
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
6
7
8
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving  
(Replacing method: P. 558, Watts: P. 665)
*: If equipped
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10
11
12
13
14
15
16
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841-2. Emergency assistance
HIGHLANDER_U■
Emergency Assistance Button (“SOS”)
In the event of an emergency on t
he road, push the “SOS” button to
reach  the  Safety  Connect  respons e  center.  The  answering  agent
will  determine  your  vehicle’s  loca tion,  assess  the  emergency,  and
dispatch the necessary assistanc e required.
If  you  accidentally  press  the  “SOS”  button,  tell  the  response-c enter
agent that you are not experiencing an emergency.
■
Enhanced Roadside Assistance
Enhanced  Roadside  As sistance  adds  GPS  data  to  the  already
included warranty-based Toyota roadside service.
Subscribers can press the “SOS” button to reach a Safety Connec t
response-center  agent,  who  can  he lp  with  a  wide  range  of  needs,
such  as:  towing,  flat  tire,  fuel   delivery,  etc.  For  a  description  of  the
Enhanced  Roadside  Assistance  se rvices  and  their  limitations,
please  see  the  Safety  Connect  Te rms  and  Conditions,  which  are
available  at  Toyota.com  in  the  United  States,  Toyotapr.com  in
Puerto Rico and Toyota.ca in Canada. 

2004-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
NOTICE
■When parking the vehicle
Always  set  the  parking  brake  and  shift  the  shift  lever  to  P.  Failure  to  do  so
may  cause  the  vehicle  to  move  or  the  vehicle  may  accelerate  sud denly  if
the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■ Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
● Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and ho ld it there for
an extended period of time. 
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
● When driving over bumps on the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc. 
■ If you get a flat tire while driving 
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly  and  gradually  depress  the  brake  pedal to  slow  down  the  vehi-
cle.
● It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
● The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
● The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( P. 610)
■ When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. D oing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle:
● Engine stalling
● Short in electrical components
● Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle i s flooded, be
sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following:
● Brake function
● Changes  in  quantity  and  quality  of  oil  and  fluid  used  for  the  e ngine,  tran-
saxle, transfer (AWD models),  differential (AWD models), etc.
● Lubricant  condition  for  the  propeller  shaft  (AWD  models),  beari ngs  and
suspension joints (where possible), and the function of all joints, bearings,
etc. 

2164-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_U
Use the wire harness stored in the
rear end under body.
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid
an  accident,  death  or  serious  injury,  keep  the  following  in  min d when
towing:
● Speed  limits  for  towing  a  trailer  vary  by  state  or  province.  Do  not
exceed the posted to wing speed limit.
● Toyota  recommends  that  the  vehicl e-trailer  speed  limit  is  65  mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this li mit, the
posted  towing  speed  limit  or  the  speed  limit  for  your  trailer  as  set
forth  in  your  trailer owner’s  manu al,  whichever is  lowest.  Instability
of the towing vehicle-trailer combination (trailer sway) increa ses as
speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of contr ol.
● Before  starting  out,  check  the  trailer  lights,  tires  and  the  vehicle-
trailer connections. Recheck af ter driving a short distance.
● Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attac hed in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed  to  the fe el
of the vehicle-trailer combination.
● Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires pra ctice.
Grip  the  bottom  of  the  steering  wheel  and  move  your  hand  to  the
left  to  move  the  trailer  to  the  left.  Move  your  hand  to  the  rig ht  to
move  the  trailer  to  right.  (This  is  generally  opposite  to  reversing
without  a  trailer  attached.) Avoid  sharp  or  prolonged  turning.  Have
someone  guide  you  when  reversing  to  reduce  the  risk  of  an  acci-
dent.
Connecting trailer lights
Trailer towing tips 

2194-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
■Matching trailer ball height  to trailer coupler height
■ Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 662)
● Trailer  tires  are  inflated  according  to  the  trailer  manufacture r’s  recommen-
dation.
● All trailer lights work as required by law.
● All lights work each time you connect them.
● The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on  the trailer.
● The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for imprope r tongue weight,
overloading, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
● The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
● The  rear  view  mirrors  conform  to  all  applicable  federal,  state/provincial  or
local regulations. If they do not, install rear view mirrors ap propriate for tow-
ing purposes.
No  matter  which  class  of  tow  hitch
applies,  for  a  more  safe  trailer  hookup,
the  trailer  ball  setup  must  be  the  proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
1
2 

2484-3. Operating the lights and wipers
HIGHLANDER_U• When  driving  in  inclement  weather  (heavy  rain,  snow,  fog,  sand
storms,
etc.)
• When the windshield is obscured by fog, mist, ice, dirt, etc.
• When the windshield is cracked or damaged
• When the camera sensor is deformed or dirty
• When the temperature of the camera sensor is extremely high
• When  the  surrounding  brightness  level  is  equal  to  that  of  head lights,  tail
lights or fog lights
• When  headlights  or  tail  lights  of  vehicles  ahead  are  turned  off,  dirty, changing color, or not aimed properly
• When the vehicle is hit by water, snow, dust, etc. from a prec eding  vehi-
cle
• When  driving  through  an  area  of  intermittently  changing  brightness  and
darkness
• When  frequently  and  repeatedly  driving  ascending/descending  roads,  or roads  with  rough,  bumpy  or  uneven  surfaces  (such  as  stone-paved
roads, gravel roads, etc.)
• When  frequently  and  repeatedly  taking  curves  or  driving  on  a  w inding
road
• When  there  is  a  highly  reflective  object  ahead  of  the  vehicle,  such  as  a sign or mirror
• When the back of a preceding vehicle is highly reflective, suc h as a con-
tainer on a truck
• When  the  vehicle's  headlights  are  damaged  or  dirty,  or  are  not  aimed
properly
• When the vehicle is listing or titling due to a flat tire, a trailer being towed, etc.
• When  the  headlights  are  changed  between  the  high  beams  and  low beams repeatedly in an abnormal manner
• When the driver believes that the high beams may be flashing or dazzling
pedestrians or other drivers
■ Temporarily lowering sensor sensitivity
The sensitivity of the sensor can be temporarily lowered.
Turn the engine switch off while the following conditions are m et.
• The headlight switch is in   or  .
• The headlight switch lever is in the high beam position.
• Automatic High Beam switch is on.
Turn  the  engine  switch  to  the  “ON”  position  (vehicles  without  a  smart key
system) or IGNITION ON mode (vehicles with a smart key system).
Within 30 seconds after  , repeat pulling the headlight switch l ever to the
original position then pushing it to the high beam position qui ckly 10 times,
then leave the lever in the high beam position.
If the sensitivity is changed, the Automatic High Beam indicato r will turn on
and off 3 times.
Automatic  High  Beam  (headlights)  may  turn  on  even  when  the  vehicle  is
stopped.
1
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4 

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