
3765-5. Using the other interior features
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Second seats (8-seat models)
Pull the armrest down for use.
Second seats (7-seat models)
Pull the armrest down for use.
An assist grip installed on the
ceiling can be used to support
your body while sitting on the
seat.NOTICE
If in situations other than above
the wireless charger does not
operate properly or the operation
indicator light is blinking, the wire-
less charger may be malfunction-
ing. Contact your Toyota dealer.
■To prevent failu re or damage
to data
●Do not bring magnetic cards,
such as a credit card, or mag-
netic recording media, close to
the wireless charger while
charging. Otherwise, data may
be erased due to the influence
of magnetism. Additionally, do
not bring precision instruments
such as wrist watches, close to
the wireless charger, as such
objects may malfunction.
●Do not leave portable devices in
the cabin. The temperature
inside the cabin may become
high when parked in the sun,
and cause damage to the
device.
■To prevent 12-vo lt battery dis-
charge
Do not use the wireless charger
for a long period of time with the
hybrid system is stopped.
Armrest
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
armrest
Do not apply too much load on the
armrest.
Assist grips
WA R N I N G
■Assist grip
Do not use the assist grip when
getting in or out of the vehicle or
rising from your seat.

3946-1. Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6-1.Maintenance and care
Working from top to bottom,
liberally apply water to the
vehicle body, wheel wells and
underside of the vehicle to
remove any dirt and dust.
Wash the vehicle body using
a sponge or soft cloth, such
as a chamois.
For hard-to-remove marks,
use car wash soap and rinse
thoroughly with water.
Wipe away any water.
Wax the vehicle when the
waterproof coating deterio-
rates.
If water does not bead on a clean
surface, apply wax when the vehi-
cle body is cool.
■Automatic car washes
●Before washing the vehicle:
• Fold the mirrors
• Turn off the power back door
Start washing from the front of the
vehicle. Extend the mirrors before
driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car
washes may scratch the vehicle
surface, parts (wheel, etc.) and
harm your vehicle’s paint.
●Rear spoiler may not be washable
in some automatic car washes.
There may also be an increased
risk of damage to vehicle.
■High pressure car washes
As water may enter the cabin, do
not bring the nozzle tip near the
gaps around the doors or perimeter
of the windows, or spray these
areas continuously.
■When using a car wash
If the door handle becomes wet
while the electronic key is within the
effective range, the door may lock
and unlock repeatedly. In that case,
follow the following correction pro-
cedures to wash the vehicle:
●Place the key in a position 6 ft. (2
m) or more separate from the
vehicle while the vehicle is being
washed. (Take care to ensure that
the key is not stolen.)
●Set the electronic key to bat-
tery-saving mode to disable the
smart key system. ( P.147)
■Wheels and wheel ornaments
●Remove any dirt immediately by
using a neutral detergent.
●Wash detergent off with water
immediately after use.
●To protect the paint from damage,
make sure to obs erve the follow-
ing precautions.
• Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive detergent
• Do not use hard brushes
• Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, such
as after driving or parking in hot
weather
■Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Plated portions
If dirt cannot be re moved, clean the
parts as follows:
●Use a soft cloth dampened with an
approximately 5% solution of neu-
Cleaning and protect-
ing the vehicle exte-
rior
Perform cleaning in a man-
ner appropriate to each
component and its material.
Cleaning instructions

4176-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6
Maintenance and care
■After recharging/reconnecting
the 12-volt battery
●The hybrid system may not start.
Follow the procedure below to ini-
tialize the system.
1 Shift the shift lever to P.
2 Open and close any of the doors.
3 Restart the hybrid system.
●Unlocking the doors using the
smart key system may not be pos-
sible immediately after reconnect-
ing the 12-volt battery. If this
happens, use the wireless remote
control or the mechanical key to
lock/unlock the doors.
●Start the hybrid system with the
power switch in ACC. The hybrid
system may not start with the
power switch turned off. However,
the hybrid system will operate nor-
mally from the second attempt.
●The power switch mode is
recorded by the vehicle. If the
12-volt battery is reconnected, the
vehicle will return the power
switch mode to the status it was in
before the 12-volt battery was dis-
connected. Make sure to turn off
the power before disconnect the
12-volt battery. Take extra care
when connecting the 12-volt bat-
tery if the power switch mode prior
to discharge is unknown.
If the system will not start even after
multiple attempts at all the methods
above, contact your Toyota dealer.
WA R N I N G
■Chemicals in the 12-volt bat-
tery
The 12-volt battery contains poi-
sonous and corrosi ve sulfuric acid
and may produce hydrogen gas
which is flammable and explosive.
To reduce the risk of death or seri-
ous injury, take th e following pre-
cautions while working on or near
the 12-volt battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touch-
ing the 12-volt battery terminals
with tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match
near the 12-volt battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin
and clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electro-
lyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses
when working near the 12-volt
battery.
●Keep children away from the
12-volt battery.
■Where to safely charge the
12-volt battery
Always charge the 12-volt battery
in an open area. Do not charge
the 12-volt battery in a garage or
closed room where there is insuf-
ficient ventilation.
■How to recharge the 12-volt
battery
Only perform a s low charge (5 A
or less). The 12-volt battery may
explode if charg ed at a quicker
rate.
■Emergency measures regard-
ing electrolyte
●If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean
water for at least 15 minutes
and get immediate medical
attention. If possible, continue
to apply water with a sponge or
cloth while traveling to the near-
est medical facility.
●If electrolyte gets on your skin
Wash the affected area thor-
oughly. If you feel pain or burn-
ing, get medical attention
immediately.

4206-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_Udriving on snow-covered or icy
roads. For driving on snow-covered
roads or icy roads, the use of snow
tires is recommended. When install-
ing snow tires, be sure to replace all
four tires.
●All season tires
All season tires are designed to pro-
vide better traction in snow and to
be adequate for driving in most win-
ter conditions a s well as for use
year-round. All season tires, how-
ever, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow
tires in heavy or loose snow. Also,
all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance com-
pared with summer tires in highway
driving.
●Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads
or icy roads, we recommend using
snow tires. If you need snow tires,
select tires of the same size, con-
struction and load capacity as the
originally installed tires. Since your
vehicle has radial t ires as original
equipment, make sure your snow
tires also have radial construction.
Do not install stud ded tires without
first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels.
( P.327)
■If the tread on snow tires wears
down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as
snow tires is lost.
WA R N I N G
■When inspecting or replacing
tires
Observe the following precautions
to prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause dam-
age to parts of the drive train as
well as dangerous handling char-
acteristics, which may lead to an
accident resulting in death or seri-
ous injury.
●Do not mix tires of different
makes, models or tread pat-
terns.
Also, do not mix tires of remark-
ably different treadwear.
●Do not use tire sizes other than
those recommended by Toyota.
●Do not mix differently con-
structed tires (rad ial, bias-belted
or bias-ply tires).
●Do not mix summer, all season
and snow tires.
●Do not use tires that have been
used on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not
know how they were used previ-
ously.
●Do not tow if your vehicle has a
compact spare tire installed.
NOTICE
■Driving on rough roads
Take particular care when driving
on roads with loose surfaces or
potholes.
These conditions may cause
losses in tire inflation pressure,
reducing the cush ioning ability of
the tires. In addition, driving on
rough roads may cause damage
to the tires themselves, as well as
the vehicle’s wheels and body.

4557-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER HV_U
7
When trouble arises
7-2.Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle needs
to be towed
If towing is necessary, we
recommend having your
vehicle towed by your Toy-
ota dealer or commercial
towing service, using a
wheel-lift type truck or flat-
bed truck.
Use a safety chain system
for all towing, and abide by
all state/provincial and local
laws.
If towing your vehicle with a
wheel-lift type truck from
the front, the vehicle’s rear
wheels and axles must be in
good conditions. ( P.457)
If they are damaged, use a
towing dolly or flatbed
truck.
WA R N I N G
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so m ay result in
death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
2WD models
Be sure to transp ort the vehicle
with the front wheels raised or
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the front wheels contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and
related parts ma y be damaged or
electricity generated by the opera-
tion of the motor may cause a fire
to occur depending on the nature
of the damage or malfunction.
AWD models
Be sure to transp ort the vehicle
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the tires co ntacting the
ground, the drivetrain or related
parts may be damaged, the vehi-
cle may fly off the truck, or elec-
tricity generated by the operation
of the motor may cause a fire to
occur depending o n the nature of
the damage or malfunction.

4567-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER HV_U
The following may indicate a
problem with your transmission.
Contact your Toyota dealer or
commercial towing service
before towing.
The hybrid system warning
message is shown on the
multi-information display and
the vehicle does not move.
The vehicle makes an abnor-
mal sound.
WA R N I N G
■While towing
●When towing using cables or
chains, avoid sudden starts, etc.
which place excessive stress on
the towing eyelets, cables or
chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become
damaged, broken debris may hit
people, and cause serious dam-
age.
●Do not turn the power switch off.
There is a possibility that the
steering wheel is locked and
cannot be operated.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when towing using a
wheel-lift type truck
●Do not tow the vehicle from the
rear when the power switch is
off. The steering lock mecha-
nism is not strong enough to
hold the front wheels straight.
●When raising the vehicle,
ensure adequate ground clear-
ance for towing at the opposite
end of the raised vehicle. With-
out adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while
being towed.
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when towing with a
sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck,
either from the front or rear.
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle during emergency
towing
Do not secure cables or chains to
the suspension components.
■Recreational towing (behind
motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to
prevent causing serious damage
to the Hybrid AWD system (AWD
models) and transmission.
( P.212)
Situations when it is nec-
essary to contact dealers
before towing

4917-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER HV_U
7
When trouble arises
shown on the multi-informa-
tion display.
4 Press the power switch
shortly and firmly.
In the event that the hybrid sys-
tem still cannot be started, con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
■Stopping the hybrid system
Shift the shift lever to P, set the park-
ing brake, and press the power
switch as you no rmally do when
stopping the hybrid system.
■Replacing the key battery
As the above proc edure is a tempo-
rary measure, it is recommended
that the electronic key battery be
replaced immediate ly when the bat-
tery is depleted. ( P.438)
■Changing power switch modes
Release the brake pedal and press
the power switch in step 3 above.
The hybrid system does not start
and modes will be changed each
time the switch is pressed. ( P.216)
If the 12-volt batter y is
discharged
The following procedures
may be used to start the
hybrid system if the vehi-
cle’s 12-volt battery is dis-
charged.
You can also call your Toy-
ota dealer or a qualified
repair shop.

4947-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Starting the hybrid system
when the 12-volt battery is dis-
charged
The hybrid system cannot be started
by push-starting.
■To prevent 12-volt battery dis-
charge
●Turn off the headlights and the
audio system while the hybrid sys-
tem is off.
●Turn off any unnecessary electri-
cal components when the vehicle
is running at a low speed for an
extended period, such as in heavy
traffic.
■When the 12-volt battery is
removed or discharged
●Information stor ed in the ECU is
cleared. When the 12-volt battery
is depleted, have the vehicle
inspected at you r Toyota dealer.
●Some systems may require initial-
ization. ( P.538)
■When removing the 12-volt bat-
tery terminals
When the 12-volt battery terminals
are removed, the information stored
in the ECU is cleared. Before
removing the 12-volt battery termi-
nals, contact your Toyota dealer.
■Charging the 1 2-volt battery
The electricity stor ed in the 12-volt
battery will discharge gradually even
when the vehicle is not in use, due
to natural discharge and the drain-
ing effects of certain electrical appli-
ances. If the vehicle is left for a long
time, the 12-volt battery may dis-
charge, and the hybrid system may
be unable to start. (The 12-volt bat-
tery recharges aut omatically while
the hybrid system is operating.)
■When recharging or replacing
the 12-volt battery
●In some cases, i t may not be pos-
sible to unlock the doors using the
smart key system when the 12-volt battery is
discharged. Use
the wireless remote control or the
mechanical key to lock or unlock
the doors.
●The hybrid syste m may not start
on the first attempt after the
12-volt battery has recharged but
will start normally after the second
attempt. This is not a malfunction.
●The power switch mode is memo-
rized by the vehicle. When the
12-volt battery is reconnected, the
system will return to the mode it
was in before the 12-volt battery
was discharged. Before discon-
necting the 12-volt battery, turn
the power switch off.
If you are unsure what mode the
power switch was in before the
12-volt battery discharged, be
especially careful when recon-
necting the 12-volt battery.
●The power back door must be ini-
tialized. ( P.141)
■When replacing t he 12-volt bat-
tery
●Use a Central Degassing type
12-volt battery (European Regula-
tions).
●Use a 12-volt battery that the case
size is same as the previous one
(LN2), 20 hour rate capacity
(20HR) is equivalent (55Ah) or
greater, and per formance rating
(CCA) is equivalent (345A) or
greater.
• If the sizes differ, the 12-volt bat- tery cannot be properly secured.
• If the 20 hour rate capacity is low,
even if the time p eriod where the
vehicle is not used is a short time,
the 12-volt battery may discharge
and the hybrid system may not be
able to start.
●Use a 12-volt battery with a han-
dle. If a 12-volt battery without a
handle is used, removal is more
difficult.
●After replacing, firmly attach the
following items to the exhaust hole
of the 12-volt battery.