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HIGHLANDER HV_U
Pictorial indexSearch by illustration
For safety 
and securityMake sure to read through them
(Main topics: Child seat, theft deterrent system)
Vehicle status 
information and 
indicatorsReading driving-related information
(Main topics: Meters, multi-information display)
Before driving
Opening and closing the doors and windows, 
adjustment before driving
(Main topics: Keys, doors, seats)
Driving
Operations and advice which are necessary for 
driving
(Main topics: Starting hybrid system, refueling)
Interior featuresUsage of the interior features
(Main topics: Air conditioner, storage features)
Maintenance 
and careCaring for your vehicle and maintenance 
procedures
(Main topics: Interior and exterior, light bulbs)
When trouble 
arisesWhat to do in case of malfunction and emergency
(Main topics: 12-volt battery discharge, flat tire)
Vehicle 
specificationsVehicle specifications, customizable features
(Main topics: Fuel, oil, tire inflation pressure)
For ownersReporting safety defects for U.S. owners, and seat 
belt, SRS airbag and headlight aim instructions for 
Canadian owners
IndexSearch by symptom
Search alphabetically 

4TABLE OF CONTENTS
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Hood ..................................408
Positioning a floor jack ....... 409
Engine compartment .......... 410
12-volt battery .................... 416
Tires ................................... 418
Tire inflation pressure......... 430
Wheels ............................... 432
Air conditioning filter ........... 433
Cleaning the hybrid battery (trac- tion battery) air intake vents 
and filter ........................... 435
Electronic key battery ......... 438
Checking and replacing fuses ......................................... 439
Headlight aim ..................... 442
Light bulbs .......................... 443
7-1. Essential information Emergency flashers ........... 452
If your vehicle has to be stopped  in an emergency .............. 452
If the vehicle is trapped in rising  water ................................ 453
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed......................................... 455
If you think something is wrong ......................................... 458
If a warning light turns on or a  warning buzzer sounds .... 460
If a warning message is dis- played .............................. 470
If you have a flat tire ........... 474
If the hybrid system will not start ......................................... 486
If you lose your keys .......... 488
If the fuel filler door cannot be  opened ............................. 488
If the electronic key does not  operate properly ............... 489If the 12-volt battery is dis-
charged ............................ 491
If your vehicle overheats .... 497
If the vehicle becomes stuck ......................................... 500
8-1. Specifications Maintenance data (fuel, oil level, etc.) .................................. 504
Fuel information ................. 514
Tire information .................. 516
8-2. Customization Customizable features ....... 526
8-3. Initialization Items to initialize ................ 538
9-1. For owners Reporting safety defects for U.S. owners ............................. 540
Seat belt instructions for Cana- dian owners (in French) ... 540
SRS airbag instructions for  Canadian owners (in French)......................................... 542
Headlight aim instructions for  Canadian owners (in French)......................................... 549
What to do if... (Troubleshooting)  ......................................... 55
2
Alphab
 etical Index.............. 555
7When trouble arises
8Vehicle specifications
9For owners
Index 

721-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
electric motor (traction motor) is 
used.
When the shift lever is in N, the 
hybrid battery (traction battery) 
is not being charged.
*: When the hybrid battery (traction battery) requires charging or the 
engine is warming up, etc., the 
gasoline engine will not automati-
cally stop. ( P. 7 2 )
■During normal driving
The gasoline engine is predomi-
nantly used. The electric motor 
(traction motor) charges the 
hybrid battery (traction battery) 
as necessary.
■When accelerating sharply
When the accelerator pedal is 
depressed heavily, the power of 
the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) is added to that of the gas-
oline engine via the electric 
motor (traction motor).
■When braking (regenera-
tive braking)
The wheels operate the electric 
motor (traction motor) as a 
power generator, and the hybrid 
battery (traction battery) is 
charged.
■Regenerative braking
In the following si tuations, kinetic 
energy is converted to electric 
energy and deceleration force can 
be obtained in conjunction with the 
recharging of the hybrid battery 
(traction battery).
●The accelerator pedal is released 
while driving with the shift lever in  D or S.
●The brake pedal
 is depressed 
while driving with t he shift lever in 
D or S.
■EV indicator
The EV indicator  comes on when 
the vehicle is driven using only the 
electric motor (traction motor) or the 
gasoline engine is stopped.
■Conditions in which the gaso-
line engine may not stop
The gasoline engine starts and 
stops automatically. However, it may 
not stop automatic ally in the follow-
ing conditions:
●During gasoline engine warm-up
●During hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) charging
●When the temperature of the 
hybrid battery (traction battery) is 
high or low
●When the heater is switched on
Depending on the circumstances, 
the gasoline engine may also not 
stop automatically in other situa-
tions.
■Charging the hybrid battery 
(traction battery)
As the gasoline engine charges the 
hybrid battery (trac tion battery), the 
battery does not need to be charged 
from an outside source. However, if 
the vehicle is left  parked for a long 
time the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) will slowly dis charge. For this 
reason, be sure to drive the vehicle 
at least once every  few months for 
at least 30 minutes or 10 miles (16 
km). If the hybrid battery (traction 
battery) becomes fully discharged  

731-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1
For safety and security
and you are unable to start the 
hybrid system, contact your Toyota 
dealer.
■Charging the 1 2-volt battery
 P. 4 9 1
■After the 12-volt battery has dis-
charged or when the terminal 
has been removed and installed 
during exchange, etc.
The gasoline engine may not stop 
even if the vehicle is being driven by 
the hybrid battery (traction battery). 
If this continues for a few days, con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
■Sounds and vibrations specific 
to a hybrid vehicle
There may be no engine sound or 
vibration even though the vehicle is 
able to move with the “READY” indi-
cator is illuminated. For safety, apply 
the parking brake and make sure to 
shift the shift lever to P when 
parked.
The following sounds or vibrations 
may occur when the hybrid system 
is operating and are not a malfunc-
tion:
●Motor sounds may be heard from 
the engine compartment.
●Sounds may be heard from the 
hybrid battery (traction battery) 
under the rear seats when the 
hybrid system starts or stops.
●Relay operating sounds such as a 
snap or soft clank will be emitted 
from the hybrid battery (traction 
battery), under the rear seats, 
when the hybrid system is started 
or stopped.
●Sounds from the hybrid system 
may be heard when the back door 
is open.
●Sounds may be heard from the 
transmission when the gasoline 
engine starts or stops, when driv-
ing at low speeds, or during idling.
●Engine sounds may be heard 
when accelerating sharply.
●Sounds may be heard due to 
regenerative braking when the 
brake pedal is depressed or as 
the accelerator pedal is released.
●Vibration may be felt when the 
gasoline engine starts or stops.
●Cooling fan sounds may be heard 
from the air intake vents under the 
rear seats.
■Maintenance, repair, recycling, 
and disposal
Contact your Toyota dealer regard-
ing maintenance, repair, recycling 
and disposal. Do n ot dispose of the 
vehicle yourself.
When driving with the gasoline 
engine stopped, a sound, which 
changes in accordance with the 
driving speed, will be played in 
order to warn people nearby of 
the vehicle’s approach. The 
sound will stop when the vehicle 
speed exceeds approximately 
22 mph (35 km/h).
■Acoustic vehicle alerting sys-
tem
In the following cases, the acoustic 
vehicle alerting system may be diffi-
cult for surrounding people to hear.
●In very noisy areas
●In the wind or the rain
Also, as the acoustic vehicle alerting 
system is installed on the front of the 
vehicle, it may be more difficult to 
hear from the rear of the vehicle 
compared to the front.
Acoustic vehicle alerting 
system 

741-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■If “Proximity Notification Sys-
tem Malfunction Visit Your 
Dealer” is displayed on the 
multi-information display
The system may be malfunctioning. 
Have the vehicle inspected by your 
Toyota dealer.
*: This function can  only be used in 
the mainland U.S.A. It cannot be 
used in other states and territo-
ries, including Alaska and Hawaii.
This system operates based on 
the driving situation and traffic 
information to enhance fuel 
economy.
For details about Predictive effi-
cient drive, refer to “NAVIGA-
TION AND MULTIMEDIA 
SYSTEM OWNER’S MANUAL”.
■Predictive deceleration support
Example: 7-inch display
Reference operation range
●When the vehicle approaches to 
predictive deceleration support 
points registered in the navigation 
system, the “Reference operation 
range” of the ECO Accelerator 
Guidance ( P.104) on the 
multi-information  display will be 
turned off to encourage the driver  to reduce excessive acceleration.
●The engine braki
ng force will be 
increased according to the driving 
conditions to more efficiently 
charge the hybrid battery (traction 
battery) after the accelerator pedal 
is released.
■Predictive SOC control
The following types of control are 
performed based on data such as 
road and traffic information during 
route guidance by the navigation 
system to help ensure that the vehi-
cle efficiently uses electricity.
●When there is  a long downhill 
slope along the r oute, the system 
reduces the hybrid battery (trac-
tion battery) leve l before reaching 
the slope to help ensure charging 
capacity for regenerative braking 
while traveling downhill.
●When traffic congestion is pre-
dicted along the route, the system 
helps ensure a certain battery 
level before reaching congested 
roads to reduce the frequency of 
starting the engin e to charge the 
hybrid battery (traction battery) 
due to low battery levels.
Predictive efficient drive 
(vehicles with a naviga-
tion system)
* 

751-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1
For safety and security
The illustration is an example for  explanation and may differ from the actual 
item.
Warning label
Service plug
High voltage cables (orange)
Power control unit
Hybrid battery (traction battery)
Rear electric motor (traction motor)
*
Front electric motor (traction motor)
Air conditioning compressor
*: AWD models only
■Running out of fuel
When the vehicle has run out of fuel 
and the hybrid system cannot be 
started, refuel th e vehicle with at  least enough gasoline to make the 
low fuel level warning light (
P.463) 
go off. If there is only a small 
amount of fuel, the hybrid system 
may not be able to  start. (The stan-
dard amount of fuel is about 2.9 gal. 
Hybrid system precautions
Take care when handling the hybrid system, as it is a high 
voltage system (about 650 V at maximum) as well as contains 
parts that become extremely hot when the hybrid system is 
operating. Obey the warning labels attached to the vehicle.
System components 
![TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2020  Owners Manual (in English) 761-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U[11.3 L, 2.4 Imp. gal.], when the 
vehicle is on a level surface. This 
value may vary whe
n the vehicle is 
on a slope. Add extra fuel when the 
vehicle is incline TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2020  Owners Manual (in English) 761-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U[11.3 L, 2.4 Imp. gal.], when the 
vehicle is on a level surface. This 
value may vary whe
n the vehicle is 
on a slope. Add extra fuel when the 
vehicle is incline](/manual-img/14/42576/w960_42576-75.png)
761-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U[11.3 L, 2.4 Imp. gal.], when the 
vehicle is on a level surface. This 
value may vary whe
n the vehicle is 
on a slope. Add extra fuel when the 
vehicle is inclined.)
■Electromagnetic waves
●High voltage parts and cables on 
hybrid vehicles incorporate elec-
tromagnetic shielding, and there-
fore emit approximately the same 
amount of electromagnetic waves 
as conventional gasoline pow-
ered vehicles or home electronic 
appliances.
●Your vehicle may cause sound 
interference in some third 
party-produced radio parts.
■Hybrid battery (tr action battery)
The hybrid battery (traction battery) 
has a limited service  life. The lifes-
pan of the hybrid battery (traction 
battery) can change in accordance 
with driving style and driving condi-
tions.
WA R N I N G
■High voltage precautions
This vehicle has high voltage DC 
and AC systems as well as a 
12-volt system. DC and AC high 
voltage is very dangerous and 
can cause severe burns and elec-
tric shock that may result in death 
or serious injury.
●Never touch, disassemble, 
remove or replace the high volt-
age parts, cables or their con-
nectors.
●The hybrid sys tem will become 
hot after starting as the system 
uses high voltage. Be careful of 
both the high voltage and the 
high temperature, and always 
obey the warning labels 
attached to the vehicle.
●Never try to open the service 
plug access hole located under 
the rear seat. The service plug 
is used only when the vehicle is 
serviced and is subject to high 
voltage.
■Road accident cautions
Observe the following precautions 
to reduce the risk of death or seri-
ous injury:
●Pull your vehicle off the road, 
shift the shift le ver to P, apply 
the parking brake, and turn the 
hybrid system off.
●Do not touch the high voltage 
parts, cables and connectors.
●If electric wires are exposed 
inside or outside your vehicle, 
an electric shock may occur. 
Never touch exposed electric 
wires.
●If a fluid leak occurs, do not 
touch the fluid as it may be 
strong alkaline electrolyte from 
the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery). If it comes into contact 
with your skin or eyes, wash it 
off immediately with a large 
amount of water or, if possible, 
boric acid solution. Seek imme-
diate medical attention.
●If a fire occurs in the hybrid 
vehicle, leave the vehicle as 
soon as possible. Never use a 
fire extinguisher that is not 
meant for electric fires. Using 
even a small amount of water 
may be dangerous. 

771-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1
For safety and security
There are air intake vents under 
each side of the rear seatback 
for the purpose of cooling the 
hybrid battery (traction battery). 
If the vent is blocked, 
charging/discharging of the 
hybrid battery (traction battery) 
may become limited.
WA R N I N G
●If your vehicle needs to be 
towed, do so with all four 
wheels raised. If the wheels 
connected to the electric motor 
(traction moto r) are on the 
ground when towing, the motor 
may continue to generate elec-
tricity. This may cause a fire. 
(  P.455)
●Carefully inspect the ground 
under the vehicle. If you find 
that liquid has leaked onto the 
ground, the fuel system may 
have been damaged. Leave the 
vehicle as soon as possible.
■Hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery)
●Never resell, hand over or mod-
ify the hybrid battery. To prevent 
accidents, hybrid batteries that 
have been removed from a dis-
posed vehicle are collected 
through your Toyota dealer. Do 
not dispose of the battery your-
self.
Unless the battery  is properly col-
lected, the following may occur, 
resulting in dea th or serious 
injury:
• The hybrid battery may be ille- gally disposed of or dumped, 
and it is hazardous to the envi-
ronment or someone may touch 
a high voltage part, resulting in 
an electric shock.
• The hybrid battery is intended to  be used exclusively with your 
hybrid vehicle. If the hybrid bat-
tery is used  outside of your 
vehicle or modified in any way, 
accidents such as electric 
shock, heat generation, smoke 
generation, an explosion and 
electrolyte leakage may occur.
When reselling or  handing over 
your vehicle, the  possibility of an 
accident is extremely high 
because the person receiving the 
vehicle may not be aware of these 
dangers.
●If your vehicle is disposed of 
without the hybrid battery hav-
ing been removed, there is a 
danger of serious electric shock 
if high voltage parts, cables and 
their connectors are touched. In 
the event that your vehicle must 
be disposed of, the hybrid bat-
tery must be disposed of by 
your Toyota dealer or a qualified 
service shop. If the hybrid bat-
tery is not disposed of properly, 
it may cause electric shock that 
can result in dea th or serious 
injury.
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) air intake vents
Do not carry large amounts of 
water such as water cooler bottles 
in the vehicle. If water spills onto 
the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery), the battery may be dam-
aged. Have the vehicle inspected 
by your Toyota dealer.
Hybrid battery (traction 
battery) air intake vent