
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. 

1814-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scrap ing noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota 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 vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate
suddenly and unexpectedly, causing 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  app ly  the
parking brake as necessary.
● If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent ac cidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, 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 m ay cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby. 

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. 

1834-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■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  acc ident or  fire
due  to  engine  overheating. Additionally,  if  the  vehicle  is  park ed  in  a  poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicl e, 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 ma y cause
one  side  of  the  vehicle  to  brake  differently  than  the  other  sid e. Also,  the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
● If the brake booster device does not operate, do not follow oth er vehicles
closely and avoid hills or shar p turns that require braking. 
In  this  case,  braking  is  still  possible,  but  the  brake  pedal  sh ould  be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance wi ll increase.
● 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 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems  fails,  the  other  will  still  operate.  In  this  case,  the  brake  pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking dist ance will
increase.
If  this  happens,  do  not  continue  to  drive  the  vehicle.  Have  you r  brakes
fixed immediately.  

1894-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
■When using the roof rails (if equipped)
●To use the roof rails as a roof luggage
carrier,  you  must  fit  the  roof  rails  with
two or more genuine Toyota cross rails
or their equivalent.
●When  there  is  no  luggage  on  the  roof
luggage  carrier  Toyota  recommends
that  the  front  and  rear  cross  rails  be
secured  in  the  positions  indicated  in
the  illustration.  This  may  reduce  wind
noise while driving.
WARNING
■Things that must not be carried in the luggage compartment
The following things may cause a fire if loaded in the luggage compart-
ment:
●Receptacles containing gasoline
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may prevent the pedals from being depressed pr operly,
may block the driver’s vision, or may result in items hitting t he driver or
passengers, possibly causing an accident.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment whenever poss i-
ble.
●Do  not  stack  cargo  and  luggage  in  the  luggage  compartment  highe r
than the seatbacks. 
●Do not place cargo or luggage in  or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rea r seats (when stacking items)
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard
●Secure all items in the occupant compartment.
●When  you  fold  down  the  rear  seats,  long  items  should  not  be  pla ced
directly behind the front seats.
●Never  allow  anyone  to  ride  in  the  luggage  compartment.  It  is  no t
designed for passengers. They should ride in their seats with t heir seat
belts properly fastened. Otherwise, they are much more likely t o suffer
death  or  serious  bodily  injury,  i n  the  event  of  sudden  braking,   sudden
swerving or an accident.
Roof rails Cross rails 

1904-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■Capacity and distribution
●Do  not  exceed  the  maximum  axle  weight  rating  or  the  total  vehicle
weight rating.
●Even  if  the  total  load  of  occupant’s  weight  and  the  cargo  load  is  less
than  the  total  load  capacity,  d o  not  apply  the  load  unevenly.  I mproper
loading  may  cause  deterioration  of  steering  or  braking  control  which
may cause death or  serious injury.
■When loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier
Observe the following precautions:
●Place  the  cargo  so  that  its  wei ght  is  distributed  evenly  betwee n  the
front and rear axles.
●If  loading  long  or  wide  cargo,  n ever  exceed  the vehicle  overall  length
or width. (
P.   5 2 2)
●Before  driving,  make  sure  the  cargo  is  securely  fastened  on  the  roof
luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof lugga ge carrier will make the center of grav-
ity of the vehicle higher. Avoid  high speeds, sudden starts, sh arp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneuvers, otherwise it may result in  loss of
control or vehicle rollover due to failure to operate this vehi cle correctly
and result in death  or serious injury.
●If  driving  for  a  long  distance,  on  rough  roads,  or  at  high  spee ds,  stop
the  vehicle  now  and  then  during  the  trip  to  make  sure  the  cross   rails
are fixed securely and that the  cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 120 lb. (54 kg) cargo weight on the roof luggage  carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier
Be careful not to scratch the surface of the moon roof (if equipped). 

1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
◆Total load capacity (vehicle capacity weight): (P.   5 2 2 )  
Total load capacity means the co mbined weight of occupants, cargo
and luggage. 
◆Seating capacity
Vehicle without third seats:  5 occupants (Front 2, Rear 3)
Vehicle with third seats: 7 occupants (Front 2, Rear 5)
Seating capacity means the max imum number of occupants whose
estimated average weight is 1 50 lb. (68 kg) per person. 
◆TWR (Trailer Weight Rating): ( P. 197, 522)
TWR  means  the  maximum  gross  trai ler  weight  (trailer  weight  plus
its cargo weight) that y ou vehicle is able to tow.
◆Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or decrease depending on the weight
and the number of occupants. 
■Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire and loading inform ation label.
(  P. 434)
Vehicle load limits
Vehicle  load  limits  include  total  load  capacity,  seating  capaci ty,
TWR (Trailer Weight Rati ng) and cargo capacity. 
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, res ulting in an accident.  

2054-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)●
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 appropriate, if possible.
• 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  prevent  instability.  Remember  that  sw aying  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  characteristics  and  operating  conditions.  Failure  to  do  so
could cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury. V ehicle stability
and  braking  performance  are  affected  by  trailer  stability,  brak e  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.
● If  the  gross  trailer  weight  is  over  2000  lb.  (907  kg),  a  sway  control  device
with sufficient capacity is required.
● Adjust the tongue weight within the appropriate range. Place he avier 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,
whichever is lowest. Slow down sufficiently before making a tur n, in cross
winds,  on  wet  or  slippery  surface,  etc.  to  help  avoid  an  accident.  If  you
experience a vehicle-trailer instability from reducing a certai n 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.