2021 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID brakes

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

2054-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Rear GAWR
■TWR (Trailer Weight Rating)
The maximum allowable gross
trailer weight. The gross trailer
weight is the sum of the trailer
weight and the weight of the
cargo in the trailer.
TWR is calculated assuming
base vehicle with one driver,
one front passenger, towing
package (if available), hitch and
hitch systems (if required).
Additional optional equipment, pas-
sengers and cargo in the vehicle
will reduce the tra iler weight rating
so as not to exceed GCWR, GVWR
and GAWR.
If the gross traile r weight exceeds
3000 lb. (1360 kg), it is recom-
mended to use a trailer with 2 or
more axles.
With brakes
■Unbraked TWR (Unbraked
Trailer Weight Rating)
The trailer weight rating for tow-
ing a trailer without a trailer ser-
vice brake system. Without brakes
■Tongue Weight
The load placed on the trailer
hitch ball. ( P.206)
 The gross trailer weight must
never exceed the TWR
described in the table.
( P.206)
 The gross combination weight
must never exceed the
GCWR described in the table.
( P.206)
 The gross vehicle weight
must never exceed the
GVWR indicated on the Certi-
fication Label. ( P.510)
 The gross axle weight on
each axle must never exceed
the GAWR indicated on the
Weight limits

2064-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Certification Label. (P.510)
 If the gross trailer weight is
over the unbraked TWR,
trailer service brakes are
required. 
If the gross trailer weight is
over 2000 lb. (900 kg), a sway
control device with sufficient
capacity is required.
Confirm that the gross trailer we ight, gross combination weight,
gross vehicle weight, gross axle weight and tongue weight are all
within the limits.
■GCWR*1 and TWR*1
■Unbraked TWR*1
1000 lb. (450 kg)
*1: These models meet the tow-vehicle trailering requirement of SA E Inter-
national per SAE J2807.
*2: The model code is indicated o n the Certification Label. (P.510)
*3: For 7-seat models
*4: For 8-seat models
A recommended tongue
weight varies in accordance
with the types of trailers or
towing as described below. 
To ensure the recommended
values shown below, the
trailer must be loaded by
referring to the following
instructions.
• Tongue Weight
GCWR, TWR and Unbraked TWR
Model code*2EngineDriving
systemGCWRTWR
 AXUH70L-ARXNHA
 AXUH70L-ARXMHA
 AXUH70L-ARXGHA
2.5L L4
(A25A-FX
S) engine
2WD9460 lb.
(4290 kg)
3500 lb.
(1590 kg) AXUH78L-ARXNHA
 AXUH78L-ARXMHA
 AXUH78L-ARXGHA
*3AWD
9500 lb.
(4310 kg)
AXUH78L-ARXGHA*49565 lb.
(4340 kg)
Trailer Tongue Weight

2104-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
requires practice. Grip the
bottom of the steering wheel
and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the
right to move the trailer to
right. (This is generally oppo-
site to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp
or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when
reversing to reduce the risk of
an accident.
 As stopping distance is
increased when towing a
trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased.
For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of
speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length.
 Avoid sudden braking as you
may skid, resulting in the
trailer jackknifing and a loss of
vehicle control. This is espe-
cially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden
acceleration.
 Avoid jerky steering and
sharp turns, and slow down
before making turn.
 Note that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be
closer than the vehicle wheels
to the inside of the turn. Com-
pensate by making a wider
than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or
slippery surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can
destabilize the trailer.
 Take care when passing other
vehicles. Passing requires
considerable distance. After
passing a vehicle, do not for-
get the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty
of room before changing
lanes.
 To maintain engine braking
efficiency and charging sys-
tem performance when using
engine braking, do not put the
transmission in D. If in the S
mode, the hybrid transmission
shift range position must be in
5 or lower. ( P.220)
 Instability happens more fre-
quently when descending
steep or long downhill grades.
Before descending, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts
while descending steep or
long downhill grades.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the
brakes too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
 Due to the added load of the
trailer, your vehicle’s engine
may overheat on hot days (at
temperatures over 85°F
[30°C]) when driving up a long

2114-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
or steep grade. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air condi-
tioning (if in use), pull your
vehicle off the road and stop
in a safe spot. (P.504)
 Always place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and
the trailer’s wheels when
parking. Put the transmission
in P and apply the parking
brake. Avoid parking on a
slope, but if unavoidable, do
so only after performing the
following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep
them applied.
2 Have someone place wheel
blocks under both the vehi-
cle’s and trailer’s wheels.
3 When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb
the load.
4 Shift into P and apply the
parking brake.
5 Turn off the hybrid system.
 When restarting after parking
on a slope:
1 With the transmission in P,
start the hybrid system. Be
sure to keep the brake pedal
depressed.
2 Shift into a forward gear. If
reversing, shift into R. 3
If the parking brake is in man-
ual mode, release the park-
ing brake. ( P.224)
4 Release the brake pedal, and
slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and
apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the
blocks.

2274-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Turns the brake hold system on
The brake hold standby indicator
(green) comes on. While the
system is holding the brake, the
brake hold operated indicator (yel-
low) comes on.
■Brake hold system operating
conditions
The brake hold system cannot be
turned on in the following condi-
tions:
●The driver’s doo r is not closed.
●The driver is not wearing the seat
belt.
●The parking brake is engaged.
If any of the cond itions above are
detected when the brake hold sys-
tem is enabled, the system will turn
off and the brake hold standby indi-
cator light will go off. In addition, if
any of the conditions are detected
while the system is holding the
brake, a warning buzzer will sound
and a message will be shown on the
multi-information display. The park-
ing brake will then be set automati-
cally.
■Brake hold function
●If the brake pedal is left released
for a period of about 3 minutes
after the system has started hold-
ing the brake, the parking brake
will be set automatically. In this
case, a warning buzzer sounds
and a message is shown on the
multi-information display.
●To turn the system off while the
system is holding the brake, firmly
depress the brake pedal and
press the button again.
●The brake hold function may not
hold the vehicle when the vehicle
is on a steep incline. In this situa-
tion, it may be ne cessary for the
driver to apply the brakes. A warn-
ing buzzer will sound and the
multi-information display will
inform the driver of this situation. If
a warning message is shown on
the multi-information display, read
the message and follow the
instructions.
■When the parking brake is set
automatically while the system
is holding the brakes
Perform any of the following opera-
tions to release the parking brake.
●Depress the accelerator pedal.
(The parking brake will not be
released automatically if the seat
belt is not fastened.)
●Operate the parkin g brake switch
with the brake pedal depressed.
Make sure that the parking brake
Brake Hold
The brake hold system
keeps the brake applied
when the shift lever is in D,
S or N with the system on
and the brake pedal has
been depressed to stop the
vehicle. The system
releases the brake when the
accelerator pedal is
depressed with the shift
lever in D or S to allow
smooth start off.
Enabling the system

2494-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
The system can detect the fol-
lowing (The detectable objects
differs depending on the func-
tion.):
Vehicles
 Bicyclists 
Pedestrians
■Pre-collision warning
When the system determines
that the possibility of a frontal
collision is high, a buzzer will
sound and a warning message
will be displayed on the
multi-information display to urge
the driver to take evasive action.
■Pre-collision brake assist
When the system determines
that the possibility of a frontal
collision is high, the system
applies greater braking force in
relation to how strongly the
brake pedal is depressed.
■Pre-collision braking
If the system determines that
the possibility of a frontal colli-
sion is extremely high, the
brakes are automatically applied
to help avoid the collision or
reduce the impact of the colli-
sion.
■Emergency steering assist
If the system determines that
the possibility of a frontal colli-
PCS (Pre-Collision Sys-
tem)
The pre-collision system
uses a radar sensor and
front camera to detect
objects ( P.249) in front of
the vehicle. When the sys-
tem determines that the
possibility of a frontal colli-
sion with an object is high, a
warning operates to urge
the driver to take evasive
action and the potential
brake pressure is increased
to help the driver avoid the
collision. If the system
determines that the possi-
bility of a frontal collision
with an object is extremely
high, the brakes are auto-
matically applied to help
avoid the collision or help
reduce the impact of the col-
lision.
The pre-collision system can
be disabled/enabled and the
warning timing can be
changed. ( P.252)
Detectable objects
System functions

2594-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_Ustarted the vehicle has not been
driven for a certain amount of time
• While making a left/right turn and
for a few seconds after making a
left/right turn
• While driving on a curve and for a
few seconds after driving on a
curve
• If your vehicle is skidding
• If the front of the vehicle is raised
or lowered
• If the wheels are misaligned
• If a wiper blade is blocking the front camera
• The vehicle is being driven at extremely high speeds
• When driving on a hill
• If the radar sensor or front camera
is misaligned
• When driving in a traffic lane sep-
arated by more t han one lane
where oncoming vehicles are driv-
ing while making a right/left turn
• When largely out of place with the opposite facing targeted oncom-
ing vehicle during a right/left turn
• While making a right/left turn, when a pedestrian approaches
from behind or side of your vehicle
●In addition to the above, in some
situations, such as the following,
the emergency steering assist
may not operate.
• When the white (yellow) lane lines are difficult to see, such as when
they are faint, diverging/merging,
or a shadow is cast upon them
• When the lane is wider or nar-
rower than normal
• When there is a light and dark pat- tern on the road surface, such as
due to road repairs
• When the target is too close
• When there is insufficient safe or unobstructed space for the vehicle
to be steered into
• If oncoming vehicle is present
• If VSC function is operating
●In some situations such as the fol-
lowing, sufficien t braking force or
steering force may not be
obtained, preventing the system
from performing properly:
• If the braking functions cannot operate to their full extent, such as
when the brake parts are
extremely cold, ext remely hot, or
wet
• If the vehicle is not properly main- tained (brakes or tires are exces-
sively worn, imprope r tire inflation
pressure, etc.)
• When the vehicle is being driven on a gravel road or other slippery
surface
• When the road surface has deep wheel tracks
• When driving on a hill road
• When driving on a road that has inclines to the left or right
■If VSC is disabled
●If VSC is disabled ( P.327), the