2020 LEXUS NX300h trailer

1674-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
4
Driving
■GCWR (Gross Combination
Weight Rating)
The maximum allowable gross combi-
nation weight. The gross combination
weight is the sum of the total vehicle
weight (including the occupants, cargo
and any optional equipment installed
on the vehicle) and the weight of the
trailer being towed (including the
cargo in the trailer).
■GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating)
The maximum allowable gross vehicle
weight. The gross vehicle weight is the
total weight of the vehicle. When tow-
ing a trailer, it is the sum of the vehicle
weight (including the occupants, cargo
WARNING
●Do not exceed the trailer hitch assem-
bly weight, gross vehicle weight, gross
axle weight and trailer 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 descending steep or long
downhill grades.
●Vehicle-trailer instabil ity 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 trailer weight exceeds
unbraked TWR, trailer brakes are
required. Lexus recommends 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.
●Never tow a trailer without using a
safety chain securely attached to both
the trailer and the vehicle. If damage
occurs to the coupling unit or hitch
ball, there is danger of the trailer wan-
dering into another lane.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recommended by
your Lexus dealer. Do not install the
trailer hitch on the bumper; this may
cause body damage.
■Do not directly splice trailer lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights.
Directly splicing trailer lights may dam-
age your vehicle’s electrical system and
cause a malfunction.
Towing related terms

1684-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
and any optional equipment installed
on the vehicle) and the tongue weight.
■GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rat-
ing)
The maximum allowable gross axle
weight. The gross axle weight is the
load placed on each axle (front and
rear).
Front GAWR
Rear GAWR
■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.169)
A
B
A
A

1694-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
4
Driving
 The gross trailer weight must never
exceed 1500 lb. (685 kg).
 The gross combinat ion weight must
never exceed 6835 lb. (3100 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.
Confirm that the gross trailer weight,
gross combination weight, gross vehi- cle weight, gross axle weight and
tongue weight are all within the limits.
■GCWR*
6835 lb. (3100 kg)
■TWR*
1500 lb. (685 kg).
■Unbraked TWR*
1000 lb. (450 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehicle trail-
ering requirement of SAE International
per SAE J2807.
 A recommended tongue weight
varies in accordance with the types
of trailers or towing as described
below.
 To ensure the recommended values
shown below, the trailer must be
loaded by referring to the following
instructions.
•Tongue Weight
The gross trailer weight should be distrib-
uted so that the tongue weight is 9% to
11%.
(Tongue weight /Gross trailer weight x 100
= 9% to 11%)
The gross trailer weight , gross axle weight
and tongue weight can be measured with
platform scales found at a highway weigh-
ing station, building supply company,
trucking company, junk yard, etc.
Weight limits
GCWR, TWR and Unbraked
TWR
Trailer Tongue Weight

1704-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
Gross trailer weight
Tongue weight
Trailer hitch assemblies have different
weight capacities. Lexus recommends
the use of Lexus hitch/bracket for your
vehicle. For details, contact your Lexus
dealer.
 If you wish to install a trailer hitch,
contact your Lexus dealer.
 Use only a hitch that conforms to
the gross trailer weight requirement
of your vehicle.
 Follow the directions supplied by the
hitch manufacturer.
 Lubricate the hitch ball with a light
coating of grease.
 Remove the hitch ball whenever you
are not towing a trailer. Remove the
trailer hitch if you do not need it.
After removing the hitch, seal any
mounting hole in the vehicle body to
prevent entry of any substances into
the vehicle. Weight carrying ball position:
42.1 in. (1069.9 mm)
Hitch receiver pin hole position:
33.7 in. (855.6 mm)
Please consult your dealer when
installing trailer lights, as incorrect
installation may cause damage to the
vehicle’s lights. Please take care to
comply with your state’s laws when
installing trailer lights.
Hitch
A
B
WARNING
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different
weight capacities established by the hitch
manufacturer. Even though the vehicle
may be physically capable of towing a
higher weight, the operator must deter-
mine the maximum weight rating of the
particular hitch assembly and never
exceed the maximum weight rating
specified for the trailer-hitch. Exceeding
the maximum weight rating set by the
trailer-hitch manufacturer can cause an
accident resulting in death or serious
personal injuries.
Positions for towing hitch
receiver and hitch ball
Connecting trailer lights
A
B

1714-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
4
Driving
Your vehicle will handle differently
when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an
accident, death or serious injury, keep
the following in mind when towing:
 Speed limits for towing a trailer vary
by state or province. Do not exceed
the posted towing speed limit.
 Lexus recommends that the vehicle-
trailer speed limit is 65 mph (104
km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road.
Do not exceed this limit, the posted
towing speed limit or the speed limit
for your trailer as set forth in your
trailer owner’s manual, whichever is
lowest. Instability of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer combination (trailer
sway) increases as speed increases.
Exceeding speed limits may cause
loss of control.
 Before starting out, check the trailer
lights, tires and the vehicle-trailer
connections. Recheck after driving
a short distance.
 Practice turning, stopping and
reversing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you
become accustomed to the feel of
the vehicle-trailer combination.
 Reversing with a tr ailer attached is
difficult and requires practice. 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 right 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 accident.
 As stopping distance is increased
when towing a trailer, vehicle-to
vehicle distance should be
increased. For each 10 mph (16
km/h) of speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length.
 Avoid sudden braking as you may
skid, resulting in the trailer jackknif-
ing and a loss of vehicle control. This
is especially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden accel-
eration.
 Avoid jerky steering and sharp
turns, and slow down before making
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 making a
wider than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a turn, in
cross winds, on wet or slippery sur-
faces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can desta-
bilize the trailer.
 Take care when passing other vehi-
cles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After pass ing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty of room
before changing lanes.
 To maintain engine braking effi-
ciency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking,
Trailer towing tips

1724-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
do not put the transmission in D.
( P.179)
 Instability happens more frequently
when descending steep or long
downhill grades. Before descend-
ing, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts while
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.
 Due to the added load of the trailer,
your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
85°F [30°C]) when driving up a
long or steep grade. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates overheating, immediately turn
off the air conditioning (if in use),
pull your vehicle off the road and
stop in a safe spot. ( P.416)
 Always place wheel blocks under
both the vehicle’s and the trailer’s
wheels when parking. Put the trans-
mission in P and apply the parking
brake. Avoid parking on a slope, but
if unavoidable, do so only after per-
forming the following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep them
applied.
2 Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and trailer’s
wheels. 3
When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
4 Shift into P and apply the parking
brake.
5 Turn off the hybrid system.
 When restarting after parking on a
slope:
1 With the transmission in P, start the
hybrid system. Be sure to keep the
brake pedal depressed.
2 Shift into a forward gear. If revers-
ing, shift into R.
3 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, release the parking brake.
(P.184)
4 Release the brake pedal, and slowly
pull or back away from the wheel
blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the blocks.

1734-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
4
Driving
Trailer towing (vehicles with-
out towing package)
Lexus does not recommend towing
a trailer with your vehicle. Lexus
also does not recommend the
installation of a tow hitch or the use
of a tow hitch carrier for a wheel-
chair, scooter, bicycle, etc. Your
vehicle is not desi gned for trailer
towing or for the use of tow hitch
mounted carriers.
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed to be
dinghy towed (with 4 wheels on the
ground) behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to your vehi-
cle
Do not tow your vehicle with the four
wheels on the ground.
■To prevent causing serious damage to
the hybrid transmission and AWD
system
Never tow this vehicle with any of the
wheels on the ground. This may cause
serious damage to the hybrid transmis-
sion and AWD system.

1934-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
4
Driving
curves, road dividers or roadside trees
●High beam may be turned off if an
oncoming vehicle that is using fog lights
without using the head lights is detected.
●House lights, street lights, red traffic sig-
nals, and illuminated billboards or signs
may cause the high beam to turn off.
●The following factors may affect the
amount of time taken to turn high beam
on or off:
• The brightness of headlights, fog lights, and tail lights of oncoming and preceding
vehicles
• The movement and direction of oncom- ing and preceding vehicles
• When a oncoming or preceding vehicle only has operational lights on one side
• When a oncoming or preceding vehicle
is a two-wheeled vehicle
• The condition of the road (gradient, curve, condition of th e road surface, etc.)
• The number of passengers and amount of luggage
●High beam may be turned on or off when
unexpected by the driver.
●In the situations below, the system may
not be able to correctly detect the sur-
rounding brightness levels, and may flash
or expose nearby pedestrians to the high
beam. Therefore, you should consider
turning the high beams on or off manually
rather than relying on the Automatic
High Beam system.
• In bad weather (rain, snow, fog, sand-
storms, etc.)
• The windshield is obscured by fog, mist, ice, dirt, etc.
• The windshield is cracked or damaged.
• The camera sensor is deformed or dirty.
• The camera sensor temperature is extremely high.
• Surrounding brightness levels are equal to those of headlights, tail lights or fog
lights.
• Vehicles ahead have headlights or tail lights that are either switched off, dirty,
are changing color, or are not aimed
properly.
• When driving through an area of inter-
mittently changing brightness and dark-
ness.
• When frequently and repeatedly driving ascending/descending roads, or roads
with rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces
(such as stone-paved roads, gravel
tracks, etc.).
• When frequently and repeatedly taking curves or driving on a winding road.
• There is a highly re flective object ahead
of the vehicle, such as a sign or a mirror.
• The back of a vehicle ahead is highly
reflective, such as a container on a truck.
• The vehicle’s headlights are damaged or dirty.
• The vehicle is listing or titling, due to a flat tire, a trailer being towed, etc.
• The driver believes that the high beam
may be causing problems or distress to
other drivers or pedestrians nearby.
NOTICE
■Notes when using the Automatic
High Beam system
Observe the following to ensure that the
Automatic High Beam functions cor-
rectly.
●Do not touch the camera sensor.
●Do not subject the camera sensor to a
strong impact.
●Do not disassemble the camera sen-
sor.
●Do not spill liquids onto the camera
sensor.
●Do not apply window tinting or stickers
to the camera sensor or the area of
windshield near the camera sensor.