
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

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.

1664-2. Driving procedures
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
■If “Smart Access System Malfunction
See Owner’s Manual” is displayed on
the multi-information display
The system may be malfunctioning. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
■Electronic key battery
P.356
■Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly and
firmly, the engine switch mode may not
change or the engine may not start.
●If attempting to restart the engine imme-
diately after turning the engine switch off,
the engine may not start in some cases.
After turning the engine switch off, please
wait a few seconds before restarting the
engine.
■If the smart access system with push-
button start has been deactivated by a
customized setting
P.427
1Stop the vehicle completely.
2
Set the parking brake ( P.173),
and shift the shift lever to P
( P.168).
3
Press the engine switch.
4
Release the brake pedal and check
that the display on the instrument
cluster is off.
Modes can be changed by pressing
the engine switch with brake pedal
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in
the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the
engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle
is moving, do not lock or open the doors
until the vehicle reaches a safe and com-
plete stop. The steering lock function will
activate and this may lead to an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to start
or stalls frequently, have your vehicle
checked by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
■Symptoms indicating a malfunction
with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operat-
ing somewhat differently than usual, such
as the switch sticking slightly, there may
be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus
dealer immediately.
Stopping the engine
WARNING
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop th e engine in an emer-
gency while driving the vehicle, press
and hold the engine switch for more than
2 seconds, or press it briefly 3 times or
more in succession. ( P.366)
However, do not touch the engine switch
while driving except in an emergency.
Turning the engine off while driving will
not cause loss of steering or braking con-
trol, 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.
Changing engine switch modes

2354-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
Driving
*:If equipped
■Intuitive parking assist (if
equipped)
Ultrasonic sensors are used to detect
static objects in the detection area
when driving at a low speed or backing
up. ( P.236)
■Adjusting the buzzer volume
The buzzer volume can be adjusted on
the multi-information display.
Use the meter control switches to
change settings. ( P.82)
1 Press or to select .
2 Press or to select “PKSA”
and then press .
3 Press or to select and
then press .
Each time the switch is pressed, the volume
level change between 1, 2, and 3.
■Muting buzzer
P.237
PKSA (Parking Support
Alert)*
The Parking Support Alert system
consists of the following functions
that operate when driving at a low
speed or backing up, such as when
parking. When the system deter-
mines that a collision with a
detected object, such as a wall is
high, a warning operates to urge
the driver to take evasive action.
PKSA (Parking Support Alert)
system
Setting the buzzer volume

2364-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
*:If equipped
■Types of sensors
Front corner sensors
Front center sensors
Rear corner sensors
Rear center sensors
■Display
When the sensors detect an obstacle,
the following displays inform the driver
of the position and distance to the
obstacle.
Multi-information display Front corner sensor operation
Front center sensor operation
Rear corner sensor operation
Rear center sensor operation
Navigation or multimedia system
Lexus parking assist monitor
Panoramic view monitor
Intuitive parking assist can be
Intuitive parking assist*
The distance from your vehicle to
nearby obstacles when parallel
parking or maneuvering into a
garage is measured by the sensors
and communicated via the displays
and a buzzer. Always check the sur-
rounding area when using this sys-
tem.
System components
A
B
C
D
Turning intuitive parking assist
on/off
A
B
C
D

2374-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
Driving
enabled/disabled on the multi-informa-
tion display as following:
1Press or of meter control
switches and select .
2 Press or of meter control
switches and select “PKSA”.
3 Press or of meter control
switches, select , and then press
to select the desired setting
(on/off).
When ON (enable) is selected, the
intuitive parking assist indicator comes
on.
When switched to OFF (disable) and
the intuitive parking assist is deacti-
vated, the system will not reactivate if it
is not switched to ON again from the screen of the multi-information dis-
play (Will not reactivate via engine
switch operations).
■The intuitive parking assist can be oper-
ated when
●The engine switch is in IGNITION ON
mode.
●Intuitive parking assist function is on.
●The vehicle speed is less than about 6 mph (10 km/h).
●A shift position other than P is selected.
■Setting the buzzer volume
The buzzer volume can be adjusted on the
multi-information display. ( P.235)
■Muting the buzzer sound
●To mute the buzzer sound
The buzzer can be temporarily muted by
pressing of the meter control
switches while an obstacle detection dis-
play is shown on the multi-information
display.
●To cancel the mute
Mute will be automatically canceled in
the following situations.
• When the shift position is changed
• When the vehicle speed has reached or
exceeded approximately 6 mph (10
km/h) with the shift lever in D
• When the intuitive par king assist is turned
off once and turned on again
• When the engine switch is turned off
once and turned to IGNITION ON
mode again
• When a sensor is malfunctioning
■Intuitive parking assist display
When an obstacle is detected while the
intuitive parking assist monitor is in use, the
warning indicator will appear in the upper
corner of the screen even if the display set-
ting has been set to off.
■If “Parking Assist Unavailable” or “Park-
ing Assist Unavailable Clean Parking
Assist Sensor” is displayed on the multi-
information display
A sensor may be dirty or covered with snow
or ice. In such cases, if it is removed from
the sensor, the system should return to nor-
mal.
Also, due to the sensor being frozen at low
temperatures, a malfunction display may
appear or an obstacle may not be detected.
If the sensor thaws out, the system should
return to normal.

2384-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
■If “Parking Assist Malfunction Visit Your
Dealer” is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display
Depending on the malfunction of the sen-
sor, the device may not be working nor-
mally. Have the vehicle inspected by your
Lexus dealer.
■Sensor detectio n information
●The sensor’s detection areas are limited
to the areas around the vehicle’s bumper.
●Certain vehicle conditions and the sur-
rounding environment may affect the
ability of a sensor to correctly detect an
obstacle. Particular instances where this
may occur are listed below.
• There is dirt, snow or ice on the sensor.
(Wiping the sensors will resolve this
problem.)
• The sensor is frozen. (Thawing the area
will resolve this problem.)
In especially cold weather, if a sensor is
frozen the screen may show an abnormal
display, or obstacles may not be
detected.
• The sensor is covered in any way.
• The vehicle is leaning considerably to one
side.
• On an extremely bumpy road, on an
incline, on gravel, or on grass.
• The vicinity of the vehicle is noisy due to vehicle horns, motorcycle engines, air
brakes of large vehicles, or other loud
noises producing ultrasonic waves.
• There is another vehicle equipped with
parking assist sensors in the vicinity.
• The sensor is coated with a sheet of spray or heavy rain.
• The vehicle is equipped with a fender pole or wireless antenna.
• Towing eyelets are installed.
• The bumper or sensor receives a strong
impact.
• A backlit license plate, license plate
holder, etc., are installed.
• The vehicle is approaching a tall or curved curb.
• In harsh sunlight or intense cold weather.
• The area directly under the bumpers is
not detected.
• If obstacles draw too close to the sensor.
• A non-genuine Lexus suspension (low- ered suspension, etc.) is installed. • People may not be detected if they are
wearing certain types of clothing.
In addition to the examples above, there are
instances in which, be cause of their shape,
signs and other objects may be judged by a
sensor to be closer than they are.
●The shape of the obstacle may prevent a
sensor from detecting it. Pay particular
attention to the following obstacles:
• Wires, fences, ropes, etc.
• Cotton, snow and other materials that absorb sound waves
• Sharply-angled objects
• Low obstacles
• Tall obstacles with upper sections pro- jecting outwards in the direction of your
vehicle
●The following situations may occur
during use.
• Depending on the shape of the obstacle and other factors, the detection distance
may shorten, or detection may be impos-
sible.
• Obstacles may not be detected if they are too close to the sensor.
• There will be a short delay between obstacle detection and display. Even at
slow speeds, there is a possibility that the
obstacle will come within the sensor’s
detection areas befo re the display is
shown and the buzzer sounds.
• Thin posts or object s lower than the sen-
sor may not be detected when
approached, even if they have been
detected once.
• It might be difficult to hear beeps due to the volume of audio system or air flow
noise of the air conditioning system.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(Customizable features: P.427)

2394-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
Driving
■Detection range of the sensors
Approximately 3.3 ft. (100 cm)
Approximately 4.9 ft. (150 cm)
Approximately 1.9 ft. (65 cm)
The diagram shows the detection range of
the sensors. Note that the sensors cannot
detect obstacles that are extremely close
to the vehicle.
The range of the sensors may change
depending on the shape of the object, etc.
■Distance display
Sensors that detect an obstacle will illu-
minate continuously or blink.
WARNING
■When using the intuitive parking
assist
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in the vehicle
being unable to be driven safely and pos-
sibly cause an accident.
●Do not use the sensor at speeds in
excess of 6 mph (10 km/h).
●The sensors’ detection areas and reac-
tion times are limited. When moving
forward or reversing, check the areas
surrounding the vehicle (especially the
sides of the vehicle) for safety, and
drive slowly, using the brake to control
the vehicle’s speed.
●Do not install accessories within the
sensors’ detection areas.
NOTICE
■When using intuitive parking assist
In the following situations, the system
may not function correctly due to a sen-
sor malfunction, etc. Have the vehicle
checked by your Lexus dealer.
●The intuitive parking assist operation
display flashes, and a buzzer sounds
when no obstacles are detected.
●If the area around a sensor collides
with something, or is subjected to
strong impact.
●If the bumper collides with something.
●If the display shows continuously with-
out beeping, except when the buzzer
mute switch has been turned on.
●If a display error occurs, first check the
sensor.
If the error occurs even if there is no
ice, snow or mud on the sensor, it is
likely that the sensor is malfunctioning.
■Notes when washing the vehicle
Do not apply intensive bursts of water or
steam to the sensor area.
Doing so may result in the sensor mal-
functioning.
Sensor detection display, obsta-
cle distance
A
B
C