2020 LEXUS NX300 brakes

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

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.

1554-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
Driving
■Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire
and loading information label. ( P.351)
Contact your Lexus dealer for further
information about ad ditional require-
ments such as a towing kit, etc.
■Matching trailer ball height to trailer
coupler height
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.
WARNING
■Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to the tires,
but also degrade steering and braking
ability, resulting in an accident.
Trailer towing (vehicles with
t
owing package)
Your vehicle is designed primarily
as a passenger-and-load-carrying
vehicle. Towing a trailer can have an
adverse impact on handling, per-
formance, braking, durability, and
fuel consumption. For your safety
and the safety of others, you must
not overload your vehicle or trailer.
You must also ensure that you are
using appropriate towing equip-
ment, that the towing equipment
has been installed correctly and
used properly, and that you employ
the requisite driving habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and braking
performance are affected by trailer
stability, brake performance and
setting, trailer brakes, the hitch and
hitch systems (if equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme
care and drive the vehicle in accor-
dance with your trailer’s character-
istics and operating conditions.
Lexus warranties do not apply to
damage or malfunction caused by
towing a trailer for commercial pur-
poses.

1564-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
Coupler
Trailer ball
■Before towing
Check that the following conditions are
met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are prop-
erly inflated. ( P.413)
●Trailer tires are inflated according to the
trailer manufacturer’s recommendation.
●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 improper tongue weight, over-
loading, worn suspension, or other possi-
ble 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 appropriate for towing
purposes.
■AVS (Adaptive Variable Suspension
System) (if equipped)
The suspension can be switched for
improvement in driveability. ( P.261)
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any
new power train components (such as an
engine, transmission, differential or wheel
bearing), Lexus recommends that you do
not tow a trailer until the vehicle has been
driven for over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over
500 miles (800 km), you can start towing.
However, for the next 500 miles (800 km),
drive the vehicle at a speed of less than 50
mph (80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and
avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. (See “Warranty
and Services Guide”, “Owner’s Manual
Supplement” or “Scheduled Mainte-
nance”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately 600
miles (1000 km) of trailer towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing
vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can adversely
affect handling of your vehicle and trailer,
causing instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer
straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer swaying by
turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing th e accelerator pedal
immediately but very gradually to reduce
speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply
vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the
steering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer
should stabilize.
●After the trailer swaying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appropri-
ate, if possible.
A
B

1574-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
Driving
• Check the load in the vehicle.
Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded
after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the speed
at which trailer swaying occurred is beyond
the limit of your particular vehicle-trailer
combination. Drive at a lower speed to pre-
vent instability. Remember that swaying of
the towing vehicle-trailer increases as
speed increases.
WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care
and drive the vehicle in accordance with
the trailer’s characte ristics and operating
conditions. Failure to do so could cause
an accident resulting in death or serious
injury. Vehicle stability and braking per-
formance are affected by trailer stability,
brake setting and performance, and the
hitch. Your vehicle will handle differently
when towing a trailer.
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not exceed the TWR, unbraked
TWR, GCWR, GVWR or GAWR.
●Adjust the tongue weight within the
appropriate range. Place heavier loads
as close to the trailer axle as possible.
●Do not exceed 65 mph (104 km/h),
the posted towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as set forth
in your trailer owner’s manual, which-
ever is lowest. Slow down sufficiently
before making a turn, in cross winds,
on wet or slippery surface, etc. to help
avoid an accident. If you experience a
vehicle-trailer inst ability from reduc-
ing a certain speed, slow down and
make sure you keep your vehicle
speed under the speed of which you
experience the instability.
●Do not make jerky, abrupt or sharp
turns.
●Do not apply the brakes suddenly as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of vehicle control. This is
especially true on wet or slippery sur-
faces.
●Do not exceed the trailer hitch assem-
bly weight, gross vehicle weight, gross
axle weight and tra iler tongue weight
capacities.
●Do not use the dynamic radar cruise
control system when trailer towing.
●Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden down-
shifts while descendi ng steep or long
downhill grades.
●Vehicle-trailer instability is more likely
on steep long downhills. Before
descending steep or long downhill
grades, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts when
descending steep or long downhill
grades. Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the brakes
too frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
●Do not tow a trailer when the compact
spare tire is installed on your vehicle.
■When towing a trailer
Lexus recommends trailers with brakes
that conform to any applicable federal
and state/provincial regulations.
●If the gross traile r weight exceeds
unbraked TWR, trailer brakes are
required. Lexus re commends trailers
with brakes that conform to all applica-
ble federal and state/provincial regula-
tions.
●Never tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic
system, as this will lower the vehicle’s
braking effectiveness.

1594-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300 Owners Manual_USA_M78389_en
4
Driving
■TWR (Trailer Weight Rating)
The maximum allowable gross trailer
weight. The gross trailer weight is the
sum of the trailer weight and the weight
of the cargo in the trailer.
TWR is calculated assuming base vehi-
cle with one driver, one front passen-
ger, towing package (if available), hitch
and hitch systems (if required).
Additional optional equipment, passengers
and cargo in the vehicle will reduce the
trailer weight rating so as not to exceed
GCWR, GVWR and GAWR.
With brakes
■Unbraked TWR (Unbraked Trailer
Weight Rating)
The trailer weight rating for towing a
trailer without a trailer service brake
system.
Without brakes
■Tongue Weight
The load placed on the trailer hitch ball.
( P.160)
 The gross trailer weight must never
exceed 2000 lb. (910 kg).
 The gross combination weight must
never exceed the following:
2WD models: 6306 lb. (2860 kg)
AWD models: 6416 lb. (2910 kg)
 The gross vehicle weight must never
exceed the GVWR indicated on the
Certification Label.
 The gross axle weight on each axle
must never exceed the GAWR indi-
cated on the Certification Label.
 If the gross trailer weight is over the
unbraked TWR, trailer service
brakes are required.
A
A
Weight limits