
TABLE OF CONTENTS6
HIGHLANDER_U7-1.  Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 502
Cleaning and protecting  the vehicle interior ........... 506
7-2.  Maintenance Maintenance requirements ................... 509
General maintenance ........ 512
Emission inspection and  maintenance (I/M) 
programs ......................... 515
7-3.  Do-it-yourself  maintenance
Do-it-yourself service  precautions ..................... 516
Hood.................................. 518
Positioning a floor jack ...... 520
Engine compartment ......... 521
Tires .................................. 533
Tire inflation pressure........ 544
Wheels .............................. 547
Air conditioning filter .......... 549
Wireless remote control/ electronic key battery ...... 551
Checking and  replacing fuses ................ 554
Light bulbs ......................... 558 8-1.  Essential information
Emergency flashers ........... 574
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an 
emergency....................... 575
8-2.  Steps to take in an  emergency
If your vehicle needs  to be towed ...................... 577
If you think something  is wrong ........................... 581
Fuel pump shut off  system ............................. 582
If a warning light turns  on or a warning buzzer 
sounds ............................. 583
If a warning message  is displayed...................... 593
If you have a flat tire .......... 610
If the engine will not  start ................................. 635
If the electronic key  does not operate 
properly ........................... 637
If the vehicle battery  is discharged ................... 640
If your vehicle  overheats......................... 646
If the vehicle becomes  stuck ................................ 649
7Maintenance and care8When trouble arises 

8
HIGHLANDER_UPlease note that this manual applies to all models and all equi
pment, includ-
ing  options.  Therefore,  you  may  find  some  explanations  for  equi pment  not
installed on your vehicle. 
All  specifications  provided  in  this  manual  are  current  at  the  t ime  of  printing.
However, because of the Toyota policy of continual product impr ovement, we
reserve the right to make changes at any time without notice.
Depending on specifications, the vehicle shown in the illustrat ions may differ
from your vehicle in terms of color and equipment.
Approximately  five  hours  after  the  engine  is  turned  off,  you  ma y  hear  sound
coming from under the vehicle for several minutes. This is the  sound of a fuel
evaporation leakage check and, it does not indicate a malfunction.
A  wide  variety  of  non-genuine  spare  parts  and  accessories  for  T oyota  vehi-
cles are currently available in the market. You should know tha t Toyota does
not  warrant  these  products  and  is  not  responsible  for  their  per formance,
repair,  or  replacement,  or  for  any  damage  they  may  cause  to,  or  adverse
effect they may have on, your Toyota vehicle.
This vehicle should not be modified with non-genuine Toyota pro ducts. Modi-
fication with non-genuine Toyota products could affect its perf ormance, safety
or  durability,  and  may  even  violate  governmental  regulations.  In  addition,
damage or performance problems resulting from the modification may not be
covered under warranty.
For your infor mation
Main Owner’s Manual
Noise from under vehicle afte r turning off the engine
Accessories, spare parts and m odification of your Toyota 

9
HIGHLANDER_UThe installation of a mobile two-way radio system in your vehic
le could affect
electronic systems such as: 
● Multiport fuel injection system/sequential multiport fuel injection system
● Toyota Safety Sense P
● Anti-lock brake system
● SRS airbag system
● Seat belt pretensioner system
Be sure to check with your Toyota dealer for precautionary meas ures or spe-
cial instructions regarding instal lation of a mobile two-way radio system.
Your Toyota is equipped with several sophisticated computers th at will record
certain data, such as:
• Engine speed
• Accelerator status
• Brake status
• Vehicle speed
• Shift position
The  recorded  data  varies  according  to  the  vehicle  grade  level  and  options
with  which  it  is  equipped.  These  computers  do  not  record  conver sations  or
sounds, and only record images outside of the vehicle in certai n situations.
●Data Transmission
Your  vehicle  may  transmit  the  data  recorded  in  these  computers  to Toyota
without notification to you.
●Data usage
Toyota may use the data recorded in these computers to diagnose  malfunc-
tions, conduct research and development, and improve quality.
Toyota will not disclose the recorded data to a third party exc ept:
• With the consent of the vehicle owner or with the consent of the lessee if the vehicle is leased
• In response to an official request by the police, a court of l aw or a govern-
ment agency
• For use by Toyota in a lawsuit
• For  research  purposes  where the  data is not  tied to  a  specific   vehicle  or
vehicle owner
●Usage of data collected through Safety Connect (U.S. mainland o nly)
If your Toyota has Safety Connect and if you have subscribed to  those ser-
vices,  please  refer  to  the  Safety  Connect  Telematics  Subscription  Service
Agreement for information on data collected and its usage.
●To  learn  more  about  the  vehicle  data  collected,  used  and  shared  by Toy-
ota, please visit www.toyota.com/privacyvts/
.
Installation of a mobile  two-way radio system
Vehicle data recordings 

15Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER_UFuel filler door  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 256
Refueling method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 256
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 655
Tires  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 533
Tire size/inflation pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 . . . . . . . . . .  P. 662
Winter tires/tire chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 346
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system  . . . . . . . .  . . .  P. 533
Coping with flat tires  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 610
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 518
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 518
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 656
Coping with overheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 646
Warning messages  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 595
Headlights/daytime running lights
*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 241
Daytime running lights
* /parking lights* . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 241
Front fog lights
* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 249
Front turn signal lig hts/parking lights
*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 239
Stop/tail lights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 241
Hill-start assist control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 338
Downhill assist control system
*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 344
License plate lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 241
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 233
Side marker lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 241
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 239
6
7
8
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving  
(Replacing method: P. 558, Watts: P. 665)
*: If equipped
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17 

271-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure  to  do  so  may  cause  the  driver’s  floor  mat  to  slip,  possibly  interfering
with the pedals while driving. An unexpectedly high speed may result or it may
become difficult to stop the vehicle. This could lead to an acc ident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
■ When installing the driver’s floor mat 
● Do  not  use  floor  mats  designed  for  other  models  or  different  mo del  year
vehicles, even if they are Toyota Genuine 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 bottom-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  engine  stopped  and  the  shift
lever  in  P,  fully  depress  each  pedal  to
the  floor  to  make  sure  it  does  not  inter-
fere with the floor mat. 

791-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
Exhaust gas precautions
Harmful  substance  to  the  human  body  is  included  in  exhaust
gases if inhaled.
WARNING
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and
odorless. Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause exhaust gases enter the vehicle and  may lead to
an  accident  caused  by  light-headedness,  or  may  lead  to  death  or  a serious
health hazard.
■ Important points while driving
● Keep the back door and glass hatch closed.
● If  you  smell  exhaust  gases  in  the  vehicle  even  when  the  back  do or  and
glass hatch are closed, open the windows and have the vehicle i nspected
at your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
■ When parking
● If  the  vehicle  is  in  a  poorly  ventilated  area  or  a  closed  area,  such  as  a
garage, stop the engine.
● Do not leave the vehicle with the engine on for a long time. 
If  such  a  situation  cannot  be  avoided,  park  the  vehicle  in  an  o pen  space
and ensure that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior .
● Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up,  or where it
is  snowing.  If  snowbanks  build  up  around  the  vehicle  while  the  engine  is
running, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle.
■ Exhaust pipe
The  exhaust  system  needs  to  be  checked  periodically.  If  there  is  a  hole  or
crack caused by corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise, be
sure to have the vehicle inspected and repaired by your Toyota dealer. 

891-3. Theft deterrent system
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
Do one of the following to deactivate or stop the alarms:
● Unlock the doors.
● Vehicles without a smart key sys tem: Turn the engine switch to the
“ACC” or “ON” position, or star t the engine. (The alarm will be  deac-
tivated or stopped after a few seconds.)
● Vehicles  with  a  smart  key  system:  Turn  the  engine  switch  to
ACCESSORY  or  IGNITION  ON  mode,  or  start  the  engine.  (The
alarm will be deactivated or s topped after a few seconds.)
● Open  the  glass  hatch  (if  equipped)  using  the  entry  function  (ve hi-
cles with smart key system).
■ System maintenance
The vehicle has a maintenance-free type alarm system.
■ Items to check before locking the vehicle
To prevent unexpected triggering of the alarm and vehicle theft , make sure of
the following:
● Nobody is in the vehicle.
● The windows and the following openings are closed before the al arm is set.
• The glass hatch (if equipped)
• The moon roof (if equipped)
• The panoramic moon roof (if equipped)
● No valuables or other personal items are left in the vehicle.
Deactivating or stopping the alarm 

942. Instrument cluster
HIGHLANDER_U
*1: These lights turn on when the engine switch is turned to the “ON” position
(vehicles  without  a  smart  key  system)  or  the  engine  switch  is  turned  to
IGNITION ON mode (vehicles with a smart key system), to indicat e that a
system  check  is  being  performed.  They  will  turn  off  after  the  engine  is
started, or after a few seconds. There may be a malfunction in  a system if
a  light  does  not  come  on,  or  turn  off.  Have  the  vehicle  inspected  by  your
Toyota dealer.
*2: If equipped
*3: This light flashes to indicate a malfunction.
*4: This light illuminates on the center panel.
*5: This light flashes to indicate a malfunction. Additionally, it  will turn on if the
system is turned off.
*1
(Canada)
Parking  brake  warning
light ( P. 584)