
1794-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
● Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the b rake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an ac cident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi-
culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving t he
vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and accelera-
tor pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake
pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing 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. Thes e hot
parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
■ When driving the vehicle
● During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking contro l, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it m ore difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle a s soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes im possible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 465
● 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. 218)
● Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
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.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal sp eed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicl e has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may resu lt 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 c apability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.

1804-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
● Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippa ge and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
● Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident .
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads m ay prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.
■ When shifting the shift lever
● Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is i n 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 an d 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 o f vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving f orward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss o f vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the ve hicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss o f vehicle
control.
● Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available w hen N is
selected.
● Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pe dal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident an d result in
death or serious injury.

1824-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is parked
● Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft d rink 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 le ad to a
fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic material of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray ov er 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 acci dentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
● Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do n ot place
containers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or da shboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehi-
cle.
● Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coate d with a
metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunligh t 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 park ing brake is not
set, the vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an acci dent.
● Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or i mmediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.

1984-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities. Toyota rec-
ommends the use of Toy ota hitch/bracket for your vehicle. For d etails,
contact your Toyota dealer.
● If you wish to install a trailer hitch, contact your Toyota dea ler.
● Use only a hitch that conforms to the gross trailer weight requ ire-
ment of your vehicle.
● Follow the directions suppli ed 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 en try of
any substances into the vehicle.
Hitch

2004-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
Weight carrying ball position:
50.1 in. (1272 mm)
Hitch receiver pin hole position:
43.7 in. (1109 mm)
Use the wire harness stored in the
rear end under body.
Please consult your dealer when installing trailer lights, as i ncorrect
installation may cause damage to the vehicle’s lights. Please t ake
care to comply with your state’s laws when installing trailer lights.
■Service connector for towing brake controller
Positions for towing hitch receiver and hitch ball
1
2
Connecting trailer lights
Your vehicle is equipped with a service
connector for the trailer brake controller
as shown.

2014-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
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.
● As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicl e-to
vehicle distance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h)
of speed, allow at least one v ehicle and trailer length.
● Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in the trailer jack-
knifing and a loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or
slippery surfaces.
Trailer towing tips

2044-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)■
Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 530)
● 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.
■ Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train com ponents
(such as an engine, transmission, differential or wheel bearing ), Toyota rec-
ommends that you do not tow a trailer until the vehicle has bee n 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 veh icle at a speed
of less than 45 mph (72 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle
acceleration.
■ Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent m aintenance due
to the additional load. (See “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or “ Owner’s
Manual Supplement”.)
● 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 w heel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal immediately but very gra dually 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. (if enabled, Trailer Sway Control can also help to
stabilize the vehicle and trailer.)

2074-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recommended by your Toyota 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 traile r lights may damage
your vehicle’s electrical system and cause a malfunction.