
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 

15Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■ Instrument panel
Power switch ................................................... ................... P.213
Starting the hybrid system/changing the modes .................. P. 2 1 3
Emergency stop of the hybrid system ............................ ...... P.452
When the hybrid system will not start .......................... ........ P.486
Warning messages ............................................... ............... P.470
Shift lever.................................................... ........................ P.220
Changing the shift position.................................... ............... P.220
Precautions for towing .. ....................................... ................ P.455
When the shift lever does not move............................. ........ P.221
Meters ......................................................... .......................... P.89
Reading the meters/adjusting the instrument panel light . P.89, 9 2
Warning lights/indicator lights ................................ ................ P.84
When a warning light turns on .................................. ........... P.460
Multi-information display . ........................................... P.92, 102
Display ........................................................ ................... P.92, 102
Energy monitor................................................. .................... P.117 

241-1. For safe use
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1-1.For safe use
Use only floor mats designed 
specifically for vehicles of the 
same model and model year as 
your vehicle. Fix them securely 
in place onto the carpet.
1 Insert the retaining hooks 
(clips) into the floor mat eye-
lets.
2 Turn the upper knob of each 
retaining hook (clip) to secure 
the floor mats in place.
Always align the   marks  . The shape of the retaining hooks 
(clips) may differ from that shown in 
the illustration.
Before driving
Observe the following 
before starting off in the 
vehicle to ensure safety of 
driving.
Installing floor mats
WA R N I N G
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may cause the 
driver’s floor mat to slip, possibly 
interfering with t
he pedals while 
driving. An unexpectedly high 
speed may result or it may 
become difficult to  stop the vehi-
cle. This could lead to an acci-
dent, resulting in  death or serious 
injury.
■When installing the driver’s 
floor mat
●Do not use floor mats designed 
for other models or different 
model year vehicles, even if 
they are Toyota Genuine floor 
mats.
●Only use floor mats designed 
for the driver’s seat.
●Always install the floor mat 
securely using the retaining 
hooks (clips) provided.
●Do not use two  or more floor 
mats on top of each other.
●Do not place the floor mat bot-
tom-side up or upside-down. 

261-1. For safe use
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Make sure that all occupants are 
wearing their seat belts before 
driving the vehicle. (P.27)
Use a child restraint system 
appropriate for the child until the 
child becomes large enough to  properly wear the vehicle’s seat 
belt. (
P.50)
Make sure that you can see 
backward clearly by adjusting 
the inside and outside rear view 
mirrors properly. ( P.166, 167, 
177)
WA R N I N G
■For safe driving
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result 
in death or serious injury.
●Do not adjust the position of the 
driver’s seat while driving. 
Doing so could cause the driver 
to lose control of the vehicle.
●D o n ot  pla ce  a cu sh ion  b etw ee n  
the driver or passenger and the 
seatback. A cushion may pre-
vent correct pos ture from being 
achieved, and reduce the effec-
tiveness of the seat belt and 
head restraint.
●Do not place anything under the 
front seats. Objects placed 
under the front seats may 
become jammed in the seat 
tracks and stop the seat from 
locking in place . This may lead 
to an accident and the adjust-
ment mechanism may also be 
damaged.
●Always observe the legal speed 
limit when driving on public 
roads.
●When driving over long dis-
tances, take regular breaks 
before you start to feel tired. 
Also, if you feel tired or sleepy 
while driving, do not force your-
self to continue driving and take 
a break immediately.
Correct use of the seat 
belts
Adjusting the mirrors 

711-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1
For safety and security
1-4.Hybrid system
■System components
The illustration is an example for  explanation and may differ from the actual 
item.
Gasoline engine
Front electric motor (traction motor)
Rear electric motor (traction motor)
*
*: AWD models only
■When stopped/during start 
off
The gasoline engine stops
* 
when the vehicle is stopped.  During start off, the electric 
motor (traction motor) drives the 
vehicle. At slow speeds or when 
traveling down a gentle slope, 
the engine is stopped
* and the 
Hybrid system features
Your vehicle is a hybrid vehicle. It has characteristics differ
ent 
from conventional vehicles. Be sure you are closely familiar 
with the characteristics of your vehicle, and operate it with 
care.
The hybrid system combines the use of a gasoline engine and 
an electric motor (traction motor) according to driving condi-
tions, improving fuel efficiency and reducing exhaust emis-
sions.
System components 

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 

781-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
When a certain level of impact is 
detected by the impact sensor, 
the emergency shut off system 
blocks the high voltage current 
and stops the fuel pump to mini-
mize the risk of electrocution 
and fuel leakage. If the emer-
gency shut off system activates, your vehicle will not restart. To 
restart the hybrid system, con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
A message is automatically dis-
played when a malfunction 
occurs in the hybrid system or 
an improper operation is 
attempted.
If a warning message is shown 
on the multi-information display, 
read the message and follow the 
instructions. (
P.470)
■If a warning light comes on, a 
warning message  is displayed, 
or the 12-volt battery is discon-
nected
The hybrid system may not start. In 
this case, try to start the system 
again. If the “READY” indicator does 
not come on, contact your Toyota 
dealer.
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) air intake vent
●Do not place objects that will 
block the air intake vents. The 
hybrid battery (traction battery) 
may become limited and be 
damaged.
●Clean the air intake/discharge 
vents regularly to prevent the 
hybrid battery (traction battery) 
to be limited.
●Do not allow liquid or foreign 
material to enter the air intake 
vent as this may cause a short 
circuit and damage the hybrid 
battery (traction battery).
●A filter is installed to the air 
intake vent. Wh en the filter 
remains noticeably dirty even 
after cleaning the air intake 
vent, filter cleaning or replace-
ment is recommended. Refer to 
P.435for details on how to clean 
the filters.
Emergency shut off sys-
tem
Hybrid warning message