Page 189 of 732

1894-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E017U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
● Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( →P. 227)
● 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 in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has h\
igh-
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 not before driving at such speeds.
■ 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 functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected.
Page 192 of 732

1924-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E017U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is parked
● Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray 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 cause the plastic lenses and plastic material 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 circuit 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 windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehi-
cle.
● Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a
metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected 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 unattended while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift lever 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 pipe while the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■ 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.
Page 216 of 732

2164-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E017U)
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.
Page 219 of 732

2194-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E017U)
■Turning the key from “ACC” to “LOCK”
Shift the shift lever to P. ( →P. 227)
■ If the engine does not start
The engine immobilizer system may not have been deactivated. ( →P. 80)
Contact your Toyota dealer.
■ When the steering lock cannot be released
■ Key reminder function
A buzzer sounds if the driver’s door is opened while the engine switch is in
the “LOCK” or “ACC” position to remind you to remove the key.Push in the key and turn it to the
“LOCK” position.
1
2
When starting the engine, the engine
switch may seem stuck in the “LOCK”
position. To free it, turn the key while turn-
ing the steering wheel slightly left and
right.
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 resulting in death or serious injury.
■ Caution when driving
Do not turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position while driving. If, in an
emergency, you must turn the engine off while the vehicle is moving, turn
the engine switch only to the “ACC” position to stop the engine. An accident
may result if the engine is stopped while driving. ( →P. 573)
Page 239 of 732
2394-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E017U)
Push the lever away from you
with the headlight switch in the or position.
Press the Automatic High
Beam switch.
The Automatic High Beam indica-
tor will come on when the system
is operating.
Automatic High Beam
The Automatic High Beam uses a camera sensor located behind
the upper portion of the windshiel d to assess the brightness of
the lights of vehicles ahead, streetlights, etc., and automatically
turns the high beams on or off as necessary.
WARNING
■ Limitations of the Automatic High Beam
Do not overly rely on the Automatic High Beam. Always drive safely, taking
care to observe your surroundings and turning the high beams on or off
manually if necessary.
■ To prevent incorrect operation of the Automatic High Beam system
Do not overload the vehicle.
Activating the Automatic High Beam
1
2
Page 247 of 732

2474-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E017U)
WARNING
■Caution regarding the use of windshie ld wipers in “AUTO” mode (vehi-
cles with rain-sensing windshield wipers)
The windshield wipers may operate unexpectedly if the sensor is touched or
the windshield is subject to vibration in “AUTO” mode. Take care that your
fingers etc. do not become caught in the windshield wipers.
■ Caution regarding the use of washer fluid
When it is cold, do not use the washer fluid until the windshield becomes
warm. The fluid may freeze on the windshield and cause low visibility. This
may lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■When the windshield is dry
Do not use the wipers, as they may damage the windshield.
■ When the washer fluid tank is empty
Do not operate the switch continually as the washer fluid pump may over-
heat.
■ When a nozzle becomes blocked
In this case, contact your Toyota dealer.
Do not try to clear it with a pin or other object. The nozzle will be damaged.
Page 253 of 732
2534-4. Refueling
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E017U)
After refueling, turn the fuel tank
cap until you hear a click. Once
the cap is released, it will turn
slightly in the opposite direction.
Closing the fuel tank cap
WARNING
■When replacing the fuel tank cap
Do not use anything but a genuine Toyota fuel tank cap designed for your
vehicle. Doing so may cause a fire or other incident which may result in
death or serious injury.
Page 257 of 732

2574-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U (OM0E017U)
WARNING
■To avoid malfunction of the camera sensor
Observe the following precautions.
Otherwise, the camera sensor may not operate properly, possibly leading to
an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
● Keep the windshield clean at all times.
• If the windshield is dirty or covered with an oily film, water droplets,
snow, etc., clear the windshield.
• If a glass coating agent is applied to the windshield, it will still be \
neces- sary to use the windshield wipers to remove water droplets, etc. from
the area of the windshield in front of the camera sensor.
• If the inner side of the windshield where the camera sensor is installed is dirty, contact your Toyota dealer.
● If the part of the windshield in front of the camera sensor is fogged up or
covered with condensation or ice, use the windshield defogger to remove
the fog, condensation or ice. ( →P. 437, 444)
● If water droplets cannot be properly removed from the area of the wind-
shield in front of the camera sensor by the windshield wipers, replace the
wiper insert or wiper blade.
If the wiper inserts or wiper blades need to be replaced, contact your Toy-
ota dealer.
● Do not attach window tinting to the windshield.
● Replace the windshield if it is damaged or cracked.
If the windshield needs to be replaced, contact your Toyota dealer.
● Do not get the camera sensor wet.
● Do not allow bright lights to shine into the camera sensor.
● Do not dirty or damage the camera sensor.
When cleaning the inside of the windshield, do not allow glass cleaner to
contact the lens. Also, do not touch the lens.
If the lens is dirty or damaged, contact your Toyota dealer.
●Do not install an antenna or attach stick-
ers (including transparent stickers) or
other items to the area of the windshield
in front of the camera sensor (shaded
area in the illustration).