
20Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■ Interior
SRS airbags .................................................... ...................... P.34
Floor mats..................................................... ........................ P.24
Front seats .................................................... ...................... P.153
Rear seats ..................................................... ...................... P.154
Head restraints ................................................ ................... P.162
Seat belts ..................................................... ......................... P.27
Console box ....................................................................... P.360
Inside lock buttons ............................................ ................ P.134
Cup holders .................................................... .................... P.361
Assist grips ................................................... ..................... P.376
Rear seat entertainment system
*1, 2
*1
: If equipped
*2: Refer to “NAVIGATI ON AND MULTIMEDIA  SYSTEM OWNER’S MAN-
UAL”. 

1283-1. Key information
HIGHLANDER HV_U
3-1.Key information
The following keys are provided 
with the vehicle.Electronic keys
• Operating the smart key system ( P.146)
• Operating the wireless remote  control function ( P.129)
Mechanical keys
Key number plate
■When riding in an aircraft
When bringing an electronic key 
onto an aircraft, make sure you do 
not press any buttons on the elec-
tronic key while inside the aircraft 
cabin. If you are carrying an elec-
tronic key in your bag, etc., ensure 
that the buttons are  not likely to be 
pressed accidentally. Pressing a 
button may cause the electronic key 
to emit radio waves that could inter-
fere with the oper ation of the air-
craft.
■Electronic key battery depletion
●The standard battery life is 1 to 2 
years.
●If the battery becomes low, an 
alarm will sound in the cabin when 
the hybrid system is stopped.
●To reduce key battery depletion  when the electronic key is to not 
be used for long periods of time, 
set the electronic key to the bat-
tery-saving mode. (
P.147)
●As the electronic key always 
receives radio waves, the battery 
will become depleted  even if the 
electronic key is not used. The fol-
lowing symptoms indicate that the 
electronic key battery may be 
depleted. Replace the battery 
when necessary.
• The smart key system or the wire- less remote contro l does not oper-
ate.
• The detection area becomes  smaller.
• The LED indicator on the key sur- face does not turn on.
●To avoid serious deterioration, do 
not leave the electronic key within 
3 ft. (1 m) of the following electri-
cal appliances that produce a 
magnetic field:
•TVs
• Personal computers
• Cellular phones, cordless phones  and battery chargers
• Recharging cellular phones or  cordless phones
• Table lamps
• Induction cookers
■Replacing the battery
 P.438
■Confirmation of the registered 
key number
The number of keys already regis-
tered to the vehi cle can be con-
firmed. Ask your Toyota dealer for 
details.
■If “A New Key has been Regis-
tered Contact Your Dealer for 
Details” is shown on the 
multi-information display
This message will  be displayed 
each time the driver’s door is 
opened when the doors are 
unlocked from the outside for 
approximately 10 days after a new 
electronic key has been registered.
Keys
The keys 

1323-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER HV_Ucontinuously, release the buttons, 
wait for at least 5 seconds, and 
repeat step 
2.)
For vehicles with an alarm: To pre-
vent unintended triggering of the 
alarm, unlock the  doors using the 
wireless remote  control and open 
and close a door once after the set-
tings have been changed. (If a door 
is not opened within 60 seconds 
after   is press ed, the doors will 
be locked again an d the alarm will 
automatically be set.)
In case that the alarm is triggered, 
immediately stop the alarm. ( P. 8 1 )
■Impact detection door lock 
release system
In the event that t he vehicle is sub-
ject to a strong impact, all the doors 
are unlocked. Depending on the 
force of the impact or the type of 
accident, however, the system may 
not operate.
■Operation signals
A buzzer sounds and the emer-
gency flashers flash to indicate that 
the doors have been 
locked/unlocked. (Locked: Once; 
Unlocked: Twice)
A buzzer sounds to indicate that the 
windows and the moon roof
* or pan-
oramic moon roof* are operating.
*: If equipped
■Security feature
If a door is not opened within 
approximately 60 s econds after the 
vehicle is unlocked, the security fea-
ture automatically locks the vehicle 
again.
■When the door cannot be 
locked by the lock sensor on 
the surface of the front door 
handle
If the door will not  lock even when 
the topside sensor  area is touched, 
try touching both the topside and 
underside sensor areas at the same 
time.
When gloves are being worn, 
remove the gloves.
■Door lock buzzer
If an attempt to lock the doors using 
the smart key system is made when 
a door is not fully closed, a buzzer 
will sound continuo usly for 5 sec-
onds. Fully close the door to stop 
the buzzer, and lock the doors 
again.
■Setting the alarm (if equipped)
Locking the doors  will set the alarm 
system. ( P. 8 1 )
Multi-informa-
tion display/BeepUnlocking func- tion
Exterior: Beeps 3 times
Interior: Pings  once
Holding the 
driver’s door 
handle unlocks 
only the driver’s 
door.
Holding the front 
passenger’s 
door handle 
unlocks all the 
doors.
Exterior: Beeps  twice
Interior: Pings  once
Holding either 
front door handle 
unlocks all the 
doors. 

1343-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Door lock switches
1 Locks all the doors
2 Unlocks all the doors
■Inside lock buttons
1 Locks the door
2 Unlocks the door
The front doors can be opened by 
pulling the inside ha ndle even if the 
lock buttons are in the lock position.
■Locking the front doors from 
the outside without a key
1 Move the inside  lock button to 
the lock position.
2 Close the door.
The door cannot be locked if the 
power switch is in ACC or ON, or 
the electronic key is left inside the 
vehicle.
The key may not b e detected cor-
rectly and the door may be locked.
■Open door warning buzzer
If a door or the hood is not fully 
closed, a buzzer will sound when 
the vehicle speed reaches 3 mph (5 
km/h).
The open door(s) or hood is dis-
played on the multi-information dis-
play.
The door cannot be opened 
from inside the vehicle when the 
lock is set.
1 Unlock
2 Lock
These locks can be set to prevent 
children from opening the rear 
doors. Push down on each rear 
door switch to lock both rear doors.
The following functions can be 
set or canceled:
For instructions on customizing, 
refer to P.526.
Unlocking and locking the 
doors from the inside
Rear door child-protector 
lock
Automatic door locking 
and unlocking systems 

1473-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER HV_U
3
Before driving
●When an interior alarm sounds 
continuously
■Battery-saving function
The battery-saving function will be 
activated in order to prevent the 
electronic key battery and the 
12-volt battery from being dis-
charged while the vehicle is not 
operated for a long time.
●In the following situations, the 
smart key system may take some 
time to unlock the doors.
• The electronic key has been left in 
an area of approximately 6 ft. (2 
m) of the outside of the vehicle for 
10 minutes or longer.
• The smart key system has not  been used for 5 days or longer.
●If the smart key system has not 
been used for 14 days or longer, 
the doors canno t be unlocked at 
any doors except the driver’s door. 
In this case, take hold of the 
driver’s door handle, or use the  wireless remote c
ontrol or the 
mechanical key, to unlock the 
doors.
■Turning an electronic key to 
battery-saving mode
When battery-saving mode is set, 
battery depletion is minimized by 
stopping the electronic key from 
receiving radio waves.
Press   twice while pressing and 
holding  . Confirm that the elec-
tronic key indicator flashes 4 times.
While the battery-saving mode is 
set, the smart key system cannot be 
used. To cancel the function, press 
any of the electronic key buttons.
■Conditions affecting operation
The smart key system uses weak 
radio waves. In the following situa-
tions, the communication between 
the electronic key  and the vehicle 
may be affected, preventing the 
smart key system, wireless remote 
control and immobilizer system from 
operating proper ly. (Ways of cop-
ing: P.489)
●When the electronic key battery is 
depleted
●Near a TV tower,  electric power 
plant, gas station, radio station, 
large display, airpo rt or other facil-
ity that generates strong radio 
waves or electrical noise
●When the electronic key is in con-
tact with, or is c overed by the fol-
lowing metallic objects
• Cards to which  aluminum foil is 
attached
• Cigarette boxes that have alumi- num foil inside
SituationCorrection 
procedure
An attempt was 
made to lock the 
vehicle while a door 
was open.Close all of 
the doors 
and lock the 
doors again.
SituationCorrection procedure
The power switch 
was turned to ACC 
while the driver’s 
door was open (or 
the driver’s door was 
opened while the 
power switch was in 
ACC).
Turn the 
power 
switch off 
and close 
the driver’s 
door.
The power switch 
was turned off while 
the driver’s door was 
open.Close the 
driver’s 
door. 

1603-3. Adjusting the seats
HIGHLANDER HV_Uten.
■Seat positions that can be 
memorized
The adjusted positions other than 
the position adjusted by lumbar sup-
port switch can be recorded.
■In order to correctly use the 
driving position memory func-
tion
If a seat position is already in the 
furthest possible position and the 
seat is operated in the same direc-
tion, the recorded position may be 
slightly different w hen it is recalled.
1Check that the shift lever is in 
P.
2 Turn the power switch to ON.
3 Press one of the buttons for 
the driving position you want  to recall until the buzzer 
sounds.
■To stop the position recall oper-
ation part-way through
Perform any of the following opera-
tions:
●Press the “SET” button.
●Press button “1” or “2”.
●Operate any of t he seat adjust-
ment switches (only cancels seat 
position recall).
■Operating the driving position 
memory after turning the power 
switch off
Recorded seat positions can be 
activated up to 180 seconds after 
the driver’s door is opened and 
another 60 seconds after it is closed 
again.
■Registering procedure
Record your driving position to 
button “1” or “2” before perform-
ing the following:
Carry only the key you want to 
register, and then close the 
driver’s door.
WA R N I N G
■Seat adjustment caution
Take care during seat adjustment 
so that the seat d oes not strike 
the rear passenger or squeeze 
your body again st the steering 
wheel.
Recalling a driving posi-
tion
Registering/cancel-
ing/recall a driving posi-
tion to an electronic key 
(memory recall function) 

2214-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
pushing the shift release button 
on the shift knob. : Shift the shift lever normally.
When shifting the shift lever 
between P and D, make sure that 
the vehicle is completely stopped 
and the brake pedal is depressed.
*: For the vehicle  to be able to be 
shifted from P, the brake pedal 
must be depresse d before the 
shift release button is pushed. If 
the shift release button is pushed 
first, the shift lock will not be 
released.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to 
prevent accidental operation of the 
shift lever in starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P 
only when the power switch is in ON 
and the brake pedal is being 
depressed.
■If the shift lever cannot be 
shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal 
is being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted 
with your foot on the brake pedal, 
there may be a pr oblem with the 
shift lock system. Have the vehicle 
inspected by your Toyota dealer 
immediately.
The following steps may be used as 
an emergency measure to ensure 
that the shift lev er can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1 Turn the power switch to ON and 
check that the parking brake is 
set. ( P.216, 224)
2 Turn the power s witch to off.
3 Depress the brake pedal.
4 Pry the cover up with a flathead 
screwdriver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover,  cover the tip of the screwdriver with 
a rag.
5
Press and hold the shift lock 
override button.
The shift lever can  be shifted while 
both buttons are pressed.
 P.316
WA R N I N G
■To prevent an accident when 
releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock 
override button, m ake sure to set 
the parking brake and depress the 
brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed instead of the 
brake pedal when the shift lock 
override button is pressed and the 
shift lever is shifted out of P, the 
vehicle may suddenly start, possi-
bly leading to an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving 
mode 

3655-4. Using the storage features
HIGHLANDER HV_U
5
Interior features
2 Remove the center deck 
board ( P.477) and take out 
the luggage cover unit.
■Removing the luggage 
cover unit (vehicles with 
side deck board)
1 Fold down the third seats. 
( P.158)
2 Remove the center deck 
board ( P.477) and side 
deck board ( P.367) and 
take out the luggage cover 
unit.
■Installing the luggage cover
1 Fold down the third seats. 
( P.158) 2
Press the lock release but-
tons to extend the ends of the 
luggage cover unit.
3 To install the luggage cover 
unit, with the lock release 
buttons facing upward, insert 
one end into the recess, then 
compress the other end and 
insert it into the other recess.
4 Pull out the luggage cover 
and hook it onto the anchors.