1534-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
●When the following unusual operation is
performed, the hybrid system output may
be restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D
includes S) with the accelerator pedal
depressed, a warning message appears
on the multi-information display and
head-up display (if equipped). If a warn-
ing message is shown on the multi-infor-
mation display and head-up display, read
the message and follow the instructions.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed
too much while the vehicle is in reverse.
●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.257)
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 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 1000 miles (1600 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.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign
country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registra-
tion laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P.417)
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 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.
●The driver should pay extra attention
to pedestrians when the vehicle is
powered only by the electric motor
(traction motor). As there is no engine
noise, the pedestrians may misjudge
the vehicle’s movement. Even though
the vehicle is equipped with the vehicle
proximity notification system, drive
with care as pedestrians in the vicinity
may still not notice the vehicle if the
surrounding area is noisy.
●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.
1544-1. Before driving
WARNING
●During normal driving, do not turn off
the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid
system 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 diffi-
cult 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.378
●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.
●AWD models: Do not drive the vehicle
off-road.
This is not an AWD vehicle designed
for off-road driving. Proceed with all
due caution if it becomes unavoidable
to drive off-road.
●Do not drive across a river or through
other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic
components to short circuit, damage
the hybrid system or cause other seri-
ous damage to 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 capa-
bility tires or not befo re 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,
resulting in an accident.
●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 lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward
while the shift lever is in a driving posi-
tion, or roll forward while the shift lever
is in R.
Doing so may result in an accident or
damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shif t lever to P while
the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the hybrid trans-
mission and may result in a loss of vehi-
cle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while
the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the hybrid trans-
mission and may result in a loss of vehi-
cle control.
1554-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●Do not shift the shift lever to a driving
position while the vehicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the hybrid trans-
mission and may result in a loss of vehi-
cle control.
●Shifting the shift lever to N while the
vehicle is moving will disengage the
hybrid system. Engine braking is not
available with the hybrid system disen-
gaged.
●Be careful not to shift the shift lever
with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to any position
other than P or N may lead to unex-
pected rapid acceleration of the vehi-
cle 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.
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 lever is in 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.
■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.
●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.
1724-2. Driving procedures
■If the turn signals stop flashing before a
lane change has been performed
Operate the lever again.
■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.
2 Pull the switch to release the park-
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 shift lever
operation. Also, even in automatic
mode, the parking brake can be set
or released manually.
Operating instructions
A
B
1734-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
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.
■Turning the 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 lever is shifted from
P, the parking brake will be released,
and the parking brake indicator light
will turn off.
When the shift lever is shifted to P,
the parking brake will be set, and the
parking brake indicator light will
turn on.
Operate the shift lever with the vehicle
stopped and the brake pedal
depressed.
■Turning the 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 power switch is not in ON, the
parking brake cannot be released using
the parking brake switch.
●When the power swit ch is not in ON,
automatic mode (automatic brake setting
and releasing) is not available.
■Parking brake automatic release func-
tion
●When the shift lever is shifted from P, the
parking brake will be released in auto-
matic 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 lever is in D, S or R
■If “Parking Brake Temporarily Unavail-
able” is displayed on the multi-informa-
tion 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.
1744-2. Driving procedures
■If “Parking Brake Unavailable” or “EPB
Unavailable” is displayed 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 indicator light
●Depending on the power switch mode,
the parking brake indi cator light will turn
on and stay on as described below:
ON: Comes on until the parking brake is
released.
Not in ON: Stays on for approximately 15
seconds.
●When the power 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.152
■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.386
■Usage in winter time
P.263
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, shift the
shift lever to P, set the parking brake 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.
1754-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Turns the brake hold system on
The brake hold standby indicator
comes on. While the system is holding the
brake, the brake hold operated indicator 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.
●“Parking Brake Unavailable” or “EPB
Malfunction Visit Your Dealer” is dis-
played on the multi- information display.
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 co
nditions 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 situation. If a warning message is
shown on the multi-information display,
read the message and follow the instruc-
tions.
■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.172)
■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 lever is
in D, S 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 lever in D or S to allow
smooth start off.
Enabling the system
A
B
1774-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
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.177) turn on.
2 The headlights and all the
lights listed above (except daytime
running lights) turn on.
3 The headlights, daytime run-
ning lights ( P.177) and all the lights listed above turn on and off
automatically.
4 (U.S.A.) Off
(Canada) The daytime running
lights turn on.
■AUTO mode can be used when
The power switch is in ON.
■Daytime running light system
●The daytime running lights illuminate 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 hybrid system is started
• The parking brake is released
• The headlight switch is in the (Can-
ada only), or (when the sur-
roundings are bright) position
The daytime running lights remain on after
they illuminate due to the conditions above,
even if the parking brake is set again.
●For the U.S.A.: Daytime running lights
can be turned off by operating the head-
light switch to position.
●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
that blocks the sensor is affixed to the wind-
shield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detect-
ing the level of ambien t light and may cause
the automatic headlight system to malfunc-
tion.
Headlight switch
The headlights can be operated
manually or automatically.
Turning on the headlights
A
B