2021 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID warning

1994-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
WARNING
●Even if the total load of occu-
pant’s weight and the cargo
load is less than the total load
capacity, do not apply the load
unevenly. Improper loading may
cause deteriorat ion of steering
or braking control which may
cause death or serious injury.
■When using a roof luggage
carrier (vehicles with roof
rails)
Observe the following precau-
tions:
●Place the cargo so that its
weight is distributed evenly
between the front and rear
axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo,
never exceed the vehicle overall
length or width. (
P.510)
●Before driving, make sure the
cargo is securel y fastened on
the roof luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof lug-
gage carrier will make the cen-
ter of gravity of the vehicle
higher. Avoid high speeds, sud-
den starts, sharp turns, sudden
braking or abrupt maneuvers,
otherwise it may result in loss of
control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle
correctly and resu lt in death or
serious injury.
●If driving for a long distance, on
rough roads, or at high speeds,
stop the vehicle now and then
during the trip to make sure the
cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 165 lb. (75 kg)
cargo weight on the roof lug-
gage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo
Be careful not to scratch the sur-
face of the moon roof or pan-
oramic moon roof.

2004-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Total load capacity and seating
capacity
These details are also described on
the tire and loading information
label. ( P.436)
Vehicle load limits
Vehicle load limits include
total load capacity, seating
capacity, trailer weight rat-
ing and cargo capacity.
 Total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight): P.510
Total load capacity means the
combined weight of occupants,
cargo and luggage.
 Seating capacity:  P.510
Seating capacity means the max-
imum number of occupants
whose estimated average weight
is 150 lb. (68 kg) per person.
TWR (Trailer Weight Rat-
ing):  P.206, 510
TWR means the maximum gross
trailer weight (trailer weight plus
its cargo weight) that your vehicle
is able to tow.
Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or
decrease depending on the
weight and the number of occu-
pants.
WARNING
■Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to
the tires, but also degrade steer-
ing and braking ability, resulting in
an accident.

2034-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the vehi-
cle in accordance with the trailer’s
characteristics and operating con-
ditions. Failure to do so could
cause an accident resulting in
death or serious injury. Vehicle
stability and braking performance
are affected by trailer stability,
brake setting and performance,
and the hitch. Your vehicle will
handle different ly when towing a
trailer.
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not exceed the TWR,
unbraked TWR, GCWR, GVWR
or GAWR.
●If the gross trailer weight is over
2000 lb. (900 kg), a sway con-
trol device with sufficient capac-
ity is required.
●Adjust the tongue weight within
the appropriate range. Place
heavier loads as close to the
trailer axle as possible.
●Do not exceed 65 mph (104
km/h), the posted towing speed
limit or the speed limit for your
trailer as set fort h in your trailer
owner’s manual, whichever is
lowest. Slow down sufficiently
before making a turn, in cross
winds, on wet or slippery sur-
face, etc. to help avoid an acci-
dent. If you experience a
vehicle-trailer instability from
reducing a certain speed, slow
down and make sure you keep
your vehicle speed under the
speed of which you experience
the instability.
●Do not make jerk y, abrupt or
sharp turns.
●Do not apply the brakes sud-
denly as you may skid, resulting
in jackknifing and loss of vehicle
control. This is especially true
on wet or slippery surfaces.
●Do not exceed the trailer hitch
assembly weight, gross vehicle
weight, gross axle weight and
trailer tongue w eight capacities.
●Do not use the following sys-
tems when trailer towing.
• Dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range
• LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
• PCS (Pre-Collision System)
• BSM (Blind Spot Monitor)
●Slow down and downshift
before descending steep or long
downhill grades. Do not make
sudden downshifts while
descending steep or long down-
hill grades.
●Vehicle-trailer instability is more
likely on steep long downhills.
Before descending steep or
long downhill grades, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts when
descending steep or long down-
hill grades. Avoid holding the
brake pedal down too long or
applying the brakes too fre-
quently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
●Do not tow a trailer when the
compact spare tire is installed
on your vehicle.
■When towing a trailer
Toyota recommends trailers with
brakes that conform to any appli-
cable federal and s tate/provincial
regulations.

2044-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■GCWR (Gross Combination
Weight Rating)
The maximum allowable gross
combination weight. The gross
combination weight is the sum
of the total vehicle weight
(including the occupants, cargo
and any optional equipment
installed on the vehicle) and the
weight of the trailer being towed
(including the cargo in the
trailer).
■GVWR (Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating)
The maximum allowable gross
vehicle weight. The gross vehi-
cle weight is the total weight of
the vehicle. When towing a
trailer, it is the sum of the vehicle
weight (including the occu-
pants, cargo and any optional
equipment installed on the vehi-
cle) and the tongue weight.
■GAWR (Gross Axle Weight
Rating)
The maximum allowable gross
axle weight. The gross axle
weight is the load placed on
each axle (front and rear).
Front GAWR
WARNING
●If the gross trailer weight
exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer
brakes are required. Toyota rec-
ommends trailers with brakes
that conform to all applicable
federal and state/provincial reg-
ulations.
●Never tap into y our vehicle’s
hydraulic system, as this will
lower the vehicle’s braking
effectiveness.
●Never tow a trailer without using
a safety chain securely attached
to both the traile r and the vehi-
cle. If damage occurs to the
coupling unit or hitch ball, there
is danger of the trailer wander-
ing into another lane.
Towing related terms

2074-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_UThe gross trailer weight should be
distributed so that the tongue
weight is 9% to 11%.
(Tongue weight/Gross trailer weight
x 100 = 9% to 11%)
Gross trailer weight
Tongue weight
The gross trailer
weight, gross axle
weight and tongue weight can be
measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing sta-
tion, building supply company,
trucking company, junk yard, etc.
Trailer hitch assemblies have
different weight capacities. Toy-
ota recommends the use of Toy-
ota hitch/bracket for your
vehicle. For details, contact your
Toyota dealer.
 If you wish to install a trailer
hitch, contact your Toyota
dealer.
 Use only a hitch that con-
forms to the gross trailer
weight requirement of your
vehicle.
 Follow the directions supplied
by the hitch manufacturer. 
Lubricate the hitch ball with a
light coating of grease.
 Remove the hitch ball when-
ever you are not towing a
trailer. Remove the trailer
hitch if you do not need it.
After removing the hitch, seal
any mounting hole in the vehi-
cle body to prevent entry of
any substances into the vehi-
cle.
Use the correct trailer ball for
your application.
Hitch
WARNING
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have dif-
ferent weight capacities estab-
lished by the hitch manufacturer.
Even though the vehicle may be
physically capable of towing a
higher weight, the operator must
determine the maximum weight
rating of the particular hitch
assembly and never exceed the
maximum weight rating specified
for the trailer-hitch. Exceeding the
maximum weight rating set by the
trailer-hitch manufacturer can
cause an accident resulting in
death or serious personal injuries.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recom-
mended by your Toyota dealer.
Do not install the trailer hitch on
the bumper; this may cause body
damage.
Selecting trailer ball

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 steering 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.444
■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 restart 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.496.
WARNING
■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 circumstance may
lead to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.

2154-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1Stop the vehicle completely.
2 Set the parking brake
( P.224), and shift the shift
lever to P.
Check the parking brake indicator
is illuminated.
3 Press the power switch.
The hybrid system will stop, and the
meter display will be extinguished.
4Release the brake pedal and
check that “ACCESSORY” or
“IGNITION ON” is not shown
on the multi-information dis-
p l a y.
■Automatic hybrid system shut
off feature
●The vehicle is equipped with a
feature that automatically shuts off
the hybrid system when the shift
lever is in P with the hybrid system
operating for an extended period.
●The hybrid system will automati- cally shut off after approximately 1
hour if it has been left running
while the shift lever is in P.
●The timer for the automatic hybrid
system shut off feature will reset if
the brake pedal is depressed or if
the shift lever is in a position other
than P.
●After the vehicle
is parked, if the
door is locked with the door lock
switch ( P.134) from the inside or
the mechanical k ey from the out-
side, the automatic hybrid system
shut off feature will be disabled.
The timer for the automatic hybrid
system shut off feature will be
re-enabled if the driver’s door is
opened.
NOTICE
■When starting the hybrid sys-
tem
If the hybrid system becomes diffi-
cult to start, have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a mal-
function with the power
switch
If the power switch seems to be
operating somewh at differently
than usual, such as the switch
sticking slightly, there may be a
malfunction. Contact your Toyota
dealer immediately.
Stopping the hybrid sys-
temWARNING
■Stopping the hybrid system
in an emergency
●If you want to stop the hybrid
system in an emergency while
driving the vehicle, press and
hold the power s witch for more
than 2 seconds, or press it
briefly 3 times or more in suc-
cession. (
P.458)
However, do not touch the
power switch while driving
except in an emergency. Turn-
ing the hybrid s ystem off while
driving will not cause loss of
steering or braking control, how-
ever, power assist to the steer-
ing will be lost. This will make it
more difficult to steer smoothly,
so you should pull over and stop
the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so.
●If the power switch is operated
while the vehicle is running, a
warning message will be shown
on the multi-information display
and a buzzer sounds.

2164-2. Driving procedures
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Modes can be changed by
pressing the power switch with
brake pedal released. (The
mode changes each time the
switch is pressed.)1
OFF
*
The emergency flashers can be
used.
2ACC
Some electrical components such
as the audio sys tem can be used.
“ACCESSORY” will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
3 ON
All electrical components can be
used.
“IGNITION ON” will be displayed on
the multi-information display.
*: If the shift lever is in a position
other than P when turning off the
hybrid system, the power switch
will be turned to A CC, not to OFF.
■Auto power off function
If the vehicle is left in ACC for more
than 20 minutes or ON (the hybrid
system is not operating) for more
than an hour with the shift lever in P,
the power switch will automatically
turn off. However, this function can-
WARNING
●To restart the hybrid system
after performing an emergency
shutdown, shift the shift lever to
N and then press the power
switch.
■When parking
Exhaust gases include harmful
carbon monoxide (CO), which is
colorless and odorless. Observe
the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause
exhaust gases to enter the vehicle
and may lead to an accident
caused by light-headedness, or
may lead to death or a serious
health hazard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly venti-
lated area or a closed area,
such as a garage, stop the
hybrid system.
●Do not leave the vehicle with
the hybrid system operating for
a long time. If such a situation
cannot be avoided, park the
vehicle in an open space and
ensure that exhaust fumes do
not enter the vehicle interior.
●Do not leave the hybrid system
operating in an area with snow
build-up, or where it is snowing.
If snowbanks build up around
the vehicle while the hybrid sys-
tem is operating, exhaust gases
may collect and enter the vehi-
cle.
Changing power switch
modes