Page 397 of 572

3976-1. Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6
Maintenance and care
 Remove dirt and dust using a 
vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty 
surfaces with a cloth damp-
ened with lukewarm water.
 If dirt cannot be removed, 
wipe it off with a soft cloth 
dampened with neutral deter-
gent diluted to approximately 
1%.
Wring out any excess water 
from the cloth and thoroughly 
wipe off remaining traces of 
detergent and water.
■Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foam-
ing-type cleaners available. Use a 
sponge or brush to apply the foam. 
Rub in overlapping  circles. Do not 
use water. Wipe di rty surfaces and 
let them dry. Exce llent results are 
obtained by keeping the carpet as 
dry as possible.
■Handling the seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm 
water using a cloth or sponge. Also 
check the belts periodically for 
excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
Cleaning and protect-
ing the vehicle interior
Perform cleaning in a man-
ner appropriate to each 
component and its material.
Protecting the vehicle 
interior
WA R N I N G
■Water in the vehicle
●Do not splash or spill liquid in 
the vehicle, such as on the floor, 
in the hybrid battery (traction 
battery) air vents, and in the lug-
gage compartment.
Doing so may cause the hybrid 
battery, electrical components, 
etc. to malfunction or catch fire.
●Do not get any of the SRS com-
ponents or wiring in the vehicle 
interior wet.
(  P. 3 4 )
An electrical ma lfunction may 
cause the airbags to deploy or 
not function properly, resulting 
in death or se rious injury.
●Vehicles with wireless charger: 
Do not let the wireless charger 
( P.369) get wet. Failure to do 
so may cause t he charger to 
become hot and cause burns or 
could cause electric shock 
resulting in death or serious 
injury.
■Cleaning the interior (espe-
cially instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish 
cleaner. The instrument panel 
may reflect off the windshield, 
obstructing the driver’s view and 
leading to an accident, resulting in 
death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■Cleaning detergents
●Do not use the  following types 
of detergent, as  they may dis-
color the vehicle interior or 
cause streaks  or damage to 
painted surfaces:
• Non-seat portions: Organic sub- stances such as benzene or 
gasoline, alkaline  or acidic solu-
tions, dye, and bleach 
     
        
        Page 441 of 572

4416-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER HV_U
6
Maintenance and care
Normal fuse
Blown fuse
■After a fuse is replaced
●If the lights do n ot turn on even 
after the fuse has  been replaced, 
a bulb may need replacement. 
(  P.443)
●If the replaced fuse blows again, 
have the vehicle inspected by 
your Toyota dealer.
■If there is an overload in a cir-
cuit
The fuses are designed to blow, pro-
tecting the wiring harness from 
damage.
■When replacing light bulbs
Toyota recommends that you use 
genuine Toyota products designed 
for this vehicle. Because certain 
bulbs are connected to circuits 
designed to prevent overload, 
non-genuine parts or parts not 
designed for this vehicle may be 
unusable.
WA R N I N G
■To prevent system break-
downs and vehicle fire
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may cause dam-
age to the vehicle, and possibly a 
fire or injury.
●Never use a fuse of a higher 
amperage rating than that indi-
cated, or use any other object in 
place of a fuse.
●Always use a genuine Toyota 
fuse or equivalent.
Never replace a fuse with a 
wire, even as a temporary fix.
●Do not modify the fuses or fuse 
boxes.
■Fuse box near the power con-
trol unit
Never check or replace the fuses 
as there are high voltage parts 
and wiring near the fuse box.
Doing so may cause electric 
shock, resulting in death or seri-
ous injury.
NOTICE
■Before replacing fuses
Have the cause of electrical over-
load determined  and repaired by 
your Toyota dealer as soon as 
possible. 
     
        
        Page 467 of 572

4677-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER HV_U
7
When trouble arises
■Parking brake indicator (warning buzzer)*
*: A buzzer will sound if  the vehicle is driven at a speed of app roximately 3 
mph (5 km/h) or more.
■Brake hold operated indicator
■Warning buzzer
In some cases, the buzzer may not 
be heard due to being in a noisy 
location or audio sound.
■Front passenger detection sen-
sor, seat belt reminder and 
warning buzzer
●If luggage is placed on the front 
passenger seat, the front passen-
ger detection sensor may cause 
the warning light to flash and the 
warning buzzer to sound even if a 
passenger is not sitting in the 
seat.
●If a cushion is placed on the seat, 
the sensor may n ot detect a pas-
senger, and the warning light may 
not operate properly.
■SRS warning light
This warning light system monitors 
the airbag sensor assembly, front 
impact sensors, side impact sensors 
(front door), side  impact sensors  (rear), driver’s seat position sensor, 
driver’s seat belt buckle switch, front 
passenger occupan
t classification 
system (ECU and s ensors), “PASS 
AIR BAG ON” indicator light, “PASS 
AIR BAG OFF” indicator light, front 
passenger’s seat belt buckle switch, 
driver’s seat belt pretensioner, front 
passenger’s seat b elt pretensioner 
and force limiter, airbags, intercon-
necting wiring and power sources. 
(  P. 3 4 )
■If the malfunction indicator 
lamp comes on while driving
First check the following:
●Is the fuel tank empty?
If it is, fill the fuel tank immediately.
●Is the fuel ta nk cap loose?
If it is, tighten it securely.
The light will go off after several 
driving trips.
If the light does not go off even after 
several trips, con tact your Toyota 
dealer as soon as possible.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(flashes)
(U.S.A.)
or
(flashes)
(Canada)
It is possible that the parking  brake is not fully engaged or 
released
 Operate the parking brake switch once again.
This light comes on when the parking brake is not released. 
If the light turns of f after the parking brake is fully release d, 
the system is operating normally.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(flashes)
Indicates a malfunction in the brake hold system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer 
immediately.