
3274-6. Driving tips
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
 Use fluids that are appropriate 
to the prevailing outside tem-
peratures.
• Engine oil
• Engine/power control unit coolant
• Washer fluid
Have a service technician 
inspect the condition of the 
12-volt battery.
 Have the vehicle fitted with 
four snow tires or purchase a 
set of tire chains for the front 
tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same 
size and brand,  and that chains 
match the size of the tires.
Perform the following according 
to the driving conditions:
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary 
preparations and inspec-
tions before driving the 
vehicle in winter. Always 
drive the vehicle in a man-
ner appropriate to the pre-
vailing weather conditions.
Pre-winter preparations
WA R N I N G
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions 
to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so m ay result in a 
loss of vehicle control and cause 
death or serious injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
●Maintain the recommended 
level of air pressure.
●Do not drive in excess of 75 
mph (120 km/h), regardless of 
the type of snow tires being 
used.
●Use snow tires on all, not just 
some wheels.
■Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions 
to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the 
vehicle being unable to be driven 
safely, and may cause death or 
serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the 
speed limit specifi ed for the tire 
chains being used, or 30 mph 
(50 km/h), whichever is lower.
●Avoid driving  on bumpy road 
surfaces or over potholes.
●Avoid sudden acceleration, 
abrupt steering, sudden brak-
ing and shifting operations that 
cause sudden engine braking.
●Slow down sufficiently before 
entering a curve to ensure that 
vehicle control is maintained.
●Do not use the LTA (Lane Trac-
ing Assist) system.
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow 
tires
Request repairs or replacement of 
snow tires from Toyota dealers or 
legitimate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and 
attachment of snow tires affects 
the operation of the tire pressure 
warning valves and transmitters.
Before driving the vehicle 

3405-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Customization
Some functions can be customized. 
(  P.526)
Air conditioning sys-
tem lubricant type
Requires registered 
technician to service 
air conditioning sys-
tem
Flammable refrigerant
WA R N I N G
■To prevent the windshield 
from fogging up
Do not use the windshield defog-
ger switch during cool air opera-
tion in extremely humid weather. 
The difference between the tem-
perature of the outside air and 
that of the windshield can cause 
the outer surface of the wind-
shield to fog up, blocking your 
vision.
■When the outside rear view 
mirror defoggers are operat-
ing
Do not touch the rear view mirror 
surfaces when the outside rear 
view mirror defoggers are on.
■When the windshield wiper 
de-icer is operating
Do not touch the glass at lower 
part of the windshield or to the 
side of the front pillars when the 
windshield wiper de-icer is on.
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery dis-
charge
Do not leave the air conditioning 
system on longer than necessary 
when the hybrid system is off.
■When repairing/replacing 
parts of the air conditioning 
system
Have repair/replacement per-
formed by your Toyota dealer.
When a part of the air conditioning 
system, such as the evaporator, is 
to be replaced, it must be 
replaced with a new one. 

4006-2. Maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6-2.Maintenance
■Repair and replacement
It is recommended that genuine 
Toyota parts be used for repairs to 
ensure performanc e of each sys-
tem. If non-Toyota parts are used in 
replacement or if a repair shop other 
than a Toyota dealer performs 
repairs, confirm the warranty cover-
age.
■Allow inspection and repairs to 
be performed by a Toyota 
dealer
●Toyota technicians are 
well-trained specialists and are 
kept up to date with the latest ser-
vice information. They are well 
informed about the operation of all 
systems on your vehicle.
●Keep a copy of the repair order. It 
proves that the maintenance that 
has been performed is under war-
ranty coverage. If any problem 
should arise while your vehicle is 
under warranty, your Toyota 
dealer will promptly  take care of it.
General maintenance should be 
performed on a daily basis. This 
can be done by yourself or by a 
Toyota dealer.
Scheduled maintenance should 
be performed at specified inter-
vals according to the mainte-
nance schedule.
For details about maintenance 
items and schedules, refer to the 
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or 
“Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Maintenance require-
ments
To ensure safe and econom-
ical driving, day-to-day care 
and regular maintenance 
are essential. It is the 
owner’s responsibility to 
perform regular checks. 
Toyota recommends the fol-
lowing maintenance:
WA R N I N G
■If your vehicle is not properly 
maintained
Improper maintenance could 
result in serious damage to the 
vehicle and possible death or seri-
ous injury.
■Handling of the 12-volt bat-
tery
●Engine exhaust, some of its 
constituents, and a wide variety 
of automobile components con-
tain or emit chemicals known to 
the State of California to cause 
cancer and birth defects and 
other reproductive harm. Work 
in a well ventilated area.
●Oils, fuels and fluids contained 
in vehicles as well as waste pro-
duced by component wear con-
tain or emit chemicals known to 
the State of California to cause 
cancer and birth defects or 
other reproductive harm. Avoid 
exposure and wash any 
affected area immediately.
●12-volt battery posts, terminals 
and related accessories con-
tain lead and lead compounds 
which are known to cause brain 
damage. Wash your hands after 
handling. ( P.416)
General maintenance
Scheduled maintenance 

4186-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Check if the treadwear indica-
tors are showing on the tires. 
Also check the tires for uneven 
wear, such as excessive wear 
on one side of the tread.
Check the spare tire condition 
and pressure if not rotated.
New tread
Worn tread
Treadwear indicator
The location of treadwear indicators 
is shown by a “TWI” or “ ” mark, 
WA R N I N G
●If electrolyte gets on your 
clothes
It can soak through clothing on 
to your skin. Immediately take 
off the clothing and follow the 
procedure above if necessary.
●If you accidentally swallow elec-
trolyte
Drink a large quantity of water 
or milk. Get emergency medical 
attention immediately.
■When replacing the 12-volt 
battery
Use a 12-volt battery designed for 
this vehicle. Failure to do so may 
cause gas (hydrogen) to enter the 
passenger compartment, causing 
a fire or explosion.
For replacement of the 12-volt 
battery, contact your Toyota 
dealer.
■When handling the 12-volt 
battery
P. 4 9 5
NOTICE
■When recharging the 12-volt 
battery
Never recharge the 12-volt bat-
tery while the hybrid system is 
operating. Also, b e sure all acces-
sories are turned off.
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in 
accordance with mainte-
nance schedules and tread-
wear.
Checking tires 

4957-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER HV_U
7
When trouble arises
• Use the exhaust hose that was  attached to the 12-volt battery 
before replacing an d confirm that 
it is firmly connected to the hole 
section of t he vehicle.
• Use the exhaust hole plug 
included with the 12-volt battery 
replaced or the one installed on 
the 12-volt battery prior to the 
replacement. (Depending on the 
12-volt battery to be replaced, the 
exhaust hole may be plugged.)
Exhaust hole
Exhaust hole plug
Exhaust hose
Hole section of the vehicle
For details, consult your Toyota 
dealer.
WA R N I N G
■When removing the 12-volt 
battery terminals
Always remove the negative (-) 
terminal first. If the positive (+) ter-
minal contacts any metal in the 
surrounding area when the posi-
tive (+) terminal is removed, a 
spark may occur, l eading to a fire 
in addition to electrical shocks 
and death or serious injury.
■When disconnecting the 
12-volt battery
Do not disconnect the negative (-) 
terminal on the body side. The 
disconnected negative (-) terminal 
may touch the positive (+) termi-
nal, which may cause a short and 
result in death or serious injury.
■Avoiding 12-volt battery fires 
or explosions
Observe the following precautions 
to prevent accidentally igniting the 
flammable gas that may be emit-
ted from the 12-volt battery:
●Make sure each jumper cable is 
connected to the correct termi-
nal and that it is not unintention-
ally in contact with any other 
than the intended terminal.
●Do not allow the other end of 
the jumper cable connected to 
the “+” terminal to come into 
contact with any other parts or 
metal surfaces in the area, such 
as brackets or unpainted metal.
●Do not allow the + and - clamps 
of the jumper cables to come 
into contact with each other.
●Do not smoke, u se matches, 
cigarette lighters or allow open 
flame near the 1 2-volt battery.
■12-volt battery precautions
The 12-volt battery contains poi-
sonous and corrosive acidic elec-
trolyte, while related parts contain 
lead and lead compounds. 
Observe the following precautions 
when handling the 12-volt battery:
●When working with the 12-volt 
battery, always wear safety 
glasses and take care not to 
allow any battery fluids (acid) to 
come into contact with skin, 
clothing or the vehicle body.
●Do not lean over the 12-volt bat-
tery. 

4967-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER HV_U
WA R N I N G
●In the event that battery fluid 
comes into contact  with the skin 
or eyes, immediately wash the 
affected area with water and 
seek medical attention. Place a 
wet sponge or cloth over the 
affected area until medical 
attention can be received.
●Always wash your hands after 
handling the 12-volt battery sup-
port, terminals, and other bat-
tery-related parts.
●Do not allow child ren near the 
12-volt battery.
■After recharging the 12-volt 
battery
Have the 12-volt battery 
inspected at your Toyota dealer 
as soon as possible.
If the 12-volt battery is deteriorat-
ing, continued use may cause the 
12-volt battery to emit a malodor-
ous gas, which may be detrimen-
tal to the health of passengers.
■When replacing the 12-volt 
battery
●When the vent plug and indica-
tor are close to  the hold down 
clamp, the battery  fluid (sulfuric 
acid) may leak.
●For information regarding 
12-volt battery replacement, 
contact your Toyota dealer.
●After replacing, securely attach 
the exhaust hose  and exhaust 
hole plug to the exhaust hole of 
the replaced 12-volt battery. If 
not properly installed, gases 
(hydrogen) may  leak into the 
vehicle interior, and there is the 
possible danger of the gas ignit-
ing and exploding.
NOTICE
■When handling jumper cables
When connecting the jumper 
cables, ensure that they do not 
become entangled in the cooling 
fan or belt.
■To prevent damaging the 
vehicle
The exclusive jump starting termi-
nal is to be used  when charging 
the 12-volt battery from another 
vehicle in an emergency. It cannot 
be used to jump start another 
vehicle. 

5108-1. Specifications
HIGHLANDER HV_U
*: The fluid capacity is a reference quantity.If replacement is necessary, contact your Toyota dealer.
*: The fluid capacity is a reference quantity.If replacement is necessary, contact your Toyota dealer.
NOTICE
■Iridium-tipped spark plugs
Use only iridium-tipped spark plugs. Do not adjust the spark pl ug gap.
Electrical system (12-volt battery)
Open voltage at 68°F (20°C):
12.0 V or higher
(Turn the power switch off and turn on the 
high beam headlights for 30 seconds.)
Charging rates5 A max.
Hybrid transmission
Fluid capacity*4.6 qt. (4.4 L, 3.9 Imp. qt.)
Fluid typeToyota Genuine ATF WS
NOTICE
■Hybrid transmission fluid type
Using transmission fluid other than the above type may cause ab normal 
noise or vibration, or ultimately damage the transmission of yo ur vehicle.
Rear differential (rear electric motor)
Fluid capacity*1.8 qt. (1.7 L, 1.5 Imp. qt.)
Fluid typeToyota Genuine ATF WS JWS 3324
NOTICE
■Transmission fluid type
Using transmission fluid other than the above type may cause ab normal 
noise or vibration, or ultimately damage the transmission of yo ur vehicle.