2214-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care and drive the vehicle in accordance
with the trailer’s characteristics and operating conditions. Failure to do so
could cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury. V ehicle stability
and braking performance are affected by trailer stability, brak e setting and
performance, and the hitch. Your vehicle will handle differently when towing
a trailer.
■ To avoid accident or injury
● Do not exceed the TWR, unbraked TWR, GCWR, GVWR or GAWR.
● If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lb. (900 kg), a sway control device
with sufficient capacity is required.
● If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2200 kg), a weigh t distributing
hitch with sufficient capacity is required.
● Adjust the tongue weight within the appropriate range. Place he avier loads
as close to the trailer axle as possible.
● Do not exceed 65 mph (104 km/h), the posted towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner ’s manual,
whichever is lowest. Slow down sufficiently before making a tur n, in cross
winds, on wet or slippery surface, etc. to help avoid an accident. If you
experience a vehicle-trailer instability from reducing a certai n speed, slow
down and make sure you keep your vehicle speed under the speed of
which you experience the instability.
● Do not make jerky, abrupt or sharp turns.
● Do not apply the brakes suddenly as you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or slippery sur-
faces.
● Do not exceed the trailer hitch assembly weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and trailer tongue weight capacities.
● Do not use dynamic radar cruise control when towing.
● Slow down and downshift before descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long
downhill grades.
2224-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
●Vehicle-trailer instability is more likely on steep long downhi lls. Before
descending steep or long downhill grades, slow down and downshi ft. Do
not make sudden downshifts when descending steep or long downhi ll
grades. Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the
brakes too frequently. This could cause the brakes to overheat and result
in reduced braking efficiency.
● Vehicles with a compact spare tire: Do not tow a trailer when t he compact
spare tire is installed on your vehicle.
■ Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities estab lished by the
hitch manufacturer. Even though the vehicle may be physically capable of
towing a higher weight, the operator must determine the maximum weight
rating of the particular hitch assembly and never exceed the ma ximum
weight rating specified for the trailer-hitch. Exceeding the ma ximum weight
rating set by the trailer-hitch manufacturer can cause an accid ent resulting
in death or serious personal injuries.
■ When towing a trailer
Toyota recommends trailers with brakes that conform to any appl icable fed-
eral and state/provincial regulations.
● If the gross trailer weight exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer brake s are
required. Toyota recommends trailers with brakes that conform t o all appli-
cable federal and state/provincial regulations.
● Never tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic system, as this will lo wer the vehi-
cle’s braking effectiveness.
● Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain securely attac hed to both
the trailer and the vehicle. If damage occurs to the coupling u nit or hitch
ball, there is danger of the trailer wandering into another lan e.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recommended by your Toyota dealer. Do not install
the trailer hitch on the bumper; this may cause body damage.
■ Do not directly splice trailer lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights. Directly splicing traile r lights may damage
your vehicle’s electrical system and cause a malfunction.
2234-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed to be dinghy towed (with 4 wheels
on the ground) behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to your vehicle
■ To prevent causing serious damag e to the transmission and the
Dynamic Torque Control AWD system (AWD models)
Do not tow your vehicle with 4 wheels on
the ground.
2WD models: Never tow this vehicle from
the rear with the front wheels on the
ground. This may cause serious damage
to the transmission.
AWD models: Never tow this vehicle with
any of the wheels on the ground. This
may cause serious damage to the
Dynamic Torque Control AWD system
and transmission.
2704-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■When to disable the pre-collision system
In the following situations, disable the system, as it may not operate prop-
erly, possibly leading to an accident resulting in death or ser ious injury:
● When the vehicle is being towed
● When your vehicle is towing another vehicle
● When transporting the vehicle via truck, boat, train or similar means of
transportation
● When the vehicle is raised on a lift with the engine running an d the tires
are allowed to rotate freely
● When inspecting the vehicle using a drum tester such as a chass is dyna-
mometer or speedometer tester, or when using an on vehicle whee l bal-
ancer
● When a strong impact is applied to the front bumper or front gr ille, due to
an accident or other reasons
● If the vehicle cannot be driven in a stable manner, such as when the vehi-
cle has been in an accident or is malfunctioning
● When the vehicle is driven in a sporty manner or off-road
● When the tires are not properly inflated
● When the tires are very worn
● When tires of a size other than specified are installed
● When tire chains are installed
● When a compact spare tire or an emergency tire puncture repair kit is used
● If equipment (snow plow, etc.) that may obstruct the radar sens or or cam-
era sensor is temporarily installed to the vehicle
2834-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■Before using LDA system
Do not rely solely upon the LDA system. The LDA system does not auto-
matically drive the vehicle or reduce the amount of attention that must be
paid to the area in front of the vehicle. The driver must always assume full
responsibility for driving safely by paying careful attention to the surround-
ing conditions and operating the steering wheel to correct the path of the
vehicle. Also, the driver must take adequate breaks when fatigu ed, such as
from driving for a long period of time.
Failure to perform appropriate driving operations and pay careful attention
may lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
■ To avoid operating LDA system by mistake
When not using the LDA system, use the LDA switch to turn the s ystem off.
■ Situations unsuitable for LDA system
Do not use the LDA system in the following situations.
The system may not operate properly and lead to an accident, re sulting in
death or serious injury.
● A spare tire, tire chains, etc., are equipped.
● When the tires have been excessively worn, or when the tire inf lation pres-
sure is low.
● Tires which differ by structure, manufacturer, brand or tread p attern are
used.
● Objects or patterns that could be mistaken for white (yellow) l ines are
present on the side of the road (guardrails, curbs, reflective poles, etc.).
● Vehicle is driven on a snow-covered road.
● White (yellow) lines are difficult to see due to rain, snow, fo g, dust, etc.
● Asphalt repair marks, white (yellow) line marks, etc. are prese nt due to
road repair.
● Vehicle is driven in a temporary lane or restricted lane due to construction
work.
● Vehicle is driven on a road surface which is slippery due to rainy weather,
fallen snow, freezing, etc.
● Vehicle is driven in traffic lanes other than on highways and freeways.
● Vehicle is driven in a construction zone.
● Vehicle is towing a trailer or another vehicle.
2944-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■Situations unsuitable for dynamic radar cruise control
Do not use dynamic radar cruise control in any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in inappropriate speed control and could ca use an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury.
● Roads where there are pedestrians, cyclers, etc.
● In heavy traffic
● On roads with sharp bends
● On winding roads
● On slippery roads, such as those covered with rain, ice or snow
● On steep downhills, or where there are sudden changes between s harp up
and down gradients
Vehicle speed may exceed the set speed when driving down a stee p hill.
● At entrances to freeways and highways
● When weather conditions are bad enough that they may prevent the sen-
sors from detecting correctly (fog, snow, sandstorm, heavy rain, etc.)
● When there is rain, snow, etc. on the front surface of the radar sensor or
camera sensor
● In traffic conditions that require frequent repeated acceleration and decel-
eration
● When your vehicle is towing a trailer or during emergency towin g
● When an approach warning buzzer is heard often
3304-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U• When vehicle lanes are wide, or when driving on the edge of a
lane, and
the vehicle in an adjacent lane is far away from your vehicle
• When towing a trailer
• When items such as a bicycle carrier are installed on the rear of the vehi-
cle
• When there is a significant difference in height between your vehicle and
the vehicle that enters the detection area
• Immediately after the BSM function is turned on
● Instances of the BSM function unnecessarily detecting a vehicle and/or
object may increase in the following situations:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to a strong impact to the se nsor or its
surrounding area
• When the distance between your vehicle and a guardrail, wall, etc. that
enters the detection area is short
• When driving up and down consecutive steep inclines, such as h ills, dips
on the road, etc.
• When vehicle lanes are narrow, or when driving on the edge of a lane,
and a vehicle traveling in a lane other than the adjacent lanes enters the
detection area
• When driving on roads with sharp bends, consecutive curves, or uneven
surfaces
• When the tires are slipping or spinning
• When the distance between your vehicle and a following vehicle is short
• When a bicycle carrier or other accessory is installed to the rear of the vehicle
• When towing a trailer
3344-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U■
Conditions under which the RCTA function will not detect a vehicle
The RCTA function is not designed to detect the following types of vehicles
and/or objects:
● Vehicles approaching from directly behind
● Vehicles backing up in a parking space next to your vehicle
● Guardrails, walls, signs, parked vehicles and similar stationar y objects
*
●Small motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.*
●Vehicles moving away from your vehicle
● Vehicles approaching from the parking spaces next to your vehic le
*
*
: Depending on the conditions, detection of a vehicle and/or obj ect may
occur.
■ Conditions under which the RCTA function may not function corre ctly
● The RCTA function may not detect vehicles correctly in the following situa-
tions:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to a strong impact to the se nsor or its
surrounding area
• When mud, snow, ice, a sticker, etc. is covering the sensor or surround-
ing area on the rear bumper
• When driving on a road surface that is wet with standing water during bad
weather, such as heavy rain, snow, or fog
• When multiple vehicles are approaching with only a small gap b etween
each vehicle
• When a vehicle is approaching at high speed
• When towing a trailer
●
Vehicles that the sensors cannot detect
due to obstructions