
4TABLE OF CONTENTS
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
5-4. Using the interior lightsInterior lights list............................. 341
5-5. Using the storage features List of storage features............... 345
Trunk features................................ 350
5-6. Using the other interior features Other interior features .............. 353
Garage door opener.................. 360
6-1. Maintenance and care Cleaning and protecting the vehi-cle exterior ................................... 368
Cleaning and protecting the vehi- cle interior ..................................... 371
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ..... 375
General maintenance ................ 376
Emission inspection and mainte- nance (I/M) programs ............ 379
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions........................................................... 380
Hood.................................................. 382
Positioning a floor jack............... 382
Engine compartment.................. 384
12-volt battery................................ 390
Tires ................................................... 392
Replacing the tire .......................... 401
Tire inflation pressure ................. 405
Wheels.............................................. 406
Air conditioning  filter..................408
Electronic key battery ................ 409
Checking and replacing fuses .. 411
Light bulbs ........................................ 4147-1. Essential information
Emergency flashers ..................... 416
If your vehicle has to be stopped in  an emergency ............................. 416
If the vehicle is trapped in rising  water ................................................ 417
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed........................................................... 419
If you think something is wrong .......................................................... 423
If a warning light turns on or a warn- ing buzzer sounds...................... 424
If a warning messa ge is displayed
.......................................................... 434
If you have a flat tire .................... 439
If the hybrid syst em will not start
.......................................................... 440
If you lose your keys..................... 442
If the fuel filler door cannot be  opened ........................................... 442
If the electronic key does not oper- ate properly ................................. 443
If the 12-volt battery is discharged .......................................................... 445
If your vehicle overheats ........... 450
If the vehicle becomes stuck ... 454
8-1. Specifications Mainte
nance data (fuel, oil level, 
etc.) ................................................. 458
Fuel information............................ 468
Tire information ............................ 470
6Maintenance and care
7When trouble arises
8Vehicle specifications 

13Pictorial index
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
Precautions for winter season .. ...................................................................................P.309
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer)
*.................................................P.328
Precautions for car wash ............................................................................................... P.369
Fuel filler door .......................................................................................................... P.197
Refueling method ............................................................................................................... P.197
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity ...... ................................................................................... P.459
Tires.......................................................................................................................... ..P.392
Tire size/inflation pressure ............................ ....................................................P.392, 464
Winter tires/tire chains ..................................................................................................P.309
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system.............................................. P.392
Coping with flat tires........................................................................................................ P .439
Hood ......................................................................................................................... P. 382
Opening ........................................................................................................................ .......P.382
Engine compartment cover .........................................................................................P.385
Engine oil ..................................................................................................................... .........P.460
Coping with overheating ...............................................................................................P.450
Warning messages .......................................................................................................... P.434
Headlights/cornering lights ................................................................................ P.187
Parking lights/daytime running lights............................................................... P.187
Turn signal lights ......................................................................................................P.182
Tail lights .................................................................................................................... P.187
Stop lights
Hill-start assist control ....................................................................................................P. 302
License plate lights ................................................................................................. P.187
Back-up lights
Changing the shift position to R....................................................................................P.176
Side marker lights ................................................................................................... P.187
*:If equipped
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P.414)
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N 

14Pictorial index
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
■ Instrument panel
Power switch ............................................................................................................ P.170
Starting the hybrid system/changing the mo des.................................................. P.170
Emergency stop of the hybrid system ........................................................................P.416
When the hybrid system will not start ...................................................................... P.440
Warning messages .......................................................................................................... P.434
Shift lever................................................................................................................... P .176
Changing the shift position ............................................................................................ P.178
Precautions for towing .................................................................................................... P.419
Meters ...................................................................................................................P.81,  85
Reading the meters/adjusting the instru ment panel light.......... P.81, 83, 85, 89
Warning lights/indicator lights ...................................................................................... P.76
When a warning light turns on .................................................................................... P.424
Multi-information display ...................................................................................... P.90
Display ...................................................................................................................................... P.90
Energy monitor .....................................................................................................................P.101
When a warning message is displayed.................................................................... P.434A
B
C
D 

221-1. For safe use
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
1-1.For safe use
Use only floor mats designed specifi-
cally for vehicles of the same model 
and model year as your vehicle. Fix 
them securely in place onto the carpet.
1Insert the retaining hooks (clips) 
into the floor mat eyelets.
2 Turn the upper knob of each retain-
ing hook (clip) to secure the floor 
mats in place.
Always align the   marks  .
The shape of the reta ining hooks (clips) 
may differ from that shown in the illustra-
tion.
Before driving
Observe the following before start-
ing off in the vehicle to ensure 
safety of driving.
Installing floor mats
A
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause the driver’s 
floor mat to slip, poss ibly interfering with 
the pedals while driv ing. An unexpect-
edly high speed may result or it may 
become difficult to stop the vehicle. This 
could lead to an accident, resulting in 
death or serious injury.
■When installing the driver’s floor mat
●Do not use floor mats designed for 
other models or different model year 
vehicles, even if they are Lexus Genu-
ine floor mats.
●Only use floor mats designed for the 
driver’s seat.
●Always install the floor mat securely 
using the retaining hooks (clips) pro-
vided.
●Do not use two or more floor mats on 
top of each other.
●Do not place the floor mat bot-
tom-side up or upside-down.
■Before driving
●Check that the floor mat is securely 
fixed in the correct place with all the 
provided retaining  hooks (clips). Be 
especially careful to perform this 
check after cleaning the floor.
●With the hybrid system stopped and 
the shift position in P, fully depress 
each pedal to the floor to make sure it 
does not interfere with the floor mat. 

231-1. For safe use
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
1
For safety and security
Adjust the angle of the seatback so 
that you are sitting straight up and 
so that you do not have to lean for-
ward to steer. ( P.131)
Adjust the seat so that you can 
depress the pedals fully and so that 
your arms bend slightly at the 
elbow when gripping the steering 
wheel. ( P.131)
Lock the head restraint in place 
with the center of the head restraint 
closest to the top of your ears. 
( P.147)
Wear the seat belt correctly. 
( P.24) Make sure that all occupants are wear-
ing their seat belts before driving the 
vehicle. (
P.24)
Use a child restraint system appropri-
ate for the child until the child becomes 
large enough to properly wear the 
vehicle’s seat belt. ( P.45)
Make sure that you can see backward 
clearly by adjusting the inside and out-
side rear view mirrors properly. 
( P.151, 152)
For safe driving
For safe driving, adjust the seat and 
mirror to an appropriate position 
before driving.
Correct driving posture
WARNING
■For safe driving
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or 
serious injury.
A
B
C
D
●Do not adjust the position of the 
driver’s seat while driving.
Doing so could cause the driver to lose 
control of the vehicle.
●Do not place a cushion between the 
driver or passenger and the seatback.
A cushion may prevent correct pos-
ture from being achieved, and reduce 
the effectiveness of the seat belt and 
head restraint.
●Do not place anything under the front 
seats.
Objects placed under the front seats 
may become jammed in the seat 
tracks and stop the seat from locking in 
place. This may lead to an accident 
and the adjustment  mechanism may 
also be damaged.
●Always observe the legal speed limit 
when driving on public roads.
●When driving over long distances, take 
regular breaks before you start to feel 
tired.
Also, if you feel tired or sleepy while 
driving, do not force yourself to con-
tinue driving and take a break immedi-
ately.
Correct use of the seat belts
Adjusting the mirrors 

631-4. Hybrid system
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
1
For safety and security
1-4.Hybrid system
■System components
The illustration is an example for explanation and may differ from the actual item.
Gasoline engine
Electric motor (traction motor)
■When stopped/during start off
The gasoline engine stops
* when the 
vehicle is stopped. During start off, the 
electric motor (traction motor) drives 
the vehicle. At slow speeds or when 
traveling down a gentle slope, the 
engine is stopped
* and the electric 
motor (traction motor) is used.
When the shift position is in N, the  hybrid battery (traction battery) is not 
being charged.
*: When the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) requires charging or the engine is 
warming up, etc., the gasoline engine will 
not automatically stop.
■During normal driving
The gasoline engine is predominantly 
used. The electric motor (traction 
motor) charges the hybrid battery 
Hybrid system features
Your vehicle is a hybrid vehicle. It has characteristics different from conven-
tional vehicles. Be sure you are closely  familiar with the characteristics of your 
vehicle, and operate it with care.
The hybrid system combines the use of a  gasoline engine and an electric motor 
(traction motor) according to driving conditions, improving fuel efficiency and 
reducing exhaust emissions.
System components
A
B 

641-4. Hybrid system
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
(traction battery) as necessary.
■When accelerating sharply
When the accelerator pedal is 
depressed heavily, the power of the 
hybrid battery (traction battery) is 
added to that of the gasoline engine via 
the electric motor (traction motor).
■When braking (regenerative brak-
ing)
The wheels operate the electric motor 
(traction motor) as a power generator, 
and the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) is charged.
■Regenerative braking
In the following situations, kinetic energy is 
converted to electric energy and decelera-
tion force can be obta ined in conjunction 
with the recharging of the hybrid battery 
(traction battery).
●The accelerator pedal is released while 
driving with the shift position in D or M.
●The brake pedal is depressed while driv-
ing with the shift position in D or M.
■EV indicator
The EV indicator comes on when the vehi-
cle is driven using only the electric motor 
(traction motor) or th e gasoline engine is 
stopped.
■Conditions in which the gasoline engine 
may not stop
The gasoline engine starts and stops auto-
matically. However, it may not stop auto-
matically in the following conditions:
●During gasoline engine warm-up
●During hybrid battery (traction battery) 
charging
●When the temperature of the hybrid bat-
tery (traction battery) is high or low
●When the heater is switched on
●When the shift position is in M
Depending on the circumstances, the gaso-
line engine may also not stop automatically 
in other situations.
■Charging the hybrid battery (traction 
battery)
As the gasoline engine charges the hybrid 
battery (traction battery), the battery does 
not need to be charged from an outside 
source. However, if the  vehicle is left parked 
for a long time the hybrid battery (traction 
battery) will slowly discharge. For this rea-
son, be sure to drive the vehicle at least 
once every few months for at least 30 min-
utes or 10 miles (16 km ). If the hybrid bat-
tery (traction battery) becomes fully 
discharged and you are unable to start the 
hybrid system, contact your Lexus dealer.
■Charging the 12-volt battery
 P.445
■After the 12-volt battery has discharged 
or when the terminal has been removed 
and installed during exchange, etc.
The gasoline engine may not stop even if 
the vehicle is being driven by the hybrid bat-
tery (traction battery).  If this continues for a 
few days, contact your Lexus dealer.
■Sounds and vibrations specific to a 
hybrid vehicle
There may be no engine sound or vibration 
even though the vehicle is able to move with 
the “READY” indicator is illuminated. For 
safety, apply the parking brake and make 
sure to shift the shift position to P when 
parked.
The following sounds or vibrations may 
occur when the hybrid system is operating 
and are not a malfunction:
●Motor sounds may be heard from the 
engine compartment.
●Relay operating sounds such as a snap or 
soft clank will be em itted from the hybrid 
battery (traction battery), behind the rear  

651-4. Hybrid system
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
1
For safety and security
seats, when the hybrid system is started 
or stopped.
●Sounds may be heard from the hybrid 
battery (traction battery) behind the rear 
seats when the hybrid system starts or 
stops.
●Sounds from the hybrid system may be 
heard when the trunk lid is open.
●Sounds may be heard  from the transmis-
sion when the gasoline engine starts or 
stops, when driving at low speeds, or 
during idling.
●Engine sounds may be heard when 
accelerating sharply.
●Sounds may be heard due to regenera-
tive braking when the brake pedal is 
depressed or as the accelerator pedal is 
released.
●Vibration may be felt or sounds may be 
heard when the gasoline engine starts or 
stops.
●Cooling fan sounds may be heard from 
the air intake vents on the both sides of 
the rear seatback.
■Maintenance, repair, recycling, and dis-
posal
Contact your Lexus dealer regarding main-
tenance, repair, recycling and disposal. Do 
not dispose of the vehicle yourself.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized. 
(  P.479)
When driving with the gasoline engine 
stopped, a sound,  which changes in 
accordance with the driving speed, will 
be played in order to warn people 
nearby of the vehicle’s approach. The 
sound will stop when the vehicle speed 
exceeds approximately 15 mph (25 
km/h).
■Vehicle proximity notification system
In the following cases, the vehicle proximity 
notification system may be difficult for sur-
rounding people to hear.
●In very noisy areas
●In the wind or the rain
Also, as the vehicle proximity notification 
system is installed on the front of the vehicle, 
it may be more difficult to hear from the rear 
of the vehicle compared to the front.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized. 
(  P.479)
Vehicle proximity notification 
system