2021 LEXUS ES300h steering

3086-1. Maintenance and care
WARNING
■Precaution regarding the rear
bumper with Blind Spot Monitor (if
equipped)
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped
or scratched, the system may malfunc-
tion. If this occurs, consult your Lexus
dealer.
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and
corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the
following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar, pollen or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, in sect droppings or
bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron
powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
●If the paint is chip ped or scratched,
have it repaired immediately.
●To prevent the wheels from corroding,
remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the
wheels.
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic
substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the
lights.
●Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the
lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■When using an automatic car wash
(vehicles with rain-sensing windshield
wipers)
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-
ers may operate and the wiper blades
may be damaged.
■When using a high-pressure car wash
●When washing the vehicle, do not let
water of the high-p ressure washer hit
directly or the vicinity of the camera.
Due to the shock from the high-pres-
sure water, it is possible the device
may not operate as normal.
●Do not bring the nozzle tip close to
boots (rubber or resin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following
parts. The parts may be damaged if
they come into contact with high-pres-
sure water.
• Traction related parts
•Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
●Keep the cleaning nozzle at least 11.9
in. (30 cm) away from the vehicle
body. Otherwise resin section, such as
moldings and bumpers, may be
deformed and damaged.
Also, do not continuously hold the
nozzle in the same place.
●Do not spray the lower part of the
windshield continuously.
If water enters the air conditioning sys-
tem intake located ne ar the lower part
of the windshield, th e air conditioning
system may not operate correctly.
●Do not wash the underside of the vehi-
cle using a high pressure car washer.

3156-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Seats• Do the seat controls operate properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotate
smoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the cor-
rect amount of free
play?
•There should not be any strange sounds
coming from the
steering wheel.
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors/trunk• Do the doors/trunk operate smoothly?
Engine hood
•Does the engine hood lock system
work properly?
Fluid leaks
•There should not be any signs of fluid
leakage after the
vehicle has been
parked.
ItemsCheck points
Tires
• Is the tire inflation pressure correct?
• The tires should not be damaged or
excessively worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to
the maintenance
schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield wip-
ers
• The wiper blades should not show any
signs of cracking,
splitting, wear, con-
tamination or defor-
mation.
• The wiper blades should clear the
windshield without
streaking or skip-
ping.
ItemsCheck points

3536-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Cornering lights
 Side turn signal lights
 Outer foot lights
 Tail lights
 Stop lights
 Rear turn signal lights
 Rear side marker lights
 Back-up lights
 High mounted stoplight
 License plate lights
■LED lights
The lights other than the front turn signal
lights (vehicles with single-beam head-
lights) and front side marker lights (vehicles
with single-beam head lights) each consist
of a number of LEDs. If any of the LEDs
burn out, take your vehicle to your Lexus
dealer to have the light replaced.
■Condensation build-up on the inside of
the lens
Temporary condensation build-up on the
inside of the headlight lens does not indi-
cate a malfunction. Contact your Lexus
dealer for more information in the following
situations:
●Large drops of water ha ve built up on the
inside of the lens.
●Water has built up inside the headlight.
■When replacing light bulbs
 P.350
■Front turn signal lights (vehicles
with single-beam headlights)/front
side marker lights (vehicles with
single-beam headlights)
1 To ensure enough space to per-
form work, turn the steering wheel to rotate the front wheel away from
the bulb to be replaced. Remove
the fender liner clip.
Turn the steering wheel to the left when
replacing the right side light bulb, and turn
the steering wheel to the right when
replacing the left side light bulb.
2
To protect the front bumper from
being damaged, apply protective
tape around the clips as shown in
the illustration.
Use masking tape, etc. Do not use duct
tape, as it may leave residue or damage the
paint when removed.
3Insert a flathead screwdriver
between the front bumper and
Replacing light bulb

3597-1. Essential information
7
When trouble arises
press it briefly 3 times or more in
succession.
5 Stop the vehicle in a safe place by
the road. 
Remove the seat belt first.
 If the door can be opened, open the
door and exit the vehicle.
 If the door can not be opened, open
the window using the power win-
dow switch and exit the vehicle
through the window.
 If the window can not be opened
using the power window switch,
remain calm, wait until the water
level inside the vehicle rises to the
point that the water pressure inside
of the vehicle equals the water pres-
sure outside of the vehicle, and then
open the door and exit the vehicle.
WARNING
■If the hybrid system has to be turned
off while driving
Power assist for the steering wheel will
be lost, making th e steering wheel
heavier to turn. Decelerate as much as
possible before turning off the hybrid
system.
If the vehicle is trapped in
rising water
In the event the vehicle is sub-
merged in water, remain calm and
perform the following.
WARNING
■Using an emergency hammer*1 for
emergency escape
The rear side windows and rear window
of this vehicle can be shattered by an
emergency hammer
*1 used for emer-
gency escape, however, since the wind-
shield and front side windows
*2 are
laminated glass they can not be shat-
tered by an emergency hammer
*1.
*1: Contact your Lexus dealer or after-
market accessory manufacturer for
further information about an emer-
gency hammer.
*2: Vehicles with laminated glass

3617-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
7-2.Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a problem
with your transmission. Contact your
Lexus dealer or commercial towing
service before towing.
If your vehicle needs to be
towed
If towing is necessary, we recom-
mend having your vehicle towed by
your Lexus dealer or commercial
towing service, using a wheel-lift
type truck or flatbed truck.
Use a safety chain system for all
towing, and abide by all state/pro-
vincial and local laws.
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
Be sure to transport the vehicle with the
front wheels raised or with all four wheels
raised off the ground. If the vehicle is
towed with the front wheels contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and related
parts may be damaged or electricity
generated by the operation of the motor
may cause a fire to occur depending on
the nature of the damage or malfunction.
■While towing (vehicles with a towing
eyelet)
●When towing using cables or chains,
avoid sudden starts, etc. which place
excessive stress on the towing eyelets,
cables or chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become dam-
aged, broken debris may hit people,
and cause serious damage.
●Do not turn the power switch off.
There is a possibility that the steering
wheel is locked and cannot be oper-
ated.
■Installing towing eyelets to the vehi-
cle (vehicles with a towing eyelet)
Make sure that towing eyelets are
installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelets
may come loose during towing.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the vehicle
when towing using a wheel-lift type
truck
●Do not tow the vehicle from the rear
when the power switch is off. The
steering lock mechanism is not strong
enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
●When raising the vehicle, ensure ade-
quate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle.
Without adequate clearance, the vehi-
cle could be damaged while being
towed.
■To prevent damage to the vehicle
when towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either
from the front or rear.
■To prevent damage to the vehicle
during emergency towing (vehicles
with a towing eyelet)
Do not secure cables or chains to the
suspension components.
Situations when it is necessary to
contact dealers before towing

3627-2. Steps to take in an emergency
The hybrid system warning message
is shown on the multi-information
display and the vehicle does not
move.
 The vehicle makes an abnormal
sound.
From the front
Release the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off. ( P.158)
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the front
wheels. When using a flat-bed truck to trans-
port the vehicle, use tire strapping
belts. Refer to the owner’s manual of
the flat-bed truck for the tire strapping
method.
In order to suppress vehicle movement
during transportation, set the parking
brake and turn the power switch off.
If a tow truck is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using cables or chains
secured to the emergency towing eye-
lets. This should only be attempted on
hard surfaced roads for short distances
at under 18 mph (30 km/h).
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer
and operate the brakes. The vehicle’s
wheels, drive train, axles, steering and
brakes must be in good condition.
Towing with a wheel-lift type
truck
NOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck to pre-
vent body damage.
Using a flatbed truck
Emergency towing (vehicles
with a towing eyelet)

3637-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
To have your vehicle towed by another
vehicle, the towing eyelet must be
installed to your vehicle. Install the tow-
ing eyelet using the following proce-
dure.
1Take out the wheel nut wrench and
towing eyelet. ( P.380)
2 Remove the eyelet cover using a
flathead screwdriver.
To protect the bodywork, place a rag
between the screwdriver and the vehicle
body as shown in the illustration.
3Insert the towing eyelet into the
hole and tighten partially by hand. 4
Tighten down the towing eyelet
securely using a wheel nut wrench
or hard metal bar.
5 Securely attach cables or chains to
the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehicle body.
6Enter the vehicle being towed and
start the hybrid system.
If the hybrid system does not start, turn the
power switch to ON mode.
7Shift the shift lever to N and release
the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off. ( P.158)
When the shift lever cannot be shifted:
 P.153
■While towing
If the hybrid system is off, the power assist
for the brakes and steering will not function,
making steering and braking more difficult.
■Wheel nut wrench
Wheel nut wrench is installed in trunk.
(  P.380)
Emergency towing procedure
(vehicles with a towing eyelet)

3677-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
■ABS warning light (warning buzzer)
■Brake Override System warning light/Drive-Start Control warning light*
(warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
■Electric power steering system warning light (warning buzzer)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
or
(Canada)
Indicates a malfunction in:
 The ABS; or
 The brake assist system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
When a buzzer sounds:
Brake Override System is malfunctioning;
 Drive-Start Control is operating; or
 Drive-Start Control is malfunctioning
 Follow the instructions displayed on the multi-information display.
When a buzzer does not sound:
Brake Override System is operating
 Release the accelerator pedal and depress the brake pedal.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(red)
or
(yellow)
Indicates a malfunction in the EPS (Electric Power Steering) system
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.