
3TABLE OF CONTENTS
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Parking brake ..................... 224
Brake Hold ......................... 227
4-3. Operating the lights and wip- ers
Headlight switch ................. 229
Automatic High Beam ........ 232
Fog light switch .................. 235
Windshield wipers and washer ......................................... 235
Rear windshield wiper and  washer ............................. 238
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap .. 240
4-5. Using the driving support sys- tems
Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 .... 243
PCS (Pre-Collision System) ......................................... 249
LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)... 257
RSA (Road Sign Assist) ..... 267
Dynamic radar cruise control  with full-speed range ........ 270
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor)... 280
Intuitive parking assist ........ 286
RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert)  function ............................ 294
PKSB (Parking Support Brake) ......................................... 299
Parking Support Brake function  (static objects) .................. 306
Parking Support Brake function  (rear-crossing vehicles).... 312
Driving mode select switch ......................................... 316
Trail Mode .......................... 317
Driving assist systems........ 319
4-6. Driving tips Hybrid vehicle driving tips .. 325
Winter driving tips............... 327
Utility vehicle precautions... 3305-1. Toyota multi-operation touch
Toyota multi-operation touch......................................... 334
5-2. Using the air conditioning  system and defogger
Front automatic air conditioning 
system ............................. 336
Rear automatic air conditioning  system ............................. 348
Heated steering wheel/seat  heaters/seat ventilators.... 352
5-3. Using the interior lights Interior lights list ................. 356
5-4. Using the storage features List of storage features ...... 359
Luggage compartment features ......................................... 364
5-5. Using the other interior fea- tures
Other interior features ........ 368
Garage door opener........... 384
6-1. Maintenance and care Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior................. 394
Cleaning and protecting the  vehicle interior.................. 397
6-2. Maintenance
Maintenance requirements ........
................................. 400
General maintenance......... 402
Emission inspection and mainte- nance (I/M) programs ...... 404
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precau-tions ................................. 406
5Interior features
6Maintenance and care 

6
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Toyota Safety Sense 2.0
 Anti-lock brake system
 SRS airbag system
 Seat belt pretensioner system
Be sure to check with your Toy-
ota dealer for precautionary 
measures or special instructions 
regarding installation of a mobile 
two-way radio system.
High voltage parts and cables 
on the hybrid vehicles emit 
approximately the same amount 
of electromagnetic waves as the 
conventional gasoline powered 
vehicles or home electronic 
appliances despite of their elec-
tromagnetic shielding.
Unwanted noise may occur in 
the reception of the mobile 
two-way radio.
The vehicle is equipped with 
sophisticated computers that will 
record certain data, such as:
• Engine speed/Electric motor  speed (traction motor speed)
• Accelerator status
• Brake status
• Vehicle speed
• Operation status of the driving  assist systems
• Images from the cameras
Your vehicle is equipped with cam-
eras. Contact your Toyota dealer for 
the location of re cording cameras.
The recorded data varies  according to the vehicle grade 
level and options with which it is 
equipped.
These computers do not record 
conversations or sounds, and 
only record images outside of 
the vehicle in certain situations.
Data Transmission
Your vehicle may transmit the data 
recorded in these computers to 
Toyota without notification to you.
Data usage
Toyota may use the data recorded 
in this computer to diagnose mal-
functions, conduct research and 
development, and improve quality.
Toyota will not  disclose the 
recorded data to a third party 
except:
• With the consen t of the vehicle 
owner or with the consent of the 
lessee if the vehicle is leased
• In response to an official request  by the police, a court of law or a 
government agency
• For use by Toyota in a lawsuit
• For research purposes where the  data is not tied to a specific vehi-
cle or vehicle owner
 Recorded image information 
can be erased by your Toyota 
dealer.
The image recording function can 
be disabled. However, if the func-
tion is disabled, data from when the 
system operates will not be avail-
able.
To learn more about the vehi-
cle data collected, used and 
Vehicle data recording 

7
HIGHLANDER HV_U
shared by Toyota, please visit
www.toyota.com/privacyvts/
.
If your Toyota has Safety Con-
nect and if you have subscribed 
to those services, please refer to 
the Safety Connect Telematics 
Subscription Service Agreement 
for information on data collected 
and its usage.
To learn more about the vehicle 
data collected, used and shared 
by Toyota, please visit
www.toyota.com/privacyvts/
.
This vehicle is equipped with an 
event data recorder (EDR). The 
main purpose of an EDR is to 
record, in certain crash or near 
crash-like situations, such as an 
air bag deployment or hitting a 
road obstacle, data that will 
assist in understanding how a 
vehicle’s systems performed. 
The EDR is designed to record 
data related to vehicle dynamics 
and safety systems for a short 
period of time, typically 30 sec-
onds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is 
designed to record such data 
as:
• How various systems in your  vehicle were operating;
• Whether or not the driver and  passenger safety belts were 
buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver  was depressing the accelera-
tor and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was trav- eling.
These data can help provide a 
better understanding of the cir-
cumstances in which crashes 
and injuries occur.
NOTE: EDR data are recorded 
by your vehicle only if a non-triv-
ial crash situation occurs; no 
data are recorded by the EDR 
under normal driving conditions 
and no personal data (e.g., 
name, gender, age, and crash 
location) are recorded. How-
ever, other parties, such as law 
enforcement, could combine the 
EDR data with the type of per-
sonally identifying data rou-
tinely acquired during a crash 
investigation.
To read data recorded by an 
EDR, special equipment is 
required, and access to the 
vehicle or the EDR is needed. In 
addition to the vehicle manufac-
turer, other parties, such as law 
enforcement, that have the spe-
cial equipment, can read the 
information if they have access 
to the vehicle or the EDR.
 Disclosure of the EDR data
Usage of data collected 
through Safety Connect 
(U.S. mainland only)
Event data recorder 

19Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER HV_U
USB port*1
USB charging ports ............................................. .............. P.368
Power outlet ................................................... .................... P.377
Brake hold switch .............................................. ................ P.227
Parking brake switch ........................................... .............. P.224
Applying/releasing............................................. ................... P.224
Precautions against winter season .............................. ........ P.327
Warning buzzer/light/message ................................... .. P.460, 470
Trail Mode switch
*2............................................................ P.3 17
EV drive mode switch ........................................... ............. P.218
VSC OFF switch ................................................. ................ P.320
Driving mode select switch ..................................... .......... P.316
*1: Refer to “NAVIGATION AND MULTIMEDIA  SYSTEM OWNER’S MAN-
UAL”.
*2: If equipped 

361-1. For safe use
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed 
based on the US motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS208). The 
airbag sensor assembly (ECU) controls airbag deployment based on 
information obtained from the sensors etc. shown in the system 
components diagram above. This in formation includes crash sever-
ity and occupant information. As the airbags deploy, a chemical  
reaction in the inflators quickly  fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to 
help restrain the motion of the occupants.
■If the SRS airbags deploy 
(inflate)
●Slight abrasions,  burns, bruising 
etc., may be sustained from SRS 
airbags, due to the extremely high 
speed deployment (inflation) by 
hot gases.
●A loud noise and white powder will 
be emitted.
●Parts of the airbag module (steer-
ing wheel hub, airbag cover and 
inflator) as well as the front seats, 
parts of the front  and rear pillars, 
and roof side rails, may be hot for 
several minutes. T he airbag itself 
may also be hot.
●The windshield may crack.
●The hybrid system will be stopped 
and fuel supply to the engine will 
be stopped. ( P. 7 8 )
●All of the doors will be unlocked. 
( P.132)
●The brakes and st op lights will be 
controlled automatically. ( P.320)
●The interior lights will turn on auto-
matically. ( P.358)
●The emergency flashers will turn 
on automatically. ( P.452)
●For Safety Connect subscribers, if 
any of the following situations 
occur, the system is designed to 
send an emergency call to the 
response center, notifying them of 
the vehicle’s location (without 
needing to push the “SOS” button) 
and an agent will attempt to speak 
with the occupants to ascertain 
the level of emergency and assis- tance required. If the occupants 
are unable to communicate, the 
agent automatically treats the call 
as an emergency and helps to dis-
patch the necessary emergency 
services. (
P. 6 5 )
• An SRS airbag is deployed.
• A seat belt pretensioner is acti-
vated.
• The vehicle is involved in a severe 
rear-end collision.
■SRS airbag deployment condi-
tions (SRS front airbags)
●The SRS front airbags will deploy 
in the event of an impact that 
exceeds the set  threshold level 
(the level of forc e corresponding 
to an approximately 12 - 18 mph 
[20 - 30 km/h] frontal collision with 
a fixed wall that does not move or 
deform).
However, this threshold velocity will 
be considerably higher in the follow-
ing situations:
• If the vehicle strikes an object,  such as a parked vehicle or sign 
pole, which can move or deform 
on impact
• If the vehicle is involved in an  underride collision, such as a colli-
sion in which the front of the vehi-
cle “underrides”, or goes under, 
the bed of a truck
●Depending on the type of collision, 
it is possible that only the seat belt 
pretensioners will activate.
●The SRS front airbags for the front 
passenger will not activate if there 
is no passenger sitting in the front 
passenger seat. However, the  

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 
![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.