
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) 

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 

1954-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
WA R N I N G
●Always apply the parking brake, 
shift the shift lever to P, stop the 
hybrid system and lock the vehi-
cle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat-
tended while the “READY” indi-
cator is illuminated.
If the vehicle is parked with the 
shift lever in P but the parking 
brake is not set, the vehicle may 
start to move, possibly leading 
to an accident.
●Do not touch the  exhaust pipes 
while the “READY” indicator is 
illuminated or immediately after 
turning the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehi-
cle
Always turn the hybrid system off. 
Otherwise, if you accidentally 
move the shift lever or depress 
the accelerator p edal, this could 
cause an accident or fire due to 
hybrid system overheating. Addi-
tionally, if the vehicle is parked in 
a poorly ventilated area, exhaust 
gases may collect and enter the 
vehicle, leading to death or a seri-
ous health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes a re wet, drive 
more cautiously.
Braking distance increases 
when the brakes  are wet, and 
this may cause one side of the 
vehicle to brake differently than 
the other side. Also, the parking 
brake may not securely hold the 
vehicle.
●If the electronically controlled 
brake system does not operate, 
do not follow other vehicles 
closely and avoid hills or sharp 
turns that require braking. In this 
case, braking is still possible, 
but the brake pedal should be 
depressed more firmly than 
usual. Also, the braking dis-
tance will increa se. Have your 
brakes fixed immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2 
or more individual hydraulic sys-
tems; if one of the systems fails, 
the other(s) will still operate. In 
this case, the brake pedal 
should be depressed more 
firmly than usual and the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have 
your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck 
(AWD models)
Do not spin the  wheels exces-
sively when any of the tires is up 
in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in 
sand, mud, etc. This may damage 
the driveline components or pro-
pel the vehicle forward or back-
ward, causing an accident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator 
and brake pedals at the same 
time while driving, as this may 
restrain the hybrid system out-
put.
●Do not use the accelerator 
pedal or depress the accelera-
tor and brake pedals at the 
same time to hold the vehicle on 
a hill. 

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. 

2144-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Conditions affecting operation
 P. 1 4 7
■Note for the entry function
 P. 1 4 8
■Steering lock function
●After turning the  power switch off 
and opening and closing the 
doors, the steer ing wheel will be 
locked due to the steering lock 
function. Operating the power 
switch again automatically can-
cels the steering lock.
●When the steering lock cannot be 
released, “Push Power Switch 
while Turning Steering Wheel in 
Either Direction”  will be displayed 
on the multi-information display.
Check that the shift lever is in P. 
Press the power switch shortly 
and firmly while turning the steer-
ing wheel left and right.
●To prevent the steering lock motor 
from overheating, operation of the 
motor may be suspended if the 
hybrid system is turned on and off 
repeatedly in a short period of 
time. In this case, refrain from 
operating the hybrid system. After 
about 10 seconds, the steering 
lock motor will resume functioning.
■If the “READY” indicator does 
not come on
In the event that the “READY” indi-
cator does not come on even after 
performing the proper procedures 
for starting the vehicle, contact your 
Toyota dealer immediately.
■If the hybrid system is malfunc-
tioning
 P. 7 8
■Electronic key battery
 P.438
■Operation of the power switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly 
and firmly, the power switch mode 
may not change o r the hybrid sys-
tem may not start.
●If attempting to res tart the hybrid 
system immediately after turning 
the power switch off, the hybrid 
system may not start in some 
cases. After turning the power 
switch off, please wait a few sec-
onds before restarting the hybrid 
system.
■Customization
If the smart key system has been 
deactivated in a customized setting, 
refer to P.489.
WA R N I N G
■When starting the hybrid sys-
tem
Always start the hybrid system 
while sitting in the driver’s seat. 
Do not depress t he accelerator 
pedal while starting the hybrid 
system under any circumstances. 
Doing so may cause an accident 
resulting in death o r serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If hybrid system failure occurs 
while the vehicle is moving, do not 
lock or open the doors until the 
vehicle reaches a safe and com-
plete stop. Activation of the steer-
ing lock in this c ircumstance may 
lead to an accident, resulting in 
death or serious injury. 

2254-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
 When the shift lever is moved 
into P, the parking brake will 
be set, and the parking brake 
indicator light and parking 
brake light turn on.
Operate the shift lever with the 
brake pedal depressed.
■Turns automatic mode off
While the vehicle is stopped, 
press and hold the parking 
brake switch until a “EPB Shift 
Interlock Function Deactivated” 
is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display.
■Parking brake operation
●When the power s witch is not in 
ON, the parking brake cannot be 
released using the parking brake 
switch.
●When the power s witch is not in 
ON, automatic mode (automatic 
brake setting and releasing) is not 
available.
■Parking brake automatic 
release function
The parking brake  will be released 
automatically when the accelerator 
pedal is slowly depressed under the 
following conditions:
●The driver’s door is closed
●The driver is wearing the seat belt
●The shift lever is  in a forward or  reverse position.
●The malfunction in
dicator lamp or 
brake system warning light is not 
illuminated
If the automatic release function 
does not operate, release the park-
ing brake manually.
■If “Parking Brake Temporarily 
Unavailable” is displayed on 
the multi-info rmation display
If the parking brake is operated 
repeatedly over a short period of 
time, the system may  restrict opera-
tion to prevent ove rheating. If this 
happens, refrain from operating the 
parking brake. Normal operation will 
return after about 1 minute.
■If “Parking Brake Unavailable” 
is displayed on  the multi-infor-
mation display
Operate the parking brake switch. If 
the message does not disappear 
after operating the switch several 
times, the system may be malfunc-
tioning. Have the vehicle inspected 
by your Toyota dealer immediately.
■Parking brake operation sound
When the parking brake operates, a 
motor sound (whirr ing sound) may 
be heard. This does not indicate a 
malfunction.
■Parking brake indicator light 
and parking brake light
●Depending on the power switch 
mode, the parking brake indicator 
light and parking  brake light will 
turn on and stay on as described 
below: 
ON: Comes on until the parking 
brake is released.
Not in ON: Stays  on for approxi-
mately 15 seconds.
●When the power switch is turned 
off with the parking brake set, the 
parking brake indicator light and 
parking brake light will stay on for 
about 15 seconds. This does not 
indicate a malfunction. 

2264-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■When the parking brake switch 
malfunctions
Automatic mode (automatic brake 
setting and releas ing) will be turned 
on automatically.
■Parking the vehicle
 P. 1 9 0
■Parking brake engaged warning 
buzzer
A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is 
driven with the parking brake 
engaged. “Parking Brake ON” is dis-
played on the multi-information dis-
play.
■Warning messages and buzzers
Warning messages and buzzers are 
used to indicate a system malfunc-
tion or to inform  the driver of the 
need for caution. If a warning mes-
sage is shown on th e multi-informa-
tion display, read the message and 
follow the instructions.
■If the brake system warning 
light comes on
 P. 4 6 0
■Usage in winter time
 P. 3 2 7
WA R N I N G
■When parking the vehicle
Do not leave a child in the vehicle 
alone. The parking brake may be 
released unintentionally and there 
is the danger of the vehicle mov-
ing that may lead to an accident 
resulting in death or serious injury.
■Parking brake switch
Do not set any o bjects near the 
parking brake switch. Objects 
may interfere with the switch and 
may lead the parking brake to 
unexpectedly operate.
NOTICE
■When parking the vehicle
Before you leave the vehicle, shift 
the shift lever to P, set the parking 
brake and make s ure that the 
vehicle does not move.
■When the system malfunc-
tions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place 
and check the warning messages.
■When the parking brake can-
not be released due to a mal-
function
Driving the vehicle with the park-
ing brake set will  lead to brake 
components overheating, which 
may affect braking performance 
and increase brake wear.
Have the vehicle inspected by 
your Toyota dealer immediately if 
this occurs. 

3174-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4
Driving
many curves.
When Sport mode is selected, 
Sport mode indicator comes on.
3 Eco drive mode
Helps the driver a ccelerate in an 
eco-friendly manner and improve 
fuel economy through moderate 
throttle characteri stics and by con-
trolling the operation of the air con-
ditioning system (heating/cooling).
When Eco drive mode is selected, 
Eco drive mode indicator comes 
on.
■Air conditioning system opera-
tion in Eco drive mode
In Eco drive mode, heating/cooling 
operations and the fan speed is con-
trolled to improve fuel efficiency. 
Perform the following procedures to 
increase the air conditioning perfor-
mance.
●Vehicle with a 12.3-inch display: 
Turn eco air conditioning mode off 
(  P.344)
●Adjust the fan speed ( P.337)
●Cancel Eco drive mode
■Canceling a driving mode
●Sport mode is automatically can-
celed and the driving mode 
returns to normal mode when the 
power switch is off.
●Normal mode and Eco drive mode 
are not canceled  until another 
driving mode is sel ected. (Even if 
the power switch is off, normal 
mode and Eco drive mode will not 
be automatically canceled.)
Press the Trail Mode switch
When the switch is pressed, Trail 
Mode turns on and the Trail Mode 
indicator illumi nates on the 
multi-information display.
When the switch is pressed again, 
the Trail Mode indicator turns off.
Trail Mode (AWD vehi-
cles)
Trail Mode is a system that 
performs integrated control 
for the AWD, brake and 
drive force control systems 
to assist the drive power on 
bumpy roads, etc.
WA R N I N G
■Before using Trail Mode
Make sure to observe the follow-
ing precautions. Failure to 
observe these precautions may 
result in an unexp ected accident.
●Check that the Trail Mode indi-
cator is illuminated before driv-
ing. Trail Mode  will not operate 
when the indicator is off.
●Trail Mode is not intended to 
expand the limits of the vehicle. 
Thoroughly check the road con-
ditions and drive with caution.
●Thoroughly check the road con-
ditions before driving. As Trail 
Mode is suitable for driving on 
bumpy roads, there is a chance 
that Trail Mode may not be the 
most appropriate in terms of 
other road conditions.
Turning Trail Mode on