar seats (when stacking items)
• On the package tray
• On the instrument panel
•On the dashboard
• In front of the Lexus Display Audio scre en (if equipped) or navigation system
screen (if equipped)
●Secure all items in the occupant compartment.
■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 whic h may cause death or serious injury.

1694-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS350/300/200t_U (OM53D76U)
◆Total load capacity (vehicle capacity weight): (→P. 574)
Total load capacity means the combined weight of occupants, cargo and lug-
gage.
◆Seating capacity: 5 occupants (Front 2, Rear 3)
Seating capacity means the maximum number of occupants whose estimated
average weight is 150 lb. (68 kg) per person.
◆Towing capacity
Lexus does not recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle.
◆Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or decrease depending on the weight and the
number of occupants.
■Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire and loading information label. (→P. 486)
Vehicle load limits
Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating capacity, towing capac-
ity and cargo capacity.
WARNING
■Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to the tires, but also degrade steering and braking ability,
resulting in an accident.

1754-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
IS350/300/200t_U (OM53D76U)
■When “Access System with Elec. Key Malfunction See Owner’s Manual” is displayed
on the multi-information display
The system may be malfunctio ning. Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
■If the electronic key battery is depleted
→ P. 493
■Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly and firmly, the engine switch mode may not change
or the engine may not start.
●If attempting to restart the engine immediately after turning the engine switch off, the
engine may not start in some cases. After turning the engine switch off, please wait a
few seconds before restarting the engine.
■If the smart access system wi th push-button start has been deactivated by a customized
setting
→ P. 559
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resu lting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the doors until
the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activation of the steering lock in this cir-
cumstance may lead to an accident, re sulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle, press and hold
the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly 3 times or more in succes-
sion. ( →P. 507)
However, do not touch the engi ne switch while driving except in an emergency. Turning
the engine off while driving will not cause lo ss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. Th is will make it more difficult to steer and
brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.