
1493-5. Opening, closing the windows and moon roof
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 3
Before driving ■
The panoramic moon roof can be oper-
ated when
The engine switch is in IGNITION ON 
mode. ■
Operating the panoramic moon roof 
after turning the engine off
The panoramic moon roof and electronic 
roof sunshade can be operated for approxi-
mately 45 seconds afte r the engine switch 
is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned 
off. It cannot, however, be operated once 
the driver’s door is opened. ■
Jam protection function
If an object is detected between the pan-
oramic moon roof and the frame in the fol-
lowing situations, travel is stopped and the 
panoramic moon roof opens slightly: ●
The panoramic moon roof is closing or 
tilting down.●
The electronic roof sunshade is closing.■
Door lock linked panoramic moon roof 
operation●
The panoramic moon roof can be 
opened and closed using the mechanical 
key. *
 (  P.434)●
The panoramic moon roof can be 
opened using the wireless remote con-
trol. * 
(  P.100)*
: These settings must  be customized at 
your Lexus dealer.
■
When the panoramic moon roof or elec-
tronic front roof sunshade does not 
close normally
Perform the following procedure:
1 Stop the vehicle.
2 Turn the engine switch to IGNITION 
ON mode.
3 Press and hold the “CLOSE” switch or 
the front roof sunshade close switch. 
Continue pressing the switch for 
approximately 10 seconds after the 
panoramic moon roof or electronic 
front roof sunshade closes and reopens. 
The panoramic moon roof and elec-
tronic front roof sunshade will start to 
close. * 4 Check that the panoramic moon roof 
and electronic front roof sunshade are 
fully closed and release the switch. *
: If the switch is released at the incorrect 
time, the procedure will have to be per-
formed again from the beginning.
If the panoramic moon roof or electronic 
front roof sunshade does not fully close 
even after performing the above procedure 
correctly, have the vehicle inspected by 
your Lexus dealer. ■
When the electronic rear roof sunshade 
does not close normally
Perform the following procedure:
1 Stop the vehicle.
2 Turn the engine switch to IGNITION 
ON mode.
3 Press and hold the rear roof sunshade 
switch. Continue pressing the switch for 
approximately 10 seconds after the 
electronic rear roof sunshade closes 
and reopens. The elec tronic rear roof 
sunshade will start to close. *
4 Check that the electronic rear roof sun-
shade are fully closed and release the 
switch. *
: If the switch is released at the incorrect 
time, the procedure will have to be per-
formed again from the beginning.
If the panoramic moon roof or electronic 
front roof sunshade does not fully close 
even after performing the above procedure 
correctly, have the vehicle inspected by 
your Lexus dealer.
■
If the panoramic moon roof or elec-
tronic front roof sunshade does not 
move normally
If the panoramic moon roof or electronic 
front roof sunshade does not open or close 
normally or the automatic opening function 
does not operate, perform the following ini-
tialization procedure.
1 Stop the vehicle.
2 Turn the engine switch to IGNITION 
ON mode.
3 Fully close the panoramic moon roof 
and electronic front roof sunshade. 

154 4-1. Before driving
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4-1.Before driving
■
Starting the engine
 P.164 ■
Driving
1 With the brake pedal depressed, 
shift the shift position to D. 
(  P.167)Check that the shift position indicator 
shows D.
2 If the parking brake is in manual 
mode, release the parking brake. 
(  P.174)
3 Gradually release the brake pedal 
and gently depress the accelerator 
pedal to accelerate the vehicle. ■
Stopping
1 With the shift position in D, depress 
the brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking brake.If the vehicle is to be stopped for an 
extended period of time, shift the shift posi-
tion to P. (  P.170)
■
Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift position in D, depress 
the brake pedal to 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 to stop the 
engine.
5 Slowly release the brake pedal.
6 Lock the door, making sure that you 
have the electronic key on your 
person. If parking on a hill,  block the wheels as 
needed. ■
Starting off on a steep uphill
1 Make sure that the parking brake is 
set and shift the shift position to D. Hill-start assist control will operate. 
(  P.295)
2 Gently depress the accelerator 
pedal.
3 Release the parking brake. ■
Driving in the rain ●
Drive carefully when it  is raining, because 
visibility will be reduced, the windows 
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 wa ter between the tires 
and the road surface, preventing the 
steering and brakes from operating prop-
erly.
■
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 driv-
ing conditions. It does not indicate sudden 
acceleration.
●
The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill 
or downhillDriving the vehicle The following procedures should be 
observed to ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure 

1554-1. Before driving
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving ●
When the accelerato r pedal is released●
When the brake pedal is depressed■
Restraining the engi ne output (Brake 
Override System)●
When the accelerator and brake pedals 
are depressed at the same time, the 
engine output may be restrained.●
A warning message is  displayed on the 
multi-information display while the sys-
tem is operating.■
Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start 
Control)●
When the following unusual operation is 
performed, the engine output may be 
restrained.
• When the shift position is shifted from R 
to D, D to R, N to R, P to D *
, or P to R *
 (D 
includes M) with the accelerator pedal 
depressed, a warning message appears 
on the multi-information display. If a 
warning message is shown on the 
multi-information disp lay, read the mes-
sage and follow the instruction.
• When the accelerator  pedal is depressed 
too much while the vehicle is in reverse. *
: Depending on the situation, the shift 
position may not be changed.●
While Drive-Start Control is being acti-
vated, your vehicle may have trouble 
escaping from the mud or fresh snow. In 
such case, deactivate TRAC (  P.296) 
to cancel Drive-Start Control so that the 
vehicle may become able to escape from 
the mud or fresh snow.■
Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing 
the following precautions is recommended:
●
For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●
For the first 621 miles (1000 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 park- ing 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 
Lexus dealer perform the bedding down 
operation. ■
Brake pads and discs (F SPORT models)
The brake pads and discs are designed for 
use under high load conditions. Therefore, 
brake noise may be generated depending 
on the vehicle speed, braking force and 
vehicle environment (temperature, humid-
ity, etc.). ■
Operating your vehicle in a foreign 
country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registra-
tion laws and confirm the availability of the 
correct fuel. (  P.447)■
Idling time before engine stop
To prevent damage to the turbocharger, 
allow the engine to idle immediately after 
high-speed driving or hill climbing.
Driving condition Idling time
Normal city driving Not neces-
sary
High-speed driving (Con-
stant speed of  approx. 62 
mph [100km/h]) Not neces-
sary
Steep hill driving or continu-
ous driving at 62 mph (100 
km/h) or more (race track 
driving etc.) Approxi-
mately 1 
minute
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or 
serious injury.
■
When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake 
pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from 
creeping. 

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 

166 4-2. Driving procedures
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 TION ON” is not shown on the 
meter. ■
Automatic P position selection function
 P.170
Modes can be changed by pressing 
the engine switch with the brake pedal 
released. (The mode changes each 
time the switch is pressed.) 1 Off The emergency flashers can be used.
2 ACCESSORY mode Some electrical components such as the 
audio system can be used.
“ACCESSORY” will be displayed on the 
meter.
3 IGNITION ON mode All electrical components can be used.
“IGNITION ON” will be displayed on the 
meter.
■
Auto power off function
If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY mode 
for more than 20 minutes or IGNITION 
ON mode (with the engine not running) for 
more than an hour with the shift position in 
P, the engine switch will automatically turn 
off. However, this function cannot entirely 
prevent the battery discharge. Do not leave 
the vehicle with the engine switch in 
ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON mode 
for long periods of time when the engine is 
not running.WARNING■
Stopping the engine in an emergency●
If you want to stop the engine in an 
emergency while driving the vehicle, 
press and hold the engine switch for 
more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly 
3 times or more in succession. 
(  P.406)
However, do not touch the engine 
switch while driving  except in an emer-
gency. Turning the engine off while 
driving will not cause loss of steering 
or braking control, however, power 
assist to the steering 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.●
If the engine switch is operated while 
the vehicle is running, a warning mes-
sage will be shown on the multi-infor-
mation display and a buzzer sounds.●
When restarting the engine after an 
emergency shutdown, press the 
engine switch.
Changing engine switch modes 

1774-2. Driving procedures
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving
Press the brake hold switch to turn the 
system on The brake hold standby indicator (green) 
 comes on. While the system is holding 
the brakes, the brake hold operated indica-
tor (yellow)   comes on. 
■
Brake hold system operating conditions
The brake hold system cannot be turned on 
in the following conditions:
●
The driver’s door is not closed.
●
The driver is not wearing the seat belt.
If any of the conditions above are detected 
when the brake hold system is enabled, the 
system will turn off and the brake hold 
standby indicator  light will go off. In addi-
tion, if any of the conditions are detected 
while the system is holding the brake, a 
warning buzzer will  sound and a message  will be shown on the multi-information dis-
play. The parking brake will then be set 
automatically. ■
Brake hold function ●
If the brake pedal is left released for a 
period of about 3 mi nutes after the sys-
tem has started holding the brake, the 
parking brake will be set automatically. In 
this case, a warning buzzer sounds and a 
message is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display. ●
To turn the system off while the system is 
holding the brake, firmly depress the 
brake pedal and press the button again. ●
The brake hold function may not hold the 
vehicle when the vehicle is on a steep 
incline. In this situation, it may be neces-
sary for the driver to apply the brakes. A 
warning buzzer will sound and the 
multi-information display will inform the 
driver of this situat ion. If a warning mes-
sage is shown on the multi-information 
display, read the message and follow the 
instructions. ■
When the parking brake is set automati-
cally while the system is holding the 
brakes
Perform any of the following operations to 
release the parking brake. ●
Depress the accelerator pedal. (The 
parking brake will not be released auto-
matically if the seat belt is not fastened.) ●
Operate the parking brake switch with 
the brake pedal depressed. 
Make sure that the pa rking brake indicator 
light goes off. (  P.174)
■
When an inspection  at your Lexus 
dealer is necessary
When the brake hold standby indicator 
(green) does not illuminate even when the 
brake hold switch is  pressed with the brake 
hold system operating conditions met, the 
system may be malfun ctioning. Have the 
vehicle inspected at your Lexus dealer.Brake Hold The brake hold system keeps the 
brake applied when the shift posi-
tion is in D, M or N with the system 
on and the brake pedal has been 
depressed to stop  the vehicle. The 
system releases the brake when the 
accelerator pedal is  depressed with 
the shift position in D or M to allow 
smooth start off.
Enabling the system A
B 

224 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 left/right turn immediat ely in front of your 
vehicle●
When a pedestrian is approaching your 
vehicle●
When an oncoming vehicle makes a 
left/right turn●
When your vehicle enters an intersection 
before a vehicle approaching from the 
left or right in front of your vehicle●
When stopped at traffic light and a vehi-
cle approaches from the left or right in 
front of your vehicle●
When driving in a lo cation where there 
are objects which reflect radar, such as 
vehicles, guardrails, walls, traffic signs, 
etc.●
When making a left/rig ht turn in front of 
an approaching vehicle
●
When passing an oncoming vehicle●
When being overtake n by another vehi-
cle●
When driving next to another vehicle or a 
pedestrian●
When a vehicle or pedestrian 
approaches the side of your vehicle
Some objects, such as the following, may be 
detected and cause the FCTA system to 
operate:
●
Pedestrians
■
Situations in which the system may not 
operate properly
In some situations, such as the following, a 
vehicle may not be detected by a front side 
radar sensor, preventing the system from 
operating properly:
●
If the front end or si de of an approaching 
vehicle is small (sports cars, etc.)
●
If the front end of an  approaching vehicle  is low (low-slung sports cars, etc.) ●
If the ground clearance of an approach-
ing vehicle is extremely high ●
If the shape of an approaching vehicle is 
unusual (tractors, motorcycles with side-
cars, etc.) ●
If a vehicle suddenly enters the detection 
area on the left or right in front of your 
vehicle from a parking lot, etc.
●
If an approaching vehicle moves sud-
denly (sudden steering, acceleration, 
deceleration, etc.) ●
When driving in inclement weather such 
as heavy rain, fog, snow or a sandstorm ●
After the engine has been started and the 
vehicle has not been driven for a certain 
amount of time ●
When driving on a road with a grade that 
changes sharply (sha rp incline/decline)●
When driving around a sharp curve or on 
an undulating road ●
If a vehicle is approach ing from the left or 
right of the front of  your vehicle diago-
nally ●
When a vehicle is approaching from the 
left or right in front of your vehicle from 
far away ●
When there is an object between your 
vehicle and an approaching vehicle
●
When driving in a location where there 
are objects which reflect radar, such as 
guardrails, walls, vehicles, etc.
●
When a group of vehicles which are close 
together approach
●
Immediately after the FCTA system has 
been enabled