
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 

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
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Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving  
(Replacing method: P. 558, Watts: P. 665)
*: If equipped
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1002. Instrument cluster
HIGHLANDER_U
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the engine and its components
● Do not let the indicator needle of the tachometer enter the red  zone, which
indicates the maximum engine speed.
● The engine may be overheating if the engine coolant temperature  gauge is
in  the  red  zone  (H).  In  this  case,  immediately  stop  the  vehicle   in  a  safe
place, and check the engine after it has cooled completely. ( P. 646) 

1954-1. Before driving
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Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
● 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. 233)
● Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
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.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal sp eed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicl e has high-
speed  capability  tires.  Driving  over  85  mph  (140  km/h)  may  resu lt  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  c apability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■ When driving on slippery road surfaces
● Sudden  braking,  acceleration  and  steering  may  cause  tire  slippa ge  and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
● Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes  in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
● After  driving  through  a  puddle,  lightly  depress  the  brake  pedal  to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads m ay prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one  side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected. 

1974-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scrap ing noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota 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 race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate
suddenly 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  app ly  the
parking brake as necessary.
● If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent ac cidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, 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 m ay cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby. 

1984-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is parked
● Do  not  leave  glasses,  cigarette  lighters,  spray  cans,  or  soft  d rink  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  le ad  to  a
fire.
• The  temperature  inside  the  vehicle  may  cause  the  plastic  lenses  and plastic material of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft  drink  cans  may  fracture,  causing  the  contents  to  spray  ov er  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  cigarette  lighter  is  in  a
place such as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit acci dentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
● Do  not  attach  adhesive  discs  to  the  windshield  or  windows.  Do  n ot  place
containers  such  as  air  fresheners  on  the  instrument  panel  or  da shboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire  in the vehi-
cle.
● Do  not  leave  a  door  or  window  open  if  the  curved  glass  is  coate d  with  a
metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunligh t 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 park ing brake is not
set, the vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an acci dent.
● Do  not  touch the exhaust pipe 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  acc ident or  fire
due  to  engine  overheating. Additionally,  if  the  vehicle  is  park ed  in  a  poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicl e, leading to
death or a serious health hazard. 

2174-1. Before driving
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Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
●As  stopping  distance  is  increased  when  towing  a  trailer,  vehicl e-to
vehicle  distance  should  be  increased.  For  each  10  mph  (16  km/h)
of speed, allow at least one v ehicle and trailer length.
● Avoid sudden braking as you may  skid, resulting in the trailer  jack-
knifing and a loss of vehicle control. This is especially true  on wet or
slippery surfaces.
● Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering  and sharp turns, and slow down before maki ng
turn.
● Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer  than
the vehicle wheels to the inside  of the turn. Compensate by mak ing
a wider than normal turning radius.
● Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slipp ery
surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
● Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires consider-
able  distance. After  passing  a  vehicle,  do  not  forget  the  lengt h  of
your  trailer,  and  be  sure  you  have  plenty  of  room  before  changi ng
lanes.
● To  maintain  engine  braking  efficiency  and  charging  system  perfo r-
mance  when  using  engine  braking,  do  not  put  the  transmission  in
D. If in the S mode, the transm ission shift range position must be in
6 (8-speed models) or 4 (6-speed models) or lower.
● Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or lo ng
downhill grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts while  descending steep or long down-
hill grades.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the bra kes
too frequently. This could cause  the brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency. 
![TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2019  Owners Manual (in English) 2184-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
●Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may  over-
heat  on  hot  days  (at  temperatures  over  85 F  [30C])  when  driving
up  a  l TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2019  Owners Manual (in English) 2184-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
●Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may  over-
heat  on  hot  days  (at  temperatures  over  85 F  [30C])  when  driving
up  a  l](/manual-img/14/42547/w960_42547-217.png)
2184-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
●Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may  over-
heat  on  hot  days  (at  temperatures  over  85 F  [30C])  when  driving
up  a  long  or steep  grade.  If  the  engine  coolant  temperature  gau ge
indicates overheating, immediately turn off the air conditionin g (if in
use), pull your vehicle off the  road and stop in a safe spot. 
(  P. 646)
● Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the trai ler’s
wheels  when  parking. Apply  the  parking  brake  firmly,  and  put  th e
transmission  in  P. Avoid  parking  on  a  slope,  but  if  unavoidable ,  do
so only after perform ing the following:
Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone  place wheel blocks  under both the vehicle’s and
trailer’s wheels.
When  the  wheel  blocks  are  in  pl ace,  release  the  brakes  slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Shift into P and turn off the engine.
● When restarting afte r parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the engine. Be sure to keep t he
brake pedal depressed.
Shift into a forward gear.  If reversing, shift into R.
Release  the  parking  brake  and  brake  pedal,  and  slowly  pull  or
back away from the wheel bloc ks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
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