2021 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Owners Manual (in English)

2094-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_UThis function is activated when the
rated current of any of the following
trailer light circuit components is
exceeded:
●Tail lights: maximum 4.5 A
●Stop/turn signal light (right): maxi-
mum 7.8 A
●Stop/turn signal light (left): maxi-
mum 4.5 A
■When the auto current cut func-
tion is activated
If a trailer light d oes not come on
due to the activation of the auto cur-
rent cut function , the light system
will need to be reset.
Follow the reset procedure shown
below.
●If a tail light doe s not come on,
turn off the headlight switch.
●If the right-side stop/turn signal
light does not com e on, put the
turn signal in the off position or
remove foot from t he brake pedal.
●If the left-side stop/turn signal light
does not come on, put the turn
signal in the off position or remove
foot from the brake pedal.
If the emergency flashers do not
operate, press the emergency
flasher switch to turn them off.
After the light syst em is reset, oper-
ate the light switches again to see if
the lights operate normally.
If the lights do not operate normally,
have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
Your vehicle will handle differ-
ently when towing a trailer. Help
to avoid an accident, death or
serious injury, keep the following
in mind when towing:
 Speed limits for towing a
trailer vary by state or prov-
ince. Do not exceed the
posted towing speed limit.
 Toyota recommends that the
vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65
mph (104 km/h) on a flat,
straight, dry road. Do not
exceed this limit, the posted
towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as
set forth in your trailer owner’s
manual, whichever is lowest.
Instability of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer combination (trailer
sway) increases as speed
increases. Exceeding speed
limits may cause loss of con-
trol.
 Before starting out, check the
trailer lights, tires and the
vehicle-trailer connections.
Recheck after driving a short
distance.
 Practice turning, stopping and
reversing with the trailer
attached in an area away
from traffic until you become
accustomed to the feel of the
vehicle-trailer combination.
 Reversing with a trailer
attached is difficult and
NOTICE
■Do not directly splice trailer
lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights.
Directly splicing trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction.
Trailer towing tips

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.

2124-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed
to be dinghy towed (with 4
wheels on the ground)
behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to
your vehicle
Do not tow your vehicle with the 4
wheels on the ground.
■To prevent causing serious
damage to the hybrid trans-
mission and Hybrid AWD sys-
tem
Never tow this vehicle with any of
the wheels on the ground. This
may cause serious damage to the
hybrid transmission and Hybrid
AWD system.

2134-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
4-2.Driving procedures
1Check that the parking brake
is set.
2 Check that the shift lever is in
P.
3 Firmly depress the brake
pedal.
and a message will be dis-
played on the multi-information dis-
play.
If it is not displayed, the hybrid sys-
tem cannot be started.
4 Press the power switch
shortly and firmly.
When operating the power switch,
one short, firm press is enough. It is
not necessary to press and hold the
switch.
If the “READY” indicator turns on,
the hybrid system will operate nor-
mally.
Continue depressing the brake
pedal until the “READY” indicator is
illuminated.
The hybrid system can be started from any power switch mode.
5
Check that the “READY” indi-
cator is illuminated.
The vehicle will not move when the
“READY” indicator is off.
■If the hybrid system does not
start
●The immobilizer system may not
have been deactivated. ( P. 7 9 )
Contact your Toyota dealer.
●If a message related to start-up is
shown on the multi-information
display, read the message and fol-
low the instructions.
■When the ambient temperature
is low, such as during winter
driving conditions
When starting the hybrid system,
the flashing time of the “READY”
indicator may be long. Leave the
vehicle as it is until the “READY”
indicator is steady on, as steady
means the vehicle is able to move.
■Sounds and vibrations specific
to a hybrid vehicle
 P. 7 3
■If the 12-volt b attery is dis-
charged
The hybrid system cannot be started
using the smart key system. Refer
to P.498to r estart the hybrid system.
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P.128
Power (ignition)
switch
Performing the following
operations when carrying
the electronic key on your
person starts the hybrid
system or changes power
switch modes.
Starting the hybrid sys-
tem

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