
1194-1. Before driving
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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Driving
WARNING
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while 
the vehicle is moving forward. 
Doing so can damage the transmission 
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Moving the shift lever 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 shift the shift lever 
with the accelerator pedal depressed. 
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other 
than P or N may lead to unexpected 
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that 
may cause an accident and result in 
death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping 
noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and 
replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as 
possible. Rotor damage may result if the 
pads are not replaced when needed.
Front brakes on F SPORT models 
(RC350 [2WD]/RC300 [2WD] only): 
Moderate levels of brake pad and disc 
wear allow enhanced front 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 mea-
sured. 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.
●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 cigare tte 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 panel or dashboard. 
Adhesive discs or containers may act 
as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle. 

1204-1. Before driving
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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WARNING
●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 lever 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 
lever in P but the parking brake is not 
set, the vehicle may start to move, pos-
sibly 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 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 brake booster device 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 increase. Have your 
brakes fixed immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if the 
engine stalls. 
Each push on the brake pedal uses up 
the reserve for the power-assisted 
brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 individ-
ual hydraulic systems; if one of the sys-
tems fails, the other w ill 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 
any of the tires 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.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and 
brake pedals at th e same time while 
driving, as this may restrain the engine 
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 lever to P. Failure to do so may 
cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle 
may accelerate suddenly if the accelera-
tor 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. 

1264-2. Driving procedures
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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■When “Access System with Elec. Key 
Malfunction See Owner's Manual” is 
displayed on the multi-information dis-
play
The system may be malfunctioning. Have 
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer 
immediately.
■Electronic key battery
 P.265
■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.304.
1Stop the vehicle.
2
Set the parking brake ( P.134), 
and shift the shift lever to P.
3
Press the engine switch.
4
Release the brake pedal and check 
that the display on the meters is off.
Modes can be changed by pressing 
the engine switch with brake pedal 
released. (The mode changes each 
time the switch is pressed.)
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
WARNING
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop th e engine in an emer-
gency 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.274)
However, do not touch the engine switch 
while driving except  in an emergency. 
Turning the engine off while driving will 
not cause loss of steering or braking con-
trol, but the power assist to these systems 
will be lost. This will make it more difficult 
to steer and brake, so you should pull 
over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is 
safe to do so.
Changing engine switch modes 

1334-2. Driving procedures
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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Driving
The lever will return to its original posi-
tion immediately after operation.
1 Right turn
2 Lane change to the right (move the 
lever partway and release it)
The right hand signals will flash 3 times.
3Lane change to the left (move the 
lever partway and release it)
The left hand signals will flash 3 times.
4Left turn
■If the turn signals do not stop flash-
ing after turning left or right, or if 
you want to stop them flashing
Operate the lever in the opposite 
direction to either position  2 or 3 . If 
you move the lever to either position 1  
or  4, the selected turn signals will flash.
■Turn signals can be operated when
The engine switch is in IGNITION ON 
mode.
■If the indicator flashes faster than usual
Check that a light bulb  in the front or rear 
turn signal lights has not burned out.
■If the turn signals stop flashing before a 
lane change has been performed
Operate the lever again.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized. 
(  P.339)
Turn signal lever
Operating instructions 

1364-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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4-3.Operating the lights and wipers
Operating the   switch turns on 
the lights as follows:U.S.A.
Canada
1  The side marker, parking, tail, 
license plate, instrument panel 
lights, and daytime running lights 
( P.136) turn on.
2  The headlights and all lights 
listed above (except daytime run-
ning lights) turn on.
3  The headlights, daytime run-
ning lights ( P.136) and all the  lights listed above turn on and off 
automatically. (When the engine 
switch is in IGNITION ON mode.)
4  (U.S.A.) Off /  (Canada) 
The daytime running lights turn on. 
( P.136)■Daytime running light system
●The daytime running lights illuminate 
using the same lights as the parking lights 
and illuminate brighter than the parking 
lights.
●To make your vehicle more visible to 
other drivers during daytime driving, the 
daytime running lights turn on automati-
cally when all of the  following conditions 
are met. (The daytime running lights are 
not designed for use at night.)
• The engine is running
• The parking brake is released
• The headlight switch  is in the   (Can-
ada only),   or 
* position
*: When the surroundings are bright
The daytime running lights remain on after 
they illuminate, even if the parking brake is 
set again.
●For the U.S.A.: Daytime running lights 
can be turned off by operating the switch.
●Compared to turning on the headlights, 
the daytime running light system offers 
greater durability and consumes less 
electricity, so it can help improve fuel 
economy.
■Headlight control sensor
The sensor may not function properly if an 
object is placed on the sensor, or anything 
Headlight switch
The headlights can be operated 
manually or automatically.
Operating instructions
A
B 

1374-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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4
Driving
that blocks the sensor is affixed to the wind-
shield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detect-
ing the level of ambient light and may cause 
the automatic headlight system to malfunc-
tion.
■Automatic light off system
When the light switch is in  ,   or  : The headlights and tail lights turn off 
30 seconds after the  engine switch is 
turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned 
off and a door is opened and all of the doors 
and trunk are closed. (The lights turn off 
immediately if   on the key is pressed 
twice after both side doors are closed.)
To turn the lights on again, turn the engine 
switch to IGNITION ON mode, or turn the 
light switch off once and then back to   
or .
If any of the doors or trunk lid is left open, 
the lights automatically turn off after 20 
minutes.
■Light reminder buzzer
A buzzer sounds when the engine switch is 
turned off or turned to ACCESSORY 
mode and the driver’s door is opened while 
the lights are turned on.
■Automatic headlight leveling system
The level of the headlights is automatically 
adjusted according to the number of pas-
sengers and the loading condition of the 
vehicle to ensure that the headlights do not 
interfere with other road users.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized. 
(  P.339)
1With the headlights on, push the 
lever away from you to turn on the 
high beams.
Pull the lever toward you to the center 
position to turn the high beams off.
2Pull the lever toward you and 
release it to flash the high beams 
once.
You can flash the high beams with the 
headlights on or off.
 When the steering wheel or turn 
signal lever is operated while the 
headlights are on (low beam) and 
the vehicle speed is 19 mph (30 
km/h) or lower, a cornering light will 
turn on and light up the direction of 
movement of the vehicle. The cor-
nering lights are designed to ensure 
excellent visibility when making a 
turn at an intersection.
 When the shift position is in R while 
the headlights are on (low beam), 
both cornering lights will turn on. 
This is designed to enhance visibility 
when parking.
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the lights on longer than 
necessary when the engine is not run-
ning.
Turning on the high beam head-
lights
Cornering lights 

1384-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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■Cornering lights
When the cornering lights are on for more 
than 30 minutes, they will turn off automati-
cally.
1Push the lever away from you with 
the headlight switch in the   or 
 position.
2
Press the Automatic High Beam 
switch.
The Automatic High Beam indicator will 
Automatic High Beam
The Automatic High Beam uses a 
camera sensor located behind the 
upper portion of the windshield to 
assess the brightness of the lights of 
vehicles ahead, streetlights, etc., 
and automatically turns the high 
beams on or off as necessary.
WARNING
■Limitations of the Automatic High 
Beam
Do not overly rely on the Automatic High 
Beam. Always drive safely, taking care to 
observe your surroundings and turning 
the high beams on or  off manually if nec-
essary.
■To prevent incorrect operation of the 
Automatic High Beam system
Do not overload the vehicle.
Activating the Automatic High 
Beam 

1394-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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Driving
come on when the system is operating.
■Conditions to turn the high beams on/off 
automatically
●When all of the foll owing conditions are 
met, the high beams will be turned on 
automatically (after approximately 1 sec-
ond):
• The vehicle speed is approximately 21  mph (34 km/h) or more.
• The area ahead of the vehicle is dark.
• There are no vehicles ahead with head- lights or tail lights turned on.
• There are few streetlights on the road  ahead.
●If any of the following  conditions is met, 
the high beams will turn off automatically:
• The vehicle speed is below approxi-
mately 17 mph (27 km/h).
• The area ahead of the vehicle is not dark.
• Vehicles ahead have their headlights or  tail lights turned on.
• There are many streetlights on the road  ahead.
■Camera sensor detection information
●The high beams may not be automatically 
turned off in the following situations:
• When a vehicle suddenly appears from  around a curve
• When the vehicle is cut in front of by 
another vehicle
• When vehicles ahead cannot be  detected due to repe ated curves, road 
dividers or roadside trees
• When vehicles ahead appear in a far- away lane on a wide road
• When the lights of vehicles ahead are not 
on
●The high beams may be turned off if a 
vehicle ahead that is using fog lights with- out its headlights turned on is detected.
●House lights, street lig
hts, traffic signals, 
and illuminated billboards or signs and 
other reflective objects may cause the 
high beams to change to the low beams, 
or the low beams to remain on.
●The following factors may affect the 
amount of time taken for the high beams 
to turn on or off:
• The brightness of the headlights, fog 
lights, and tail lights of vehicles ahead
• The movement and direction of vehicles  ahead
• When a vehicle ahead only has opera- tional lights on one side
• When a vehicle ahead 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 in the vehicle
●The high beams may turn on or off unex-
pectedly.
●Bicycles or similar vehicles may not be 
detected.
●In the following situations the system may 
not be able to correctly detect the sur-
rounding brightness level. This may cause 
the low beams to remain on or the high 
beams to flash or dazzle pedestrians or 
vehicles ahead. In such a case, it is neces-
sary to manually swit ch between the high 
and low beams.
• When driving in  inclement weather 
(heavy rain, snow, fo g, sandstorms, etc.)
• When the windshield is obscured by fog,  mist, ice, dirt, etc.
• When the windshield is cracked or dam- aged
• When the camera sensor is deformed or 
dirty
• When the temperature of the camera  sensor is extremely high
• When the surrounding brightness level is  equal to that of headlights, tail lights or 
fog lights
• When headlights or tail lights of vehicles 
ahead are turned off, dirty, changing 
color, or not aimed properly
• When the vehicle is hit by water, snow, 
dust, etc. from a preceding vehicle
• When driving through an area of inter-