Page 158 of 716
1583-3. Adjusting the seats
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)■
Before folding down the second seats
Stow the armrest. ( →P. 468)
With a side table: Stow the side table. ( →P. 470)
Stow the second seat belt buckles.
Pass the outer seat belts
through the seat belt hangers
and secure the seat belt
plates.
This prevents the shoulder belts
from being damaged.
Make sure that the seat belts
are removed from the hangers
before using them.
Lower the head restraints to the lowest position. ( →P. 167)
Folding down the second seats
1
2
3
Without a side tableWith a side table
4
5
Page 160 of 716
1603-3. Adjusting the seats
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)■
Returning the second seats
Lift up the seatbacks until they
lock.
■Before folding down the third seats
Stow the third seat belt buck-
les.
Pass the outer seat belts
through the seat belt hangers
and secure the seat belt
plates.
This prevents the shoulder belts
from being damaged.
Make sure that the seat belts
are removed from the hangers
before using them.
Lower the head restraints to the lowest position. ( →P. 167)
Folding down the third seats
1
2
3
Page 162 of 716

1623-3. Adjusting the seats
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
WARNING
■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.
● Do not fold down a rear seatback when there are passengers sitting in the
rear seats or when there is luggage placed on the rear seats.
● Be careful not to catch your hand when folding the rear seatbacks.
■ 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.
● Be careful that the seat does not hit passengers or luggage.
● Be careful not to get your hands or feet caught in the seat.
■ After adjusting or returning the seats
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
● Make sure that the seat and seatback are securely locked in position by
lightly rocking them back and forth.
● Check that the seat belts are not twisted or caught in the seatback.
Page 171 of 716
171
3
Operation of each component
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
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
Adjustment procedure
1
2
Horn
Page 172 of 716
1723-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
WARNING
■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 198 of 716

1984-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scrapi ng 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 depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
If the shift lever is in any position other than P or N, the vehicle may accel-
erate suddenly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
● In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while stopped with the “READY” indicator is
illuminated, 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 combusti\
ble
material is nearby.
Page 200 of 716

2004-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■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 fol-
low other vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require brak-
ing.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
● The brake system consists of 2 or more individual hydraulic systems; if
one of the systems fails, the other(s) will 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
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 the driveline com-
ponents or propel the vehicle forward or backward, causing an accident.
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.
Page 204 of 716

2044-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_HV_U (OM48F12U)
WARNING
■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.