
159
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
4
4
Driving
Driving
.4-1. Before drivingDriving the vehicle ..................... 160
Cargo and luggage ................... 166
Vehicle load limits ...................... 168
Trailer towing ............................... 168
Dinghy towing ............................. 169
4-2. Driving procedures Power (ignition) switch ............ 170
EV drive mode ............................ 174
Hybrid transmission .................. 176
Turn signal lever.......................... 182
Parking brake .............................. 183
Brake Hold.................................... 185
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers Headlight switch ......................... 187
AHB (Automatic High Beam) ......................................................... 190
Windshield wipers and washer ......................................................... 192
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap...... 197
4-5. Using the driving support sys- tems
Lexus Safety System + A......... 199
Lexus Safety System + 2.0 .... 206
PCS (Pre-Collision System) (vehi- cles with Lexus Safety System +
A) ................................................... 212
PCS (Pre-Collision System) (vehi- cles with Lexus Safety System +
2.0)............................................... 223FCTA (Front Cross Traffic Alert)
....................................................... 230
LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) .... 233
Dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range...................... 245
RSA (Road Sign Assist).......... 255
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) .... 258
PKSA (Parking Support Alert) ....................................................... 263
Intuitive parking assist ............. 265
RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert) function......................................... 271
RCD (Rear Camera Detection) function....................................... 275
PKSB (Parking Support Brake) ....................................................... 278
Parking Support Brake function (static objects) ......................... 284
Parking Support Brake function (rear-crossing vehicles) ...... 290
Parking Support Brake function (rear pedestrians) .................. 294
Driving mode select switch .. 297
Electronically modulated air sus- pension ....................................... 298
Driving assist systems.............. 302
4-6. Driving tips Hybrid vehicle driving tips .... 307
Winter driving tips .................... 309

1604-1. Before driving
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the hybrid system
P.170
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift position to D. ( P.176)
Check that the shift position indicator
shows D.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, release the parking brake.
(P.183)
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.178)
■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.183)
3 Shift the shift position to P.
(P.178)
Check that the shift position indicator shows P and the parking brake indicator is
illuminated.
4
Press the power switch to stop the
hybrid system.
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.302)
2 Gently depress the accelerator
pedal.
3 Release the parking brake.
■For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybr id vehicles are similar
to conventional vehicles, and it is necessary
to refrain from activi ties such as sudden
acceleration. ( P.307)
■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-
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be
observed to ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

1614-1. Before driving
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
4
Driving
ing conditions. It does not indicate sudden
acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill
or downhill
●When the accelerato r pedal is released
●When the brake pedal is depressed
■Restraining the hybrid system output
(Brake Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake pedals
are depressed at the same time, the
hybrid system 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 hybrid system 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.303)
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.459)
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 “READY”
indicator is illuminated. This prevents the
vehicle from creeping.
■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.

1634-1. Before driving
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
4
Driving
WARNING
●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 hybrid system. Engine braking is
not available with the hybrid system
disengaged.
●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.463)
●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 depress the accelerator pedal
unnecessarily.
If the shift position is any position other
than P or N, the vehicle may acceler-
ate suddenly and unexpectedly, caus-
ing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to
the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while
stopped with the “READY” indicator is
illuminated, and apply the parking
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.

1644-1. Before driving
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
WARNING
■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 hybrid
system and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
while the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while
the “READY” indicator is illuminated
or immediately after turning the hybrid
system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Other-
wise, if you accident ally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal,
this could cause an accident or fire due
to hybrid system overheating. Addition-
ally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may col-
lect and enter the vehicle, leading to
death or a serious health hazard.
■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 vehi-
cle.
●If the electronically controlled brake
system 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 brak-
ing distance will in crease. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2 or more
individual hydraulic systems; if one of
the systems fails, the other(s) 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
Do not spin the wheels excessively when
a driven wheel is up in the air, or the vehi-
cle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may
damage the driveline components or
propel the vehicle forward or backward,
causing an accident.

1654-1. Before driving
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
4
Driving
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and
brake pedals at the same time during
driving, as this may restrain the hybrid
system output.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or
depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the
vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and shift
the shift position to P. Failure to do so
may cause the vehicle to move or the
vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the
accelerator pedal is accidentally
depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in
either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power
steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road,
drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the
vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged ti re may cause the fol-
lowing situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually depress the
brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehi-
cle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal
sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat
tire ( P.439)
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded
after heavy rain etc. Doing so may cause
the following serious damage to the vehi-
cle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water
immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded
road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure
to have your Lexus dealer check the fol-
lowing:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil
and fluid used for the engine, hybrid
transmission, transfer (AWD models),
differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller
shaft, bearings and suspension joints
(where possible), and the function of
all joints, bearings, etc.
If the shift control system is damaged by
flooding, it may not be possible to shift
the shift position to P, or from P to other
positions. In this case, contact your Lexus
dealer.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and shift
the shift position to P. Failure to do so
may cause the vehicle to move or the
vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the
accelerator pedal is accidentally
depressed.

1704-2. Driving procedures
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
4-2.Driving procedures
1Press the parking brake switch to
check that the parking brake is set.
(P.183)
The parking brake indicator will come on.
2 Firmly depress the brake pedal.
and a message will be displayed on
the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the hybrid system can-
not be started.
When the shift position is N, the hybrid sys-
tem cannot start. Shift the shift position to P
when starting the hybrid system. ( P.178)
3 Press the power switch shortly and
firmly.
When operating the power switch, one
short, firm press is enough. It is not neces-
sary to press and hold the switch.
If the “READY” indicator turns on, the
hybrid system will operate normally.
Continue depressing the brake pedal until
the “READY” indicator is illuminated.
The hybrid system can be started from any
power switch mode.
4Check that the “READY” indicator
is illuminated.
The vehicle cannot be driven if the
“READY” indicator is off.
■Power switch illumination
According to the situation, the power
switch illumination operates as follows.
●When a door is opened, or the power
switch mode is changed from ACCES-
SORY or ON mode to off, the power
switch illumination slowly blinks.
●When depressing the brake pedal with
carrying the electronic key on your per-
son, the power switch illumination rapidly
blinks.
●When the power switch is in ACCES-
SORY or ON mode, the power switch
illumination illuminates.
■If the hybrid system does not start
●The immobilizer system may not have
been deactivated. ( P.71)
Contact your Lexus dealer.
●If a message related to start-up is shown
on the multi-information display, read the
message and follow the instructions.
■When the ambient temperature is low,
such as during winter driving conditions
●When starting the hybrid system, the
flashing time of the “READY” indicator
may be long. Leave the ve hicle as it is until
the “READY” indicator is steady on, as
steady means the vehicle is able to move.
●When the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) is extremely cold (below approxi-
mately -22°F [-30°C]) under the
influence of the outside temperature, it
may not be possible to start the hybrid
system. In this case, try to start the hybrid
system again after the temperature of the
hybrid battery increases due to the out-
side temperature increase etc.
■Sounds and vibrations specific to a
hybrid vehicle
P.64
Power (ignition) switch
Performing the following opera-
tions when carryin g the electronic
key on your person starts the hybrid
system or changes power switch
modes.
Starting the hybrid system

1724-2. Driving procedures
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
1Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, set the parking brake.
(P.183)
3 Shift the shift position to P.
(P.178)
Check that the shift position indicator
shows P and the parking brake indicator is
illuminated.
4 Press the power switch.
The hybrid system will stop, and the meter
display will be extinguished (the shift posi-
tion indicator will be extinguished a few
seconds after the meter display).
5 Release the brake pedal and check
that “ACCESSORY” or “IGNI-
TION ON” is not shown on the
meter.
■Automatic P position selection function
P.179
Modes can be changed by pressing
the power switch with the brake pedal
released. (The mode changes each
time the switch is pressed.)
■Symptoms indicating a malfunction
with the power switch
If the power 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 hybrid system
WARNING
■Stopping the hybrid system in an
emergency
●If you want to stop the hybrid system in
an emergency while driving the vehi-
cle, press and hold the power switch
for more than 2 seconds, or press it
briefly 3 times or more in succession.
( P.416)
However, do not touch the power
switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. Turning the hybrid system 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.
●If the power 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 hybrid system
after an emergency shutdown, press
the power switch.
Changing power switch modes