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5137-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal• The accelerator pedal should move smoothly(without uneven pedal effort or catching).
Automatic transmission
“Park” mechanism• When parked on a slope and the shift lever isin P, is the vehicle securely stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appropriate clear-
ance from the floor? ( P. 661)
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of free play? ( P. 661)
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to one side when
the brakes are applied.
• The brakes should work effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get too close to the floor when the brakes are applied.
Head restraints• Do the head restraints move smoothly andlock securely?
Indicators/buzzers• Do the indicators and buzzers function prop-erly?
Lights • Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Does the parking brake move smoothly?
• When parked on a slope and the parking brake is on, is the vehicle securely stopped?
Seat belts• Do the seat belts operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
Seats• Do the seat controls operate properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotate smoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correctamount of free play?
• There should not be any strange sounds com-
ing from the steering wheel.
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5768-1. Essential information
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■If the engine has to be tu rned off while driving
● Power assist for the brakes and steering wheel will be lost, ma king the
brake pedal harder to depress and the steering wheel heavier to turn.
Decelerate as much as possible before turning off the engine.
● Vehicles without a smart key system: Never attempt to remove the key, as
doing so will lock the steering wheel.
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5808-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the vehicle when towing using a wheel-lift type
truck
● Vehicles without a smart key system: Do not tow the vehicle fro m the rear
when the engine switch is in the “LOCK” position or the key is removed.
The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
● Vehicles with a smart key system: Do not tow the vehicle from the rear
when the engine switch is off.
The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
● When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed.
■ To prevent damage to the vehicle when towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or re ar.
■ Recreational towing (behind motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to prevent
causing serious damage to the Dynamic
Torque Control AWD system (AWD mod-
els) and transmission. ( P. 223)
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5908-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■If both the ABS and the brake s ystem warning lights remain on
Stop your vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact your To y o t a
dealer. The vehicle will become extremely unstable during braki ng, and the
ABS system may fail, which could cause an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.
■ When the electric power steering system warning light comes on
The steering wheel may become extremely heavy.
When steering wheel operations are heavier than usual, grip the steering
wheel firmly and operate it using more force than usual.
■
If the tire pressure warning light comes on
Be sure to observe the following precautions. Failure to do so could
cause a loss of vehicle control and result in death or serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible. Adjust t he tire
inflation pressure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes on even after tire inf lation pres-
sure adjustment, it is probable that you have a flat tire. Chec k the tires.
If a tire is flat, change it with the spare tire and have the f lat tire
repaired by the nearest Toyota dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and braking. If the vehicle tires dete riorate,
you could lose control of the steering wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air leakage should occur
The tire pressure warning system may not activate immediately.
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5968-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
(If equipped)
Indicates that an intuitive parking assist-sensor is
dirty or covered with iceA buzzer also sounds.
Clean the sensor.
Indicates a malfunction in the EPS (Electric
Power Steering) system
A buzzer also sounds.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
Indicates that the vehicle is being driven at 3 mph (5
km/h) or more with the parking brake still engaged
A buzzer also sounds.
Release the parking brake.
Indicates that the LDA (Lane Departure Alert with
steering control) system has determined that the
driver does not have the hands on the steering
wheel while the steering control function is on
If the driver operates the steering wheel only a
small amount, the system may be unable to
detect the steering wheel operations and this
warning may be displayed.
A buzzer also sounds.
Firmly hold the steering wheel.
Warning messageDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.) (Canada) (Flashes)
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6018-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
Indicates a malfunction in the Stop & Start systemA buzzer also sounds.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
Indicates that the engine was stopped while driv-
ing
A buzzer also sounds.
Operate the steering wheel with more force
than usual.
Indicates that the engine switch is turned off or
turned to ACCESSORY mode and the driver’s
door is opened while the lights are turned on
A buzzer also sounds.
Turn the lights off.
(If equipped)
Indicates that the moon roof or panoramic moon
roof is not fully closed (with the engine switch off,
and the driver’s door open)
A buzzer also sounds.
Close the moon roof or panoramic moon
roof.
(AWD models)
Indicates that the AWD system is not currently
functional
A buzzer also sounds.
Reduce vehicle speed or stop the vehicle in
a safe place until the warnings clear. In this
case, do not stop the engine.
Warning messageDetails/Actions
(Flashes)
(Flashes)
(Flashes)
(Flashes)
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6078-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
OnceContin-
uous
An attempt was made to lock
either front door by opening a
door and putting the inside lock
button into the lock position,
then closing the door with the
electronic key still inside the
vehicle.
Retrieve the electronic key
from the vehicle and lock
the doors again.
Once
The electronic key has a low
battery.
Replace the electronic key
battery. ( P. 551)
Once
The steering lock could not be
released within 3 seconds of
the engine switch being
pressed.
Press the engine switch
while depressing the brake
pedal and moving the
steering wheel left and
right.
Once
Indicates a malfunction in the
smart key system
Have the vehicle inspected
by your Toyota dealer.
Interior
buzzerExterior buzzerWarning messageDetails/Actions
(Flashes)
(Flashes)
(Flashes)
Page 631 of 732

6318-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U■
If you have a flat front tire on a road covered with snow or ic
e (vehi-
cles with a compact spare tire)
Install the compact spare tire on one of the rear wheels of the vehicle.
Perform the following steps and f it tire chains to the front tires:
Replace a rear tire with the compact spare tire.
Replace the flat front tire with the tire removed from the rear of the vehi-
cle.
Fit tire chains to the front tires.
WARNING
■When using the compact spare tire (vehicles with a compact spar e
tire)
●Remember that the compact spare tire provided is specifically
designed for use with your vehicle. Do not use your compact spa re tire
on another vehicle.
●Do not use more than one compact spare tires simultaneously.
●Replace the compact spare tire with a standard tire as soon as possi-
ble.
●Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt steering, sudden braking and shift-
ing operations that cause sudden engine braking.
■When the compact spare tire is attached (vehicles with a compac t
spare tire)
The vehicle speed may not be co rrectly detected, and the following sys-
tems may not operate correctly:
Also, not only can the following system not be utilized fully, but it may
even negatively affect the drive-train components:
• AWD system (if equipped)
1
2
3
• ABS & Brake assist
• VSC
•TRAC
• Dynamic radar cruise control
• Pre-Collision System
• EPS • Automatic High Beam
• LDA (Lane Departure Alert with
steering control)
• Intuitive parking assist (if equipped)
• Navigation system (if equipped)