
791-5. Theft deterrent system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1
For safety and security
1-5.Theft deterrent system
The indicator light flashes after 
the power switch has been 
turned off to indicate that the 
system is operating.
The indicator light stops flashing 
after the power switch has been 
turned to ACC or ON to indicate 
that the system has been can-
celed.
■System maintenance
The vehicle has a mainte-
nance-free type immobilizer system.
■Conditions that may cause the 
system to malfunction
●If the grip portion  of the key is in 
contact with a  metallic object
●If the key is in close proximity to or 
touching a key registered to the 
security system (key with a built-in 
transponder chip) of another vehi-
cle
Immobilizer system
The vehicle’s keys have 
built-in transponder chips 
that prevent the hybrid sys-
tem from starting if a key 
has not been previously 
registered in the vehicle’s 
on-board computer.
Never leave the keys inside 
the vehicle when you leave 
the vehicle.
This system is designed to 
help prevent vehicle theft 
but does not guarantee 
absolute security against all 
vehicle thefts.
Operating the system 

852-1. Instrument cluster
HIGHLANDER HV_U
2
Vehicle status information and indicators
7-inch display
The units used on the meters and some indicators may differ 
depending on the target region.
Warning lights inform the driver 
of malfunctions in the indicated 
vehicle’s systems.
Warning lights
(U.S.A.)
Brake system warning 
light
*1 (  P.460)
(red)
(Canada)
Brake system warning 
light
*1 (  P.460)
(yellow)
Brake system warning 
light
*1 ( P.460)
High coolant temperature 
warning light
*2 (  P.460)
Hybrid system overheat 
warning light
*2 (  P.461)
Charging system warning 
light
*2 (  P.461)
Low engine oil pressure 
warning light
*2 (  P.461)
(U.S.A.)
Malfunction indicator 
lamp
*1 ( P.461)
(Canada)
Malfunction indicator 
lamp
*1 ( P.461)
SRS warning light
*1 
(  P.462)
(U.S.A.)
ABS warning light*1 
(  P.462)
(Canada)
ABS warning light*1 
(  P.462)
Brake Overri de System 
warning light/Drive-Start 
Control warning light
*2 
(  P.462)
(red/yel-
low)
Electric power steering 
system warning light 
( P.463)
Low fuel leve l warning 
light
*1(  P.463) 

862-1. Instrument cluster
HIGHLANDER HV_U
*1: These lights turn on when the power switch is turned to ON to 
indicate that a system check is 
being performed. They will turn 
off after the hybrid system is on,  or after a few seconds. There 
may be a malfunction in a sys-
tem if a light does not come on, 
or turn off. Have the vehicle 
inspected by your Toyota dealer.
*2: This light illuminates on the 
multi-information display.
*3: This light comes on when the system is turned off.
*4: 7-inch display only
The indicators inform the driver 
of the operating state of the 
vehicle’s various systems.
Driver’s and front passen-
ger’s seat belt reminder 
light ( P.463)
Rear passengers’ seat 
belt reminder light
*2 
(  P.464)
Tire pressure warning 
light
*1 (  P.464)
(orange)
LTA indicator*2 ( P.464)
(flashes)
Intuitive parking assist 
OFF indicator
*1, 3, 4 (if 
equipped) ( P.465)
(flashes)
RCTA OFF indicator*2, 3 
(  P.465)
(flashes)
PKSB OFF indicator*1, 3, 4 
(if equipped) ( P.465)
(flashes or 
illumi-
nates)PCS warning light*1 
(  P.466)
Slip indicator
*1 (  P.466)
(flashes)
(U.S.A.)
Parking brake indicator*1 
(  P.467)
(flashes)
(Canada)
Parking brake indicator*1 
(  P.467)
(flashes)
Brake hold operated indi-
cator
*1 ( P.467)
WA R N I N G
■If a safety system warning 
light does not come on
Should a safety system light such 
as the ABS and SRS warning 
lights not come on when you start 
the hybrid system, this could 
mean that these s ystems are not 
available to help protect you in an 
accident, which could result in 
death or serious injury. Have the 
vehicle inspected by your Toyota 
dealer immediately if this occurs.
Indicators
Turn signal indicator 
(  P.223)
(U.S.A.)
Headlight indicator 
( P.229)
(Canada)
Tail light indicator 
( P.229)
Headlight high beam indi-
cator ( P.231)
Automatic High Beam indi-
cator
*1 (  P.232) 

2114-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
or steep grade. If the engine 
coolant temperature gauge 
indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air condi-
tioning (if in use), pull your 
vehicle off the road and stop 
in a safe spot. ( P.497)
 Always place wheel blocks 
under both the vehicle’s and 
the trailer’s wheels when 
parking. Put the transmission 
in P and apply the parking 
brake. Avoid parking on a 
slope, but if unavoidable, do 
so only after performing the 
following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep 
them applied.
2 Have someone place wheel 
blocks under both the vehi-
cle’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 
reversing, shift into R. 3
If the parking brake is in man-
ual mode, release the park-
ing brake. ( P.224)
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. 

2644-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Operation conditions of each 
function
●Lane departure alert function
This function oper ates when all of 
the following cond itions are met.
• LTA is turned on.
• Vehicle speed is approximately 32 
mph (50 km/h) or more.
*1
• System recognizes white (yellow) lane lines or a course*2. (When a 
white [yellow] line or course*2 is 
recognized on only one side, the 
system will operat e only for the 
recognized side.)
• Width of traffic lane is approxi- mately 9.8 ft. ( 3 m) or more.
• Turn signal lever  is not operated. 
(Except when another vehicle is in 
the lane on the side where the 
turn signal was operated)
• Vehicle is not being driven around  a sharp curve.
• No system malfunctions are  detected. ( P.266)
*1: The function opera tes even if the 
vehicle speed is less than 
approximately 32 mph (50 km/h) 
when the lane centering function 
is operating.
*2: Boundary between asphalt and  the side of the road, such as 
grass, soil, or a curb
●Steering assist function
This function oper ates when all of 
the following conditions are met in 
addition to the operation conditions 
for the lane departure alert function.
• Setting for “Steering Assist” in   
of the multi-information display is 
set to “ON”. ( P.98, 107)
• Vehicle is not accelerated or  decelerated by a fixed amount or 
more.
• Steering wheel is not operated  with a steering force level suitable 
for changing lanes.
• ABS, VSC, TRAC and PCS are  not operating. • TRAC or VSC is not turned off.
• Hands off steering wheel warning 
is not displayed. ( P.265)
●Vehicle sway warning function
This function operates when all of 
the following conditions are met.
• Setting for “Sway Warning” in    of the multi-information display is 
set to “ON”. ( P.98, 107)
• Vehicle speed is approximately 32  mph (50 km/h) or more.
• Width of traffic lane is approxi- mately 9.8 ft. (3 m) or more.
• No system malfunctions are 
detected. ( P.266)
●Lane centering function
This function operates when all of 
the following conditions are met.
• LTA is turned on.
• Setting for “Steering Assist” and  “Lane Center” in   of the 
multi-information display are set to 
“ON”. ( P.98, 107)
• This function recognizes white  (yellow) lane lines or the position 
of a preceding v ehicle (except 
when the preceding vehicle is 
small, such as a motorcycle).
• The dynamic radar cruise control  with full-speed ran ge is operating 
in vehicle-to-vehicle distance con-
trol mode.
• Width of traffic lane is approxi- mately 10 to 13 ft. (3 to 4 m).
• Turn signal lever is not operated.
• Vehicle is not being driven around  a sharp curve.
• No system malfunctions are  detected. ( P.266)
• Vehicle does not accelerate or  decelerate by a fixed amount or 
more.
• Steering wheel is not operated  with a steering force level suitable 
for changing lanes.
• ABS, VSC, TRAC  and PCS are 
not operating.
• TRAC or VSC is not turned off.
• Hands off steering wheel warning  is not displayed. ( P.265)
• The vehicle is being driven in the  

2904-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_Uplay may be displayed abnormally, 
or objects, such as a wall, may not 
be detected.
●A sensor is covered in any way.
●When a sensor or the area around 
a sensor is extremely hot or cold.
●On an extremely bumpy road, on 
an incline, on gravel, or on grass.
●The vicinity of the vehicle is noisy 
due to vehicle horns, motorcycle 
engines, air brakes of large vehi-
cles, or other l
oud noises produc-
ing ultrasonic waves.
●There is another vehicle equipped 
with parking assist sensors in the 
vicinity.
●A sensor is coated  with a sheet of 
spray or heavy rain.
●If a sensor is hit by a large amount 
of water, such as when driving on 
a flooded road.
●If the vehicle is sig nificantly tilted.
●The vehicle is approaching a tall 
or curved curb.
●If objects draw too close to the 
sensor.
■Objects which may not be prop-
erly detected
The shape of the object may pre-
vent the sensor from detecting it. 
Pay particular attention to the follow-
ing objects:
●Wires, fences, ropes, etc.
●Cotton, snow and other materials 
that absorb sound waves
●Sharply-angled objects
●Low objects
●Tall objects with upper sections 
projecting outwards in the direc-
tion of your vehicle
People may not be detected if they 
are wearing certain types of cloth-
ing.
■Adjusting the buzzer vol-
ume
The buzzer volume can be 
adjusted on the multi-informa-
tion display.
Use the meter control switches 
to change settings. ( P.107)
1 Press   or   to select  .
2 Press   or   to select and 
 then press and hold  .
3 Select the volume and then 
press  .
Each time the switch is pressed, 
the volume level will change 
between 1, 2, and 3.
■Muting a buzzer temporarily
A mute button will be displayed 
on the multi-information display 
when an object is detected. To 
mute the buzzer, press  .
Mute will be canceled automati-
cally in the following situations:
 When the shift lever is 
changed.
 When the vehicle speed 
exceeds a certain speed.
 When there is malfunction in 
a sensor or the system is tem-
porarily unavailable.
 When the operating function 
is disabled manually.
 When the power switch is 
turned off.
Setting the buzzer volume 

3194-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving■ECB (Electronically Con-
trolled Brake System)
The electronically controlled 
system generates braking force 
corresponding to the brake 
operation
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem)
Helps to prevent wheel lock 
when the brakes are applied 
suddenly, or if the brakes are 
applied while driving on a slip-
pery road surface
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of 
braking force after the brake 
pedal is depressed when the 
system detects a panic stop sit-
uation
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Con-
trol)
Helps the driver to control skid-
ding when swerving suddenly or 
turning on slippery road sur-
faces
■Enhanced VSC (Enhanced 
Vehicle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control of 
the ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS.
Helps to maintain directional 
stability when swerving on slip-
pery road surfaces by con-
trolling steering performance.
■Trailer Sway Control
Helps the driver to control trailer 
sway by selectively applying 
brake pressure for individual 
wheels and reducing driving 
torque when trailer sway is 
detected.
■TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power 
and prevent the drive wheels 
from spinning when starting the 
vehicle or accelerating on slip-
pery roads
■Active Cornering Assist 
(ACA)
Helps to prevent the vehicle 
from drifting to the outer side by 
performing inner wheel brake 
control when attempting to 
accelerate while turning
■Hill-start assist control
Helps to reduce the backward 
movement of the vehicle when 
Driving assist systems
To keep driving safety and 
performance, the following 
systems operate automati-
cally in response to various 
driving situations. Be 
aware, however, that these 
systems are supplementary 
and should not be relied 
upon too heavily when oper-
ating the vehicle.
Summary of the driving 
assist systems 

3204-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
starting on an uphill
■EPS (Electric Power Steer-
ing)
Employs an electric motor to 
reduce the amount of effort 
needed to turn the steering 
wheel
■E-Four
Electronic On-Demand AWD 
system. Automatically switches 
from front-wheel drive to 
all-wheel drive (AWD) according 
to the driving conditions, helping 
to ensure reliable handling and 
stability. Examples of conditions 
where the system will switch to 
AWD are when cornering, going 
uphill, starting off or accelerat-
ing, and when the road surface 
is slippery due to snow, rain, etc.
■VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics 
Integrated Management)
Provides integrated control of 
the ABS, brake assist, TRAC, 
VSC, hill-start assist control and 
EPS systems
Helps to maintain vehicle stabil-
ity when swerving on slippery 
road surfaces by controlling the 
brakes, hybrid system output 
and steering assist.
■The Secondary Collision 
Brake
When the SRS airbag sensor 
detects a collision and the sys-
tem operates, the brakes and 
brake lights are automatically 
controlled to reduce the vehicle  speed and help reduce the pos-
sibility of further damage due to 
a secondary collision.
■When the 
TRAC/VSC/ABS/Trailer Sway 
Control systems
 are operating
The slip indicator light will flash 
while the TRAC/VSC/ABS/Trailer 
Sway Control systems are operat-
ing.
■Disabling the TRAC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in mud, dirt 
or snow, the TRAC system may 
reduce power from the hybrid sys-
tem to the wheels. Pressing the   
switch to turn th e system off may 
make it easier for you to rock the 
vehicle in order to free it.
To turn the TRAC system off, quickly 
press and release the   switch.
The “Traction Cont rol Turned OFF” 
will be shown on the multi-informa-
tion display.
Press the   switch again to turn 
the system back on.