2021 LEXUS IS300 Owners Manual

3297-1. Essential information
7
When trouble arises
seconds or more, or 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 window
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 engine has to be turned off while
driving
Power assist for the brakes and steering
wheel will be lost, making the brake
pedal harder to depress and the steering
wheel heavier to turn. Decelerate as
much as possible before turning off the
engine.
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* for
emergency escape
The front side wind ows and rear side
windows, as well as the rear window can
be shattered with an emergency ham-
mer
* used for emergency escape. How-
ever, an emergency hammer* can not
shatter the windshield as it is laminated
glass.
*: Contact your Lexus dealer or after-
market accessory manufacturer for
further information about an emer-
gency hammer.

3307-1. Essential information
WARNING
■Escaping the vehicle from the window
There are cases where escaping the
vehicle from the window is not possible
due to seating position, passenger body
type, etc.
When using an emergency hammer,
consider your seat location and the size
of the window opening to ensure that the
opening is accessible and large enough
to escape.

3317-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
7-2.Steps to take in an emergency
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.
If towing your vehicle with a
wheel-lift type truck from the front,
the vehicle’s rear wheels and axles
must be in good conditions.
(  P.332)
If they are damaged, use a towing
dolly or flatbed truck.
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
2WD models
Be sure to transport the vehicle with all
four wheels raised off the ground. If the
vehicle is towed with the tires contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and related
parts may be damaged or an accident
may occur due to a change in direction
of the vehicle.
AWD models
Be sure to transport the vehicle with all
four wheels raised off the ground. If the
vehicle is towed with the tires contacting
the ground, the driv etrain or related
parts may be damaged, the vehicle may
fly off the truck.

3327-2. Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a problem
with the drivetrain. Contact your Lexus
dealer or commercial towing service
before towing.
 The engine is running but the vehi-
cle does not move.
 The vehicle makes an abnormal
sound.
From the front
Use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.
WARNING
■While towing
●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 engine switch off.
There is a possibility that the steering
wheel is locked and cannot be oper-
ated.
■Installing towing eyelet to the vehicle
Make sure that towing eyelet is installed
securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelet
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 engine 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
Do not secure cables or chains to the
suspension components.
■Recreational towing (behind motor
home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to pre-
vent causing serious damage to the
AWD system and transmission.
(  P.133)
Situations when it is necessary to
contact dealers before towing
Towing with a wheel-lift type
truck

3337-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
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 transportati on, set the parking
brake and turn the engine 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 at most 50
miles (80 km) 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.
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.
1
Take out the wheel bolt wrench,
flathead screwdriver and towing
eyelet. ( P.349)
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.
NOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck to pre-
vent body damage.
Using a flatbed truck
NOTICE
■Using a flatbed truck
Do not overly tighten the tie downs or the
vehicle may be damaged.
Emergency towing
Emergency towing procedure

3347-2. Steps to take in an emergency
3Insert the towing eyelet into the
hole and tighten partially by hand.
4 Tighten down the towing eyelet
securely using a wheel bolt 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 engine.
If the engine does not start, turn the engine
switch to IGNITION ON mode.
7Shift the shift lever to N and release
the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off. ( P.144)
When the shift lever cannot be shifted:
 P.139
■While towing
If the engine is not running, the power assist
for the brakes and steering will not function,
making steering and braking more difficult.
■Wheel bolt wrench
Wheel bolt wrench is in stalled in the trunk.
(  P.349)

3357-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
Fluid leaks under the vehicle.
(Water dripping from the air condi-
tioning after use is normal.)
 Flat-looking tires or uneven tire
wear
 Engine coolant temperature gauge
needle continually points higher
than normal.
 Changes in exhaust sound
 Excessive tire squeal when corner-
ing
 Strange noises related to the sus-
pension system
 Pinging or other noises related to
the engine
 Engine missing, stumbling or run-
ning roughly
 Appreciable loss of power
 Vehicle pulls heavily to one side
when braking 
Vehicle pulls heavily to one side
when driving on a level road
 Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy
feeling, pedal almost touches the
floor
If you think something is
wrong
If you notice any of the following
symptoms, your vehicle probably
needs adjustment or repair. Con-
tact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible.
Visible symptoms
Audible symptoms
Operational symptoms

3367-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Follow the procedure below to restart
the engine after the system is activated.
1Turn the engine switch to ACCES-
SORY mode or turn it off.
2 Restart the engine.
Fuel pump shut off system
To minimize the risk of fuel leakage
when the engine stalls or when an
airbag inflates upon collision, the
fuel pump shut off system stops the
supply of fuel to the engine.
Restarting the engine
NOTICE
■Before starting the engine
Inspect the ground under the vehicle.
If you find that fuel has leaked onto the
ground, the fuel system has been dam-
aged and is in need of repair. Do not
restart the engine.