2020 LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual

145
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
4
Driving
Driving
4-1. Before driving
Driving the vehicle ..................... 146
Cargo and luggage ................... 152
Vehicle load limits ...................... 154
Trailer towing (vehicles with tow- ing package).............................. 155
Trailer towing (vehicles without towing package) ...................... 163
Dinghy towing ............................. 164
4-2. Driving procedures Engine (ignition) switch ........... 165
Automatic transmission........... 168
Turn signal lever.......................... 172
Parking brake .............................. 172
Brake Hold.................................... 175
ASC (Active Sound Control) 177
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers Headlight switch ......................... 178
Automatic High Beam .............. 181
Fog light switch ........................... 184
Windshield wipers and washer ......................................................... 184
Rear window wiper and washer ......................................................... 189
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap....... 1914-5. Using the driving support sys-
tems
Lexus Safety System+ 2.0...... 193
PCS (Pre-Collision System) . 199
LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) .... 206
LDA (Lane Departure Alert with steering control) ...................... 215
RSA (Road Sign Assist).......... 223
Dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range...................... 225
PKSA (Parking Support Alert) ....................................................... 235
Intuitive parking assist ............. 236
Parking Support Brake function (for static objects) .................... 241
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) .... 250
Driving mode select switch .. 258
Driving assist systems.............. 260
All-wheel drive lock switch (AWD models)....................................... 264
4-6. Driving tips Winter driving tips .................... 266
Utility vehicle precautions..... 269

1464-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the engine
 P.165
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D. ( P.168)
2 Release the parking brake.
(P.173)
If the parking brake is in automatic mode,
the parking brake is released automatically
when shifting the shift lever to any position
other than P. ( P.172)
3 Gradually release the brake pedal
and gently depress the accelerator
pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 With the shift lever in D, depress the
brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking brake.
(P.173)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the shift lever
to P or N. ( P.168)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D, depress the
brake pedal.
2 Set the parking brake ( P.173),
and shift the shift lever to P
( P.168).
3 Press the engine switch to stop the
engine. 4
Lock the door, making sure that you
have the electronic key on your
person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels as
needed.
■Starting off on an uphill
1 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D. ( P.168)
2 Pull the parking brake switch and
parking brake is set manually.
(P.173)
3 Release the brake pedal and gently
depress the accelerator pedal to
accelerate the vehicle.
4 Press the parking brake switch and
parking brake is released manually.
(P.173)
■When starting off on an uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate.
(  P.260)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because
visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road
will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain,
because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on
an expressway in the rain, because there
may be a layer of wa ter between the tires
and the road surface, preventing the
steering and brakes from operating prop-
erly.
■Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine
speed may become high while driving. This
is due to automatic up-shifting control or
down-shifting implementation to meet driv-
ing conditions. It does not indicate sudden
acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill
Driving the vehicle
The specified procedures should be
observed to ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

1474-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
Driving
or downhill
●When the accelerator pedal is released
●When the brake pedal is depressed while
Sport mode is selected
■Restraining the engine output (Brake
Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake pedals
are depressed at the same time, the
engine output may be restrained.
●A warning message is displayed on the
multi-information display while the sys-
tem is operating.
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
●When the following unusual operation is
performed, the engine output may be
restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to D,
D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D
includes M) with the accelerator pedal
depressed, a warning message appears
on the multi-information display. If a
warning message is shown on the multi-
information display, read the message
and follow the instructions.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed
too much while the vehicle is in reverse.
●While Drive-Start Control is being acti-
vated, your vehicle may have trouble
escaping from the mud or fresh snow. In
such case, deactivate TRAC ( P.261) to
cancel Drive-Start Control so that the
vehicle may become able to escape from
the mud or fresh snow.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing
the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
●For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer. (vehicles with towing
package)
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign
country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registra-
tion laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P.416)
■Idling time before engine stop
To prevent damage to the turbocharger,
allow the engine to idle immediately after
high-load driving.
■Eco-friendly driving
 P.78
Driving conditionIdling time
Normal city driving or high-
speed driving (at the highway speed limit or recommended speed)
Not neces-sary
Steep hill driving, continuous driving (race track driving, etc.), or towing a trailer or
another vehicle (vehicles with towing package)
Approxi-mately 1 minute
WARNING
Observe the-following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped en gine running. This
prevents the vehicle from creeping.

1484-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
WARNING
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with
the location of the brake and accelera-
tor pedals to avoid depressing the
wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelera- tor pedal instead of the brake pedal
will result in sudden acceleration that
may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to difficulty in
operating the pedals. Make sure to
operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle
only slightly. This allows you to depress
the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal
using your left foot may delay
response in an emergency, resulting in
an accident.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop
the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases
can be extremely hot. These hot parts
may cause a fire if there is any flamma-
ble material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not turn off
the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of
steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be
lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull
over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if
it becomes impossible to stop the vehi-
cle in the normal way: P.366
●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.168)
●Do not adjust the positions of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the inside
or outside rear view mirrors while driv-
ing.
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.
●AWD models: Do not drive the vehicle
off-road.
This is not an AWD vehicle designed
for off-road driving. Proceed with all
due caution if it becomes unavoidable
to drive off-road.
●Do not drive across a river or through
other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic
components to short circuit, damage
the engine or cause other serious
damage to the vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140
km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires.
Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may
result 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 capa-
bility tires or not befo re driving at such
speeds.
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and
steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehi-
cle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking
due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.

1494-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
Driving
WARNING
●After driving through a puddle, lightly
depress the brake pedal to make sure
that the brakes are functioning prop-
erly. Wet brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning properly. If the
brakes on only one side are wet and
not functioning properly, steering con-
trol may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward
while the shift lever is in a driving posi-
tion, or roll forward while the shift lever
is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall
or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident
or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift lever to P while
the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while
the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a driving
position while the vehicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Shifting the shift lever to N while the
vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine.
Engine braking is not available when N
is selected.
●Be careful not to shift the shift lever
with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to any position
other than P or N may lead to unex-
pected rapid acceleration of the vehi-
cle that may cause an accident and
result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping
noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and
replaced by your Lexus 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 shift lever is in any position other
than P or N, the vehicle may acceler-
ate suddenly and unexpectedly, caus-
ing 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 apply the park-
ing brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline,
in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or back-
ward, 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 may cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which
could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.

1504-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
WARNING
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters,
spray cans, or soft drink 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 lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plas-
tic material of glasses to deform or
crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over 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 accidentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is
adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the
windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on
the instrument pane l or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act
as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if
the curved glass is coated with a met-
allized film such as a silver-colored
one. Reflected sunlight 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 parking brake is not
set, the vehicle may start to move, pos-
sibly leading to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes 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 accident or fire due to engine
overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is
parked in a poorly ventilated area,
exhaust gases may collect and enter the
vehicle, leading to death or a serious
health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more
cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the
brakes are wet, and this may cause one
side of the vehicle to brake differently
than the other side. Also, the parking
brake may not securely hold the vehi-
cle.
●If the brake booster device does not
operate, do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid hills or sharp turns
that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but
the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up
the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 individ-
ual hydraulic systems; if one of the sys-
tems fails, the other w ill still operate. In
this case, the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual and
the braking distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD
models)
Do not spin the wheels excessively when
any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehi-
cle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may
damage the driveline components or
propel the vehicle forward or backward,
causing an accident.

1514-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
Driving
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and
brake pedals at the same time during
driving, as this may restrain the engine
output.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or
depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the
vehicle on a hill.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in
either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power
steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road,
drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the
vehicle, etc.
●Make sure to idle the engine immedi-
ately after high-speed driving or hill
climbing. Stop the engine only after
the turbocharger has cooled down.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
the turbocharger.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged ti re may cause the fol-
lowing situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually depress the
brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehi-
cle.
●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.387)
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded
after heavy rain, etc. Doing so may cause
the following serious damage to the vehi-
cle:
●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 is flooded, be sure
to have your Lexus dealer check the fol-
lowing:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil
and fluid used for the engine, transmis-
sion, transfer (AWD vehicles), rear dif-
ferential (AWD vehicles), etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller
shaft (AWD models), bearings and
suspension joints (where possible),
and the function of all joints, bearings,
etc.
■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 suddenly if the accelera-
tor pedal is accidentally depressed.

1524-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
Cargo capacity depends on the total
weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load capac-
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following infor-
mation about storage precautions,
cargo capacity and load.
WARNING
■Things that must not be carried in the
luggage compartment
The following things may cause a fire if
loaded in the luggage compartment:
●Receptacles containing gasoline
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may prevent the pedals
from being depressed properly, may
block the driver’s vision, or may result in
items hitting the driver or passengers,
possibly causing an accident.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the lug-
gage compartment whenever possi-
ble.
●Do not stack cargo and luggage in the
luggage compartment higher than the
seatbacks.
●When you fold down the rear seats,
long items should not be placed
directly behind the front seats.
●Never allow anyone to ride in the lug-
gage compartment. It is not designed
for passengers. They should ride in
their seats with their seat belts prop-
erly fastened.
●Do not place cargo or luggage in or on
the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rear seats (when stacking items)
• On the luggage cover
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard
●Secure all items in the occupant com-
partment.
■When using a roof luggage carrier
(vehicles with roof rails)
Observe the following precautions:
●Place the cargo so that its weight is dis-
tributed evenly between the front and
rear axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo, never
exceed the vehicle overall length or
width. ( P.408)
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is
securely fastened on the roof luggage
carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of gravity
of the vehicle higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneuvers,
otherwise it may result in loss of con-
trol or vehicle rollover due to failure to
operate this vehicle correctly and
result in death or serious injury.
●If driving for a long distance, on rough
roads, or at high sp eeds, stop the vehi-
cle now and then during the trip to
make sure the cargo remains in its
place.
●Do not exceed 176.3 lb. (80 kg) cargo
weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo (vehicles with
moon roof)
Do not set luggage on the moon roof.
Failure to observe so may lead to cause
damage.
Capacity and distribution