
4TABLE OF CONTENTS
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Hood ..................................408
Positioning a floor jack ....... 409
Engine compartment .......... 410
12-volt battery .................... 416
Tires ................................... 418
Tire inflation pressure......... 430
Wheels ............................... 432
Air conditioning filter ........... 433
Cleaning the hybrid battery (trac- tion battery) air intake vents 
and filter ........................... 435
Electronic key battery ......... 438
Checking and replacing fuses ......................................... 439
Headlight aim ..................... 442
Light bulbs .......................... 443
7-1. Essential information Emergency flashers ........... 452
If your vehicle has to be stopped  in an emergency .............. 452
If the vehicle is trapped in rising  water ................................ 453
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed......................................... 455
If you think something is wrong ......................................... 458
If a warning light turns on or a  warning buzzer sounds .... 460
If a warning message is dis- played .............................. 470
If you have a flat tire ........... 474
If the hybrid system will not start ......................................... 486
If you lose your keys .......... 488
If the fuel filler door cannot be  opened ............................. 488
If the electronic key does not  operate properly ............... 489If the 12-volt battery is dis-
charged ............................ 491
If your vehicle overheats .... 497
If the vehicle becomes stuck ......................................... 500
8-1. Specifications Maintenance data (fuel, oil level, etc.) .................................. 504
Fuel information ................. 514
Tire information .................. 516
8-2. Customization Customizable features ....... 526
8-3. Initialization Items to initialize ................ 538
9-1. For owners Reporting safety defects for U.S. owners ............................. 540
Seat belt instructions for Cana- dian owners (in French) ... 540
SRS airbag instructions for  Canadian owners (in French)......................................... 542
Headlight aim instructions for  Canadian owners (in French)......................................... 549
What to do if... (Troubleshooting)  ......................................... 55
2
Alphab
 etical Index.............. 555
7When trouble arises
8Vehicle specifications
9For owners
Index 

13Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Precautions for winter seas on.............................................. P.327
To prevent freezing (windshiel d wiper de-icer) ..................... P.338
Precautions for car wash
*.................................................... P.395
Fuel filler door ............................................... ..................... P.240
Refueling method ............................................... .................. P.240
Fuel type/fuel tan k capacity ................................... .............. P.507
Tires.......................................................... ........................... P.418
Tire size/inflation pressure ................................... ........ P.418, 511
Winter tires/tire chains ....................................... .................. P.327
Checking/rotation/tire pressur e warning system ..................P.418
Coping with flat tires......................................... .................... P.474
Hood ........................................................... ......................... P.408
Opening ............................................................................... P.408
Engine oil ..................................................... ........................ P.508
Coping with overheating ...................................................... P.497
Warning messages ............................................... ............... P.470
Headlights..................................................... ...................... P.229
Parking lights ................................................. .................... P.229
Front turn signal lights ....................................... ............... P.223
Parking lights
*/daytime running lights............................. P.229
Front side marker lights ....................................... ............. P.229
Front fog lights ............................................... .................... P.235
Stop/tail lights ............................................... ..................... P.229
Tail lights.................................................... ......................... P.229
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to  R ................................................... P.220
License plate lights........................................... ................. P.229
Rear turn signal lights ........................................ ............... P.223
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P.443, Watts: P.512) 

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) 

912-1. Instrument cluster
HIGHLANDER HV_U
2
Vehicle status information and indicators
• When the outside temperature  has changed su ddenly (at the 
entrance/exit of a garage, tunnel, 
etc.)
●When “--” or “E” is displayed, the 
system may be malfunctioning. 
Take your vehicle to your Toyota 
dealer.
■Liquid crystal display
Small spots or light spots may 
appear on the display. This phenom-
enon is characteristi c of liquid crys-
tal displays, and there is no problem 
continuing to use the display.
■Customization
The meters can be customized on   of the multi-info rmation display. 
(  P.100, 110)
■Display items
 Odometer
Displays the total  distance the vehi-
cle has been driven.
 Trip meter A/trip meter B
Displays the distance the vehicle 
has been driven since the meter 
was last reset. Trip meters A and B 
can be used to record and display 
different distances independently.
■Changing the display
Each time the “ODO TRIP” 
switch is pressed, the displayed 
item will be changed. When the 
trip meter is displayed, pressing 
and holding the switch will reset 
the trip meter.
WA R N I N G
■The information display at 
low temperatures
Allow the interior of the vehicle to 
warm up before u sing the liquid 
crystal informat ion display. At 
extremely low temperatures, the 
information display monitor may 
respond slowly, and display 
changes may be delayed.
For example, there is a lag 
between the driver’s shifting and 
the new gear number appearing 
on the display. This lag could 
cause the driver to downshift 
again, causing rapid and exces-
sive engine braking and possibly 
an accident resulting in death or 
injury.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the 
engine and its components
●Do not let the i ndicator needle 
of the tachomete r enter the red 
zone, which indicates the maxi-
mum engine speed.
●The engine may be overheating 
if the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge is in the red zone 
(H). In this case, immediately 
stop the vehicle in a safe place, 
and check the engine after it 
has cooled completely. 
(  P.497)
Odometer and trip meter 
display 

1944-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
WA R N I N G
■If you hear a squealing or 
scraping noise (brake pad 
wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and 
replaced by your Toyota dealer as 
soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the 
pads are not replaced when 
needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle 
when the wear lim its of the brake 
pads and/or those of the brake 
discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not depress t he accelerator 
pedal unnecessarily.
If the shift lever is in any posi-
tion other than P or N, the vehi-
cle may accelerate suddenly 
and unexpectedly, causing an 
accident.
●In order to prev ent accidents 
due to the vehicle rolling away, 
always keep depressing the 
brake pedal while stopped with 
the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated, and appl y the parking 
brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an 
incline, in order to prevent acci-
dents caused by the vehicle roll-
ing forward or backward, always 
depress the brake pedal and 
securely apply the parking 
brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the 
engine.
Running the engine at high 
speed while the vehicle is 
stopped may cause the exhaust 
system to overheat, which could 
result in a fire if combustible 
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave gla sses, cigarette 
lighters, spray cans, or soft 
drink cans in the vehicle when it 
is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the fol-
lowing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette  lighter or spray  can, and may 
lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the  vehicle may cause the plastic 
lenses and plastic material of 
glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture,  causing the contents to spray 
over the interior of the vehicle, 
and may also cause a short cir-
cuit in the vehicl e’s electrical 
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in 
the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter 
is in a place such as the glove 
box or on the floor, it may be lit 
accidentally when luggage is 
loaded or the se at is adjusted, 
causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to 
the windshield or windows. Do 
not place containers such as air 
fresheners on the instrument 
panel or dashboard. Adhesive 
discs or containers may act as 
lenses, causing a fire in the 
vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window 
open if the curved glass is 
coated with a metallized film 
such as a silver-colored one. 
Reflected sunlight may cause 
the glass to act a s a lens, caus-
ing a fire. 

2104-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
requires practice. Grip the 
bottom of the steering wheel 
and move your hand to the 
left to move the trailer to the 
left. Move your hand to the 
right to move the trailer to 
right. (This is generally oppo-
site to reversing without a 
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp 
or prolonged turning. Have 
someone guide you when 
reversing to reduce the risk of 
an accident.
 As stopping distance is 
increased when towing a 
trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased. 
For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of 
speed, allow at least one 
vehicle and trailer length.
 Avoid sudden braking as you 
may skid, resulting in the 
trailer jackknifing and a loss of 
vehicle control. This is espe-
cially true on wet or slippery 
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden 
acceleration.
 Avoid jerky steering and 
sharp turns, and slow down 
before making turn.
 Note that when making a turn, 
the trailer wheels will be 
closer than the vehicle wheels 
to the inside of the turn. Com-
pensate by making a wider 
than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a  turn, in cross winds, on wet or 
slippery surfaces, etc. 
Increasing vehicle speed can 
destabilize the trailer.
 Take care when passing other 
vehicles. Passing requires 
considerable distance. After 
passing a vehicle, do not for-
get the length of your trailer, 
and be sure you have plenty 
of room before changing 
lanes.
 To maintain engine braking 
efficiency and charging sys-
tem performance when using 
engine braking, do not put the 
transmission in D. If in the S 
mode, the hybrid transmission 
shift range position must be in 
5 or lower. ( P.220)
 Instability happens more fre-
quently when descending 
steep or long downhill grades. 
Before descending, slow 
down and downshift. Do not 
make sudden downshifts 
while descending steep or 
long downhill grades.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal 
down too long or applying the 
brakes too frequently. This 
could cause the brakes to 
overheat and result in 
reduced braking efficiency.
 Due to the added load of the 
trailer, your vehicle’s engine 
may overheat on hot days (at 
temperatures over 85°F 
[30°C]) when driving up a long  

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. 

4617-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER HV_U
7
When trouble arises
■Hybrid system overheat warning light*(warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminat es on the multi-information display.
■Charging system warning light*
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
■Low engine oil pressure warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
■Malfunction indicator lamp
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates the hybrid s ystem has overheated
 Stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Handling method ( P.498)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates a malfunction in the vehicle’s charging system
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the engine  oil pressure is too low
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
or
(Canada)
Indicates a malfunction in:
The hybrid system;
 The electronic engine control system; or
 The electronic thrott le control system;
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.