1654-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving Your vehicle will handle differently
when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an
accident, death or serious injury, keep
the following in mind when towing:
Speed limits for towing a trailer vary
by state or province. Do not exceed
the posted towing speed limit.
Lexus recommends that the vehicle-
trailer speed limit is 65 mph (104
km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road.
Do not exceed this limit, the posted
towing speed limit or the speed limit
for your trailer as set forth in your
trailer owner’s manual, whichever is
lowest. Instability of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer combination (trailer
sway) increases as speed increases.
Exceeding speed limits may cause
loss of control.
Before starting out, check the trailer
lights, tires and the vehicle-trailer
connections. Recheck after driving
a short distance.
Practice turning, stopping and
reversing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you
become accustomed to the feel of
the vehicle-trailer combination.
Reversing with a tr ailer attached is
difficult and requires practice. Grip
the bottom of the steering wheel
and move your hand to the left to
move the trailer to the left. Move
your hand to the right to move the
trailer to right. (This is generally
opposite to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have someone
guide you when reversing to reduce
the risk of an accident.
As stopping distance is increased
when towing a trailer, vehicle-to
vehicle distance should be
increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/
h) of speed, allow at least one vehi-
cle and trailer length.
Avoid sudden braking as you may
skid, resulting in the trailer jackknif-
ing and a loss of vehicle control. This
is especially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden accel-
eration.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp
turns, and slow down before making
turn.
Note that when making a turn, the
trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Compensate by making a
wider than normal turning radius.
Slow down before making a turn, in
cross winds, on wet or slippery sur-
faces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can desta-
bilize the trailer.
Take care when passing other vehi-
cles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After pass ing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty of room
before changing lanes.
To maintain engine braking effi-
ciency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking, Trailer towing tips
1874-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving and tail lights of oncoming and preceding
vehicles
• The movement and direction of oncom-
ing and preceding vehicles
• When a oncoming or preceding vehicle
only has operational lights on one side
• When a oncoming or preceding vehicle
is a two-wheeled vehicle
• The condition of the road (gradient,
curve, condition of th e road surface, etc.)
• The number of passengers and amount of
luggage●
High beam may be turned on or off when
unexpected by the driver.●
In the situations below, the system may
not be able to correctly detect the sur-
rounding brightness levels, and may flash
or expose nearby pedestrians to the high
beam. Therefore, you should consider
turning the high beams on or off manually
rather than relying on the Automatic
High Beam system.
• In bad weather (rain, snow, fog, sand-
storms, etc.)
• The windshield is obscured by fog, mist,
ice, dirt, etc.
• The windshield is cracked or damaged.
• The camera sensor is deformed or dirty.
• The camera sensor temperature is
extremely high.
• Surrounding brightness levels are equal
to those of headlights, tail lights or fog
lights.
• Vehicles ahead have headlights or tail
lights that are either switched off, dirty,
are changing color, or are not aimed
properly.
• When driving through an area of inter-
mittently changing brightness and dark-
ness.
• When frequently and repeatedly driving
ascending/descending roads, or roads
with rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces
(such as stone-paved roads, gravel
tracks, etc.).
• When frequently and repeatedly taking
curves or driving on a winding road.
• There is a highly re flective object ahead
of the vehicle, such as a sign or a mirror.
• The back of a vehicle ahead is highly
reflective, such as a container on a truck.
• The vehicle’s headlights are damaged or
dirty. • The vehicle is listing or titling, due to a flat
tire, a trailer being towed, etc.
• The driver believes that the high beam
may be causing problems or distress to
other drivers or pedestrians nearby.
WARNING■
Limitations of the Automatic High
Beam
Do not rely on the Automatic High
Beam. Always drive safely, taking care to
observe your surroundings and turning
high beam on or off manually if neces-
sary.
NOTICE■
Notes when using the Automatic
High Beam system
Observe the following to ensure that the
Automatic High Beam functions cor-
rectly. ●
Do not touch the camera sensor.
●
Do not subject the camera sensor to a
strong impact.
●
Do not disassemble the camera sen-
sor.
●
Do not spill liquids onto the camera
sensor.
●
Do not apply window tinting or stickers
to the camera sensor or the area of
windshield near the camera sensor.
●
Do not place items on the dashboard.
There is a possibility that the camera
sensor will mistake items reflected in
the windshield for streetlights, the
headlights of other vehicles, etc.
204 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U WARNING●
Although this system is designed to
help avoid a collision or help reduce
the impact of the coll ision, its effective-
ness may change according to various
conditions, therefore the system may
not always be able to achieve the same
level of performance.
Read the following conditions care-
fully. Do not overly rely on this system
and always drive carefully.
• Conditions under which the system
may operate even if there is no possi-
bility of a collision: → P.207
• Conditions under which the system
may not operate properly: → P.208●
Do not attempt to test the operation of
the pre-collision system yourself, as the
system may not operate properly, pos-
sibly leading to an accident.■
Pre-collision braking●
When the pre-collision braking func-
tion is operating, a large amount of
braking force will be applied.●
If the vehicle is stopped by the opera-
tion of the pre-collision braking func-
tion, the pre-collision braking function
operation will be canceled after
approximately 2 seco nds. Depress the
brake pedal as necessary.
●
The pre-collision braking function may
not operate if certain operations are
performed by the driver. If the acceler-
ator pedal is being depressed strongly
or the steering wheel is being turned,
the system may determine that the
driver is taking evasive action and pos-
sibly prevent the pre-collision braking
function from operating.
●
In some situations, while the pre-colli-
sion braking function is operating,
operation of the function may be can-
celed if the accelerator pedal is
depressed strongly or the steering
wheel is turned and the system deter-
mines that the driver is taking evasive
action. ●
If the brake pedal is being depressed,
the system may determine that the
driver is taking evasive action and pos-
sibly delay the operat ion timing of the
pre-collision braking function. ■
When to disable the pre-collision sys-
tem
In the following situations, disable the
system, as it may not operate properly,
possibly leading to an accident resulting
in death or serious injury: ●
When the vehicle is being towed ●
When your vehicle is towing another
vehicle ●
When transporting the vehicle via
truck, boat, train or similar means of
transportation ●
When the vehicle is raised on a lift with
the hybrid system on and the tires are
allowed to rotate freely ●
When inspecting the vehicle using a
drum tester such as a chassis dyna-
mometer or speedometer tester, or
when using an on vehicle wheel bal-
ancer ●
When a strong impact is applied to the
front bumper or front grille, due to an
accident or other reasons
●
If the vehicle cannot be driven in a sta-
ble manner, such as when the vehicle
has been in an accid ent or is malfunc-
tioning
●
When the vehicle is driven in a sporty
manner or off-road
●
When the tires are not properly
inflated
●
When the tires are very worn
●
When tires of a size other than speci-
fied are installed
●
When tire chains are installed
2094-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving rounding brightness changes suddenly,
such as at the entrance or exit of a tunnel
• When a very bright light, such as the sun
or the headlights of oncoming traffic,
shines directly in to the camera sensor
• When the surrounding area is dim, such
as at dawn or dusk, or while at night or in
a tunnel
• After the hybrid system has started the
vehicle has not been driven for a certain
amount of time
• While making a left/right turn and for a
few seconds after makin g a left/right turn
• While driving on a curve and for a few
seconds after driving on a curve
• If your vehicle is skidding
• If the front of the vehicle is raised or low-
ered
• If the wheels are misaligned
• If a wiper blade is blocking the camera
sensor
• The vehicle is wobbling.
• The vehicle is being driven at extremely
high speeds.
• When driving on a hill
• If the radar sensor or camera sensor is
misaligned●
In some situations such as the following,
sufficient braking force may not be
obtained, preventing the system from
performing properly:
• If the braking functions cannot operate to
their full extent, such as when the brake
parts are extremely cold, extremely hot,
or wet
• If the vehicle is not properly maintained
(brakes or tires are excessively worn,
improper tire inflation pressure, etc.)
• When the vehicle is being driven on a
gravel road or other slippery surface
●
Some pedestrians such as the following
may not be detected by the radar sensor
and camera sensor, preventing the sys-
tem from operating properly: • Pedestrians shorter than approximately
3.2 ft. (1 m) or taller than approximately
6.5 ft. (2 m)
• Pedestrians wearing oversized clothing
(a rain coat, long skir t, etc.), making their
silhouette obscure
• Pedestrians who are carrying large bag-
gage, holding an umbrella, etc., hiding
part of their body
• Pedestrians who are bending forward or
squatting
• Pedestrians who are pushing a stroller,
wheelchair, bicycle or other vehicle
• Groups of pedestrians which are close
together
• Pedestrians who are wearing white and
look extremely bright
• Pedestrians in the dark, such as at night
or while in a tunnel
• Pedestrians whose clothing appears to
be nearly the same color or brightness as
their surroundings
• Pedestrians near walls, fences, guardrails,
or large objects
• Pedestrians who are on a metal object
(manhole cover, steel plate, etc.) on the
road
• Pedestrians who are walking fast
• Pedestrians who are changing speed
abruptly
• Pedestrians running out from behind a
vehicle or a large object
• Pedestrians who are extremely close to
the side of the vehicle (outside rear view
mirror, etc.) ■
If the PCS warning light flashes or illumi-
nates and a warning message is dis-
played on the multi-information display
The pre-collision system may be temporar-
ily unavailable or there may be a malfunc-
tion in the system.
●
In the following situations, the warning
light will turn off, the message will disap-
pear and the system will become opera-
tional when normal operating conditions
return:
• When the radar sensor or camera sensor
or the area around either sensor is hot,
such as in the sun
• When the radar sensor or camera sensor
or the area around either sensor is cold,
such as in an extremely cold environment
• When a front sensor is dirty or covered
212 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U Press the LDA switch to turn the LDA
system on. The LDA indicator illuminates and a mes-
sage is displayed on the multi-information
display.
Press the LDA switch again to turn the
LDA system off.
When the LDA system is turned on or off,
operation of the LDA system continues in WARNING■
Before using LDA system
Do not rely solely upon the LDA system.
The LDA system does not automatically
drive the vehicle or reduce the amount of
attention that must be paid to the area in
front of the vehicle. The driver must
always assume full responsibility for driv-
ing safely by paying careful attention to
the surrounding conditions and operat-
ing the steering wheel to correct the path
of the vehicle. Also, the driver must take
adequate breaks when fatigued, such as
from driving for a long period of time.
Failure to perform appropriate driving
operations and pay careful attention may
lead to an accident, resulting in death or
serious injury. ■
To avoid operating LDA system by
mistake
When not using the LDA system, use the
LDA switch to turn the system off. ■
Situations unsuitable for LDA system
Do not use the LDA system in the follow-
ing situations.
The system may not operate properly
and lead to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
●
A spare tire, tire chains, etc. are
equipped.
●
When the tires have been excessively
worn, or when the tire inflation pres-
sure is low.
●
Tires which differ by structure, manu-
facturer, brand or tread pattern are
used.
●
Objects or patterns that could be mis-
taken for white (yellow) lines are pres-
ent on the side of th e road (guardrails,
curbs, reflective poles, etc.).
●
Vehicle is driven on a snow-covered
road.
●
White (yellow) lines are difficult to see
due to rain, snow, fog, dust, etc. ●
Asphalt repair marks, white (yellow)
line marks, etc. are present due to road
repair. ●
Vehicle is driven in a temporary lane or
restricted lane due to construction
work. ●
Vehicle is driven on a road surface
which is slippery due to rainy weather,
fallen snow, freezing, etc. ●
Vehicle is driven in traffic lanes other
than on highways and freeways. ●
Vehicle is driven in a construction
zone. ●
Vehicle is towing a trailer or another
vehicle. ■
Preventing LDA system malfunctions
and operations performed by mistake ●
Do not modify the headlights or place
stickers, etc. on the surface of the
lights. ●
Do not modify the suspension etc. If
the suspension etc. needs to be
replaced, contact your Lexus dealer. ●
Do not install or place anything on the
hood or grille. Also, do not install a
grille guard (bull bars, kangaroo bar,
etc.).
●
If your windshield needs repairs, con-
tact your Lexus dealer.
Turning LDA system on
2534-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving WARNING■
Stopping distance when the ABS is
operating may exceed that of normal
conditions
The ABS is not designed to shorten the
vehicle’s stopping di stance. Always main-
tain a safe distance from the vehicle in
front of you, especially in the following
situations: ●
When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-
covered roads●
When driving with tire chains●
When driving over bumps in the road●
When driving over roads with potholes
or uneven surfaces■
TRAC/VSC may not operate effec-
tively when
Directional control and power may not
be achievable while driving on slippery
road surfaces, even if the TRAC/VSC
system is operating.
Drive the vehicle carefully in conditions
where stability and power may be lost. ■
Hill-start assist control does not oper-
ate effectively when●
Do not overly rely on the hill-start
assist control. Hill-start assist control
may not operate effectively on steep
inclines and roads covered with ice.
●
Unlike the parking brake, hill-start
assist control is not intended to hold
the vehicle stationary for an extended
period of time. Do not attempt to use
hill-start assist control to hold the vehi-
cle on an incline, as doing so may lead
to an accident.
■
When the TRAC/ABS/VSC/Trailer
Sway Control is activated
The slip indicator light flashes. Always
drive carefully. Re ckless driving may
cause an accident. Exercise particular
care when the indicator light flashes. ■
When the TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway
Control systems are turned off
Be especially careful and drive at a speed
appropriate to the road conditions. As
these are the systems to help ensure
vehicle stability and driving force, do not
turn the TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway Con-
trol systems off unless necessary.
Trailer Sway Control is part of the VSC
system and will not operate if VSC is
turned off or experiences a malfunction. ■
Replacing tires
Make sure that all ti res are of the speci-
fied size, brand, tread pattern and total
load capacity. In addition, make sure that
the tires are inflated to the recom-
mended tire inflation pressure level.
The ABS, TRAC, Trailer Sway Control
and VSC systems will not function cor-
rectly if different tire s are installed on the
vehicle.
Contact your Lexus dealer for further
information when replacing tires or
wheels. ■
Handling of tires and the suspension
Using tires with any kind of problem or
modifying the suspensi on will affect the
driving assist systems, and may cause a
system to malfunction.
■
Trailer Sway Control precaution
The Trailer Sway Control system is not
able to reduce trailer sway in all situa-
tions. Depending on many factors such
as the conditions of the vehicle, trailer,
road surface and driving environment,
the Trailer Sway Control system may not
be effective. Refer to your trailer owner’s
manual for information on how to tow
your trailer properly.
■
If trailer sway occurs
Observe the following precautions.
Failing to do so may cause death or seri-
ous injury.
●
Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer
straight ahead. Do not try to control
trailer sway by turning the steering
wheel.
256 4-6. Driving tips
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U Control and maintain the vehicle at a
constant speed. Before stopping at a
toll booth or similar, allow plenty of
time to release the accelerator and
gently apply the brakes. A greater
amount of electrical energy can be
regenerated when slowing down.
Use the air conditioning only when
necessary. Doing so can help reduce
excessive gasoline consumption.
In summer: When the ambient tem-
perature is high, use the recirculated
air mode. Doing so will help to reduce
the burden on the air conditioning sys-
tem and reduce fuel consumption as
well.
In winter: Because the gasoline engine
will not automatically cut out until it and
the interior of the vehicle are warm, it
will consume fuel. Also, fuel consump-
tion can be improved by avoiding over-
use of the heater.
Make sure to check the tire inflation
pressure frequently. Improper tire infla-
tion pressure can cause poor fuel
economy.
Also, as snow tires can cause large
amounts of friction, their use on dry
roads can lead to poor fuel economy.
Use tires that are appropriate for the
season. Carrying heavy luggage will lead to
poor fuel economy. Avoid carrying
unnecessary luggage. Installing a large
roof rack will also cause poor fuel
economy.
Since the gasoline engine starts up and
cuts out automatically when cold,
warming up the engine is unnecessary.
Moreover, frequently driving short dis-
tances will cause the engine to repeat-
edly warm up, which can lead to excess
fuel consumption.Highway driving
Air conditioning
Checking tire inflation pressure Luggage
Warming up before driving
3095-5. Using the other interior features
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 5
Interior features When the power switch is turned to
ON mode, the red indicator light
comes on for 2 seconds then turns off.
Afterward, the gree n indicator light
comes on, indicating that the service is
active.
The following indicator light patterns
indicate specific system usage condi-
tions:
Green indicator light on = Active
service
Green indicator light flashing =
Safety Connect call in process
Red indicator light (except at vehi-
cle start-up) = System malfunction
(contact your Lexus dealer)
No indicator light (off) = Safety
Connect service not active ■
Automatic Collision Notification
In case of either airbag deployment or
severe rear-end collision, the system is
designed to automatically call the
response center. The responding agent
receives the vehicle’s location and
attempts to speak with the vehicle
occupants to assess the level of emer-
gency. If the occupants are unable to
communicate, the ag ent automatically
treats the call as an emergency, con-
tacts the nearest emergency services
provider to describe the situation, and
requests that assistance be sent to the
location. ■
Stolen Vehicle Location
If your vehicle is stolen, Safety Connect
can work with local authorities to assist
them in locating and recovering the
vehicle. After filing a police report, call
the Safety Connect response center at
1-800-25-LEXUS (1-800-255-
3987) and follow the prompts for
Safety Connect to initiate this service.
In addition to assisting law enforce-
ment with recovery of a stolen vehicle,
Safety-Connect-equipped vehicle
location data may, under certain cir-
cumstances, be shared with third par-
ties to locate your vehicle. Further
information is available at Lexus.com. ■
Emergency Assistance Button
(“SOS”)
In the event of an emergency on the
road, push the “SOS” button to reach
the Safety Connect response center.
The answering agent will determine
your vehicle’s location, assess the
emergency, and dispatch the neces-
sary assistance required. If you accidentally press the “SOS” button,
tell the response-center agent that you are
not experiencing an emergency.
■
Enhanced Roadside Assistance
Enhanced Roadside Assistance adds
GPS data to the already included war-
ranty- based Lexus roadside service.
Subscribers can press the “SOS” but-
ton to reach a Safety Connect respon-
secenter agent, who can help with a
wide range of needs, such as: towing,
flat tire, fuel delivery, etc. For a descrip-
tion of the Roadside Assistance ser-Safety Connect LED light Indi-
cators
Safety Connect services