
156 4-1. Before driving
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 WARNING■
When driving the vehicle●
Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with
the location of the brake and accelera-
tor pedals to avoid depressing the
wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelera-
tor 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
operating the pedals. Make sure to
operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving
posture even when moving the vehicle
only slightly. This allows you to depress
the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your
right foot. Depressing the brake pedal
using your left foot may delay
response 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 flamma-
ble material nearby.
●
Vehicles without Lexus Safety System
+ A: 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 putt
over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emer-
gency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way:
P.406 ●
Vehicles with Lexus Safety System + A:
During normal driving, do not turn off
the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of
steering or braking control, however,
power assist to the st eering will be lost.
This will make it more difficult to steer
smoothly, so you should pull over and
stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to
do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if
it becomes impossible to stop the vehi-
cle in the normal way: P.406●
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.167)●
Do not adjust the positions of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the inside
or outside rear view mirrors while driv-
ing.
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
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 not before driving at such speeds.
■
When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
●
Sudden braking, acceleration and
steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehi-
cle.
●
Sudden acceleration, engine braking
due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.

1574-1. Before driving
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving WARNING●
After driving through a puddle, lightly
depress the brake pedal to make sure
that the brakes are functioning prop-
erly. Wet brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning properly. If the
brakes on only one side are wet and
not functioning properly, steering con-
trol may be affected.■
When shifting the shift position●
Do not let the vehicle roll backward
while a forward driving position is
selected, or roll forward while the shift
position 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 position to P while
the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.●
Do not shift the shift position to R while
the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●
Do not shift the shift position to a driv-
ing position while the vehicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●
Changing the shift position 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 change the shift posi-
tion with the accelerator pedal
depressed. Changing the shift posi-
tion to any positions other than P or N
may lead to unexpected rapid acceler-
ation of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or serious
injury.
After changing the shift position, make
sure to confirm the current shift posi-
tion displayed on the shift position indi-
cator inside the meter. ■
Brake pad wear
If any of the following situations occurs,
have the brake pads visually checked and
replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible. ●
If the brake pad wear limit of a brake
pad is found to have been exceeded
when visually checking the brake pads
for each wheel (for the brake pad wear
limit, refer to P.451) ●
If a warning message is displayed on
the multi-information display (only the
right-side pads can be detected)
Rotor damage may result if the pads are
not replaced when needed.
F SPORT models: Moderate levels of the
brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced
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.
■
When the vehicle is stopped
●
Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P
or N, the vehicle may accelerate sud-
denly and unexpectedly, causing an
accident.

158 4-1. Before driving
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 WARNING●
In order to prevent accidents due to
the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the
engine is running, and apply the park-
ing brake as necessary.●
If the vehicle is stopped on an incline,
in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or back-
ward, 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 combustible
material is nearby.■
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 plas-
tic 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 pane l or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act
as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle. ●
Do not leave a door or window open if
the curved glass is coated with a met-
allized 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 position 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
position 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 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. ■
When braking ●
When the brakes are wet, drive more
cautiously.
Braking distance in creases 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 vehi-
cle.
●
Vehicles without Lexus Safety System
+ A: If the brake booster device does
not operate, do not follow other vehi-
cles 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 brak-
ing distance will in crease. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.

1654-2. Driving procedures
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving while turning the steering wheel left and
right.
●
To prevent the steering lock motor from
overheating, operation of the motor may
be suspended if the engine is turned on
and off repeatedly in a short period of
time. In this case, refrain from operating
the engine switch. After about 10 sec-
onds, the steering lock motor will resume
functioning.■
Electronic key battery
P.399■
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 imme-
diately 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.■
Customization
If the smart access sy stem with push-button
start has been deactivated in a customized
setting, refer to P.433. 1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, set the parking brake.
( P.174)
3 Shift the shift position to P.
( P.170) Check that the shift position indicator
shows P and the parking brake indicator is
illuminated.
4 Press the engine switch. The engine will stop, and the meter display
will be extinguished (the shift position indi-
cator will be extinguished a few seconds
after the meter display).
5 Release the brake pedal and check
that “ACCESSORY” or “IGNI-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 result-
ing 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 com-
plete stop. Activation of the steering lock
in this circumstance may lead to an acci-
dent, resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE■
When starting the engine ●
Do not race a cold engine. ●
If the engine becomes difficult to start
or stalls frequently, have your vehicle
checked by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately. ■
Symptoms indicating a malfunction
with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operat-
ing somewhat differently than usual, such
as the switch sticking slightly, there may
be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus
dealer immediately.
Stopping the engine

1694-2. Driving procedures
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving
Shift lever Operate the shift lever gently and securely
in the direction of the arrow on the shift
position indicator.
To shift to N, slide the shift lever in the
direction of the arrow and hold it.
Release the shift lever after each shifting
operation to allow it to return to its regular
position ( ).
Shifting to M is only possible when the shift
position is in D.
When shifting from P to N, D or R, from N,
D, M or R to P, from D or M to R, or from R
to D, ensure that the brake pedal is being
depressed and the vehicle is stationary.
Shift position indicator Meter display:
The current shift position is highlighted.
When any shift position other than D or M
is selected, the arrow toward M and the M
position indicator are displayed in gray.
Shift lever display:WARNING■
When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
Do not accelerate or shift the shift posi-
tion suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine braking may
cause the vehicle to spin or skid, resulting
in an accident.
NOTICE■
Situations where sh ift control system
malfunctions are possible
If any of the following situations occurs,
shift control system malfunctions are
possible.
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place on level ground, apply the parking
brake, and then contact your Lexus
dealer. ●
When the warning message indicating
the shift control syst em appears on the
multi-information display.●
The display indicates that no shift posi-
tion is selected for more than a few
seconds. Shifting the shift lever
A
B

174 4-2. Driving procedures
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 ■
Customization
Some functions can be customized.
( P.466)
■
Using the manual mode
The parking brake can be set and
released manually.
U.S.A.
Canada
1 Push the switch to set the parking
brake The parking brake indi cator light will turn
on.
Press and hold the parking brake switch if
an emergency occurs and it is necessary to
operate the parking brake while driving.Parking brake The parking brake can be set or
released automatically or manually.
In automatic mode, the parking
brake can be set or released auto-
matically according to the shift
lever operation. Also, even in auto-
matic mode, the parking brake can
be set or released manually.
Operating instructions
A
B

1754-2. Driving procedures
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving 2 Pull the switch to release the park-
ing brake• Operate the parking brake switch while
depressing the brake pedal.
• Using the parking brake automatic
release function, the parking brake can
be released by depressing the accelera-
tor pedal. When using this function,
slowly depress the accelerator pedal.
Make sure that the pa rking brake indicator
light turn off. ■
Turns automatic mode on
While the vehicle is stopped, press and
hold the parking brake switch until a
message is shown on the multi-infor-
mation display.
When the automatic mode is turned
on, the parking brake operates as fol-
lows.
When the shift position is shifted
from P, the parking brake will be
released, and the parking brake
indicator light will turn off.
When the shift position is shifted to
P, the parking brake will be set, and
the parking brake indicator light will
turn on.
Operate the shift lever and P position
switch with the vehicle stopped and the
brake pedal depressed. ■
Turns automatic mode off
While the vehicle is stopped, pull and
hold the parking brake switch until a
message is shown on the multi-infor-
mation display.
■
Parking brake operation ●
When the engine switch is not in IGNI-
TION ON mode, the parking brake can-
not be released using the parking brake
switch. ●
When the engine switch is not in IGNI-
TION ON mode, auto matic mode (auto-
matic brake setting an d releasing) is not
available. ■
Parking brake automatic release func-
tion ●
When the shift position is shifted from P,
the parking brake will be released in
automatic mode. ●
When all of the follo wing conditions are
met in manual mode, the parking brake
can be released by depressing the accel-
erator pedal.
• The driver’s door is closed
• The driver is wearing the seat belt
• The shift position is in D, M or R
■
If “EPB Frequently Operated Wait a
Minute” is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display
If the parking brake is operated repeatedly
over a short period of time, the system may
restrict operation to prevent overheating. If
this happens, refrain from operating the
parking brake. Normal operation will return
after about 1 minute.

176 4-2. Driving procedures
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 ■
If “EPB Activation Stopped Incom-
pletely” or “EPB Unavailable” is dis-
played on the multi-information display
Operate the parking brake switch. If the
message does not disappear after operat-
ing the switch several times, the system may
be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer. ■
Parking brake operation sound
When the parking brake operates, a motor
sound (whirring sound) may be heard. This
does not indicate a malfunction. ■
Parking brake operation●
Depending on the engine switch mode,
the parking brake indi cator light will turn
on and stay on as described below:
IGNITION ON mode: Comes on until
the parking brake is released.
Not in IGNITION ON mode: Stays on
for approximately 15 seconds. ●
When the engine switch is turned off with
the parking brake set, the parking brake
indicator light will stay on for about 15
seconds. This does not indicate a mal-
function.■
When the parking brake switch mal-
functions
Automatic mode (automatic brake setting
and releasing) will be turned on automati-
cally. ■
Parking the vehicle
P.154■
Parking brake engaged warning buzzer
A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is driven
with the parking brake engaged. “EPB
Applied” is displayed on the multi-informa-
tion display. (with the vehicle reached a
speed of 3 mph [5 km/h])
■
If the brake system warning light comes
on
P.415
■
Usage in winter time
P.300 WARNING■
When parking the vehicle
Do not leave a child in the vehicle alone.
The parking brake may be released unin-
tentionally and there is the danger of the
vehicle moving that may lead to an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE■
When parking the vehicle
Before you leave the vehicle, set the
parking brake, shift the shift position to P
and make sure that the vehicle does not
move. ■
When the system malfunctions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
check the warning messages. ■
When the parking brake cannot be
released due to a malfunction
Driving the vehicle with the parking
brake set will lead to brake components
overheating, which may affect braking
performance and increase brake wear.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Lexus dealer immediately if this occurs.