
132
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3-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
NOTICE
■Sliding door
■ To prevent damage to your vehicle
●Vehicles with the power sliding door: 
• Do not apply excessive force when the sliding door is operating.
• Do not place your hand or foot near door hinges or rollers when the slid-
ing door is operating.
• Avoid  forcibly  opening  the  left  side  sliding  door  fully  when  the  fuel  filler door is opened. Otherwise, the fuel filler door may be damaged.
• Take care not to damage the sensors (installed on the front edge of the power sliding door) with a knife or other sharp object.
● Make sure there is nothing in the doorway before closing.
● Do not close the sliding door by applying the brakes. Doing so could cause
the sliding door to be damaged.
Make  sure  magazines  are  not  bent  or
protruding  from  the  sliding  door  pockets.
Do not insert anything too big so that the
shape  of  the  sliding  door  pockets  is  dis-
torted.  Such  objects  may  obstruct  the
opening/closing  of  the  sliding  doors,
damage  the  sliding  door  pockets  or  the
vehicle  body,  and  may  result  in  a  mal-
function. 

SIENNA_OM_OM08007U_(U)
1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■When starting off on a uphill (vehicles  with a hill-start assist control sys-
tem)
The hill-start assist control is available. ( P. 297)
■ Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the win-
dows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
● Refrain  from  high  speeds  when  driving  on  an  expressway  in  the  rain,
because there may be  a layer of  water  between the tires  and  the road sur-
face, preventing the steering and  brakes from operating properly.
■ Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving. 
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation to
meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
● When the accelerator pedal is released
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom-
mended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 1000 miles (1600 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.
■ Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake
system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the
parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Toyota dealer per-
form the bedding down operation.
Starting off on a steep uphill
1
2
3 

SIENNA_OM_OM08007U_(U)
1974-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
●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. 537
● 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. 234)
● Do  not adjust the  position 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.
● AWD models: Do not drive the vehicle off-road.
This is not an AWD vehicle designed for off-road driving. Proceed with all
due caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.
● AWD models: Do not drive across a river or through other bodies of water.
This  may  cause  electric/electronic  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 per-
mits 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  y our  vehicle  are  high-speed  capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds. 

198
SIENNA_OM_OM08007U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
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 functioning properly. If the brakes on only one 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 posi-
tion,  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 performance, resulting in
an accident 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.
● Moving  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. 

SIENNA_OM_OM08007U_(U)
2014-1. Before driving
4
Driving
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  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.
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 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. Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■ If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or
the  vehicle  is  stuck  in  sand  or  mud,  etc.  This  may  damage  the  driveline
components or unexpectedly propel the vehicle forward or backward, caus-
ing an accident. 

210
SIENNA_OM_OM08007U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
Trailer towing (with towing package)
Contact  your  Toyota  dealer  for  further  information  about  additional
requirements such as a towing kit, etc.
■GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating)
The  maximum  allowable  gross
combination  weight.  The  gross
combination  weight  is  the  sum
of  the  total  vehicle  weight
(including  the  occupants,  cargo
and  any  optional  equipment
installed on the vehicle) and the
weight of the trailer being towed
(including  the  cargo  in  the
trailer).
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a passenger-and-load-car-
rying vehicle. Towing a trailer can have an adverse impact on
handling, performance, braking, durability, and fuel consump-
tion. For your safety and the safe ty of others, you must not over-
load your vehicle or trailer. You must also ensure that you are
using appropriate towing equipmen t, that the towing equipment
has been installed correctly a nd used properly, and that you
employ the requisite  driving habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and braking performance are affected by
trailer stability, brake performance and setting, trailer brakes,
the hitch and hitch systems (if equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care and drive the vehicle in
accordance with your trailer’s characteristics and operating
conditions.
Toyota warranties do not apply to damage or malfunction
caused by towing a trailer for commercial purposes.
Towing related terms 

212
SIENNA_OM_OM08007U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
■TWR (Trailer Weight Rating)
The  maximum  allowable  gross
trailer  weight.  The  gross  trailer
weight  is  the  sum  of  the  trailer
weight  and  the  weight  of  the
cargo in the trailer.
TWR  is  calculated  assuming
base  vehicle  with  one  driver,
one  front  passenger,  towing
package,  hitch  and  hitch  sys-
tems (if required).
Additional optional equipment, passengers and cargo in the vehicle will
reduce the trailer weight rating so as not to exceed GCWR, GVWR and
GAWR.
If the gross trailer weight exceeds 3000 lb. (1360 kg), it is recommended
to use a trailer with 2 or more axles.
■
Unbraked TWR (Unbraked Trailer Weight Rating)
The trailer weight rating for tow-
ing a trailer without a trailer ser-
vice brake system.
■Tongue Weight
The  load  placed  on  the  trailer
hitch ball. ( P. 215)
(With brakes)
(Without brakes) 

SIENNA_OM_OM08007U_(U)
2134-1. Before driving
4
Driving
●The gross trailer weight must never exceed 3500 lb. (1585 kg).
●The  gross  combination  weight  must  never  exceed  the  GCWR
described below.
2WD models: 8900 lb. (4037 kg)
AWD models: 8990 lb. (4078 kg)
●The  gross  vehicle  weight  must
never  exceed  the  GVWR  indi-
cated on the Certification Label.
● The  gross  axle  weight  on  each
axle  must  never  exceed  the
GAWR  indicated  on  the  Certifi-
cation Label.
● If the gross trailer weight is over the unbraked TWR, trailer service
brakes are required.
● If the gross trailer weight is over  2000 lbs. (907 kg), a sway control
device with sufficient capacity is required.
Weight limits
: The towing package is required. Toyota  does  not  recommend  towing  with  this  vehicle  without  the  towing
package.