
1583-3. Adjusting the seats
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Returning the second seats
Lift up the seatbacks until they 
lock.
Remove the secure d seat belts 
from the seat belt hangers before 
using them.
■Before folding down the 
third seats
1 Stow the third seat belt buck-
les.
2 Pass the outer seat belts 
through the seat belt hangers 
and secure the seat belt 
plates.
This prevents the shoulder belts  from being damaged.
3
Lower the center head 
restraint to the lowest posi-
tion. ( P.162)
■Folding down the third 
seats
While pulling the the seatback 
angle adjustment lever, fold 
down the seatbacks.
The outer head restraints will fold 
forward.
■Returning the third seats
1 Returning the seatbacks
From inside
Lift up the seatbacks until they lock.
Folding down the third 
seats 

1593-3. Adjusting the seats
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
From outside
Pull the straps and raise the seat-
backs until they lock.
After using either strap, use the vel-
cro on the strap to attach it to the 
seatback.
2 Returning the outer head 
restraints.
Remove the secure d seat belts 
from the seat belt hangers before 
using them.
*: If equipped
1 Check that the shift lever is in 
P.
2 Turn the power switch to ON.
3 Adjust the driver’s seat, out-
side rear view mirrors and 
head-up display (if equipped) 
to the desired positions.
4 While pressing the “SET” but-
ton, or within 3 seconds after 
the “SET” button is pressed, 
press button “1” or “2” until 
the buzzer sounds.
If the selected button has already 
been preset, the previously 
recorded positio n will be overwrit-
Driving position mem-
or y*
This feature automatically 
adjusts the driver’s seat, 
outside rear view mirrors 
and head-up display (if 
equipped) to suit your pref-
erences.
Two different driving posi-
tions can be recorded into 
memory.
Each electronic key can be 
registered to recall your pre-
ferred driving position.
Recording a driving posi-
tion into memory 

1653-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
3-4.Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
1Hold the steering wheel and 
push the lever down.
2 Adjust to the ideal position by 
moving the steering wheel 
horizontally and vertically.
After adjustment,  pull the lever up 
to secure the steering wheel.
Press on or close to the   
mark.
Steering wheel
Adjustment procedure
WARNING
■Caution while driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel 
while driving.
Doing so may cause the driver to 
mishandle the vehicle and cause 
an accident, resul ting in death or 
serious injury.
■After adjusting the steering 
wheel
Make sure that the steering wheel 
is securely locked.
Otherwise, the steering wheel 
may move suddenly, possibly 
causing an accident, and resulting 
in death or serious injury. Also, 
the horn may not sound if the 
steering wheel is not securely 
locked.
Sounding the horn 

1944-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
WARNING
■If you hear a squealing or 
scraping noise (brake pad 
wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and 
replaced by your Toyota dealer as 
soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the 
pads are not replaced when 
needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle 
when the wear limits of the brake 
pads and/or those of the brake 
discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not depress t he accelerator 
pedal unnecessarily.
If the shift lever is in any posi-
tion other than P or N, the vehi-
cle may accelerate suddenly 
and unexpectedly, causing an 
accident.
●In order to prev ent accidents 
due to the vehicle rolling away, 
always keep depressing the 
brake pedal while stopped with 
the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated, and apply the parking 
brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an 
incline, in order to prevent acci-
dents caused by the vehicle roll-
ing forward or backward, always 
depress the brake pedal and 
securely apply the parking 
brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the 
engine.
Running the engine at high 
speed while the vehicle is 
stopped may cause the exhaust 
system to overheat, which could 
result in a fire if combustible 
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette 
lighters, spray cans, or soft 
drink cans in the vehicle when it 
is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the fol-
lowing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette  lighter or spray  can, and may 
lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the  vehicle may cause the plastic 
lenses and plastic material of 
glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture,  causing the contents to spray 
over the interior of the vehicle, 
and may also cause a short cir-
cuit in the vehicle’s electrical 
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in 
the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter 
is in a place such as the glove 
box or on the floor, it may be lit 
accidentally when luggage is 
loaded or the se at is adjusted, 
causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to 
the windshield or windows. Do 
not place containers such as air 
fresheners on the instrument 
panel or dashboard. Adhesive 
discs or containers may act as 
lenses, causing a fire in the 
vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window 
open if the curved glass is 
coated with a metallized film 
such as a silver-colored one. 
Reflected sunlight may cause 
the glass to act a s a lens, caus-
ing a fire. 

1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
WARNING
●Always apply the parking brake, 
shift the shift lever to P, stop the 
hybrid system and lock the vehi-
cle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat-
tended while the “READY” indi-
cator is illuminated.
If the vehicle is parked with the 
shift lever in P but the parking 
brake is not set, the vehicle may 
start to move, possibly leading 
to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes 
while the “READY” indicator is 
illuminated or immediately after 
turning the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehi-
cle
Always turn the hybrid system off. 
Otherwise, if you accidentally 
move the shift lever or depress 
the accelerator pedal, this could 
cause an accident or fire due to 
hybrid system overheating. Addi-
tionally, if the vehicle is parked in 
a poorly ventilated area, exhaust 
gases may collect and enter the 
vehicle, leading to death or a seri-
ous health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes a re wet, drive 
more cautiously.
Braking distance increases 
when the brakes  are wet, and 
this may cause one side of the 
vehicle to brake differently than 
the other side. Also, the parking 
brake may not securely hold the 
vehicle.
●If the electronically controlled 
brake system does not operate, 
do not follow other vehicles 
closely and avoid hills or sharp 
turns that require braking. In this 
case, braking is still possible, 
but the brake pedal should be 
depressed more firmly than 
usual. Also, the braking dis-
tance will increase. Have your 
brakes fixed immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2 
or more individual hydraulic sys-
tems; if one of the systems fails, 
the other(s) will still operate. In 
this case, the brake pedal 
should be depressed more 
firmly than usual and the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have 
your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck 
(AWD models)
Do not spin the  wheels exces-
sively when any of the tires is up 
in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in 
sand, mud, etc. This may damage 
the driveline components or pro-
pel the vehicle forward or back-
ward, causing an accident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator 
and brake pedals at the same 
time while driving, as this may 
restrain the hybrid system out-
put.
●Do not use the accelerator 
pedal or depress the accelera-
tor and brake pedals at the 
same time to hold the vehicle on 
a hill. 

1984-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
be C lb. (kg) as follows:
B
*2 lb. (kg) - A*1 lb. (kg) = C*3 lb. 
(kg)
*1: A =Weight of people
*2: B =Total load capacity
*3: C =Available cargo and luggage  load
In this condition, if 3 more passen-
gers with the combined weight of D 
lb. (kg) get on, the available cargo 
and luggage load will be reduced E 
lb. (kg) as follows:
C lb. (kg) - D*4 lb. (kg) = E*5 lb. 
(kg)
*4: D =Additional weight of people
*5: E =Available cargo and luggage  load
As shown in the example above, 
if the number of occupants 
increases, the cargo and lug-
gage load will be reduced by an 
amount that equals the 
increased weight due to the 
additional occupants. In other 
words, if an increase in the num-
ber of occupants causes an 
excess of the total load capacity 
(combined weight of occupants 
plus cargo and luggage load), 
you must reduce the cargo and 
luggage on your vehicle.
WARNING
■Things that must not be car-
ried in the luggage compart-
ment
The following things may cause a 
fire if loaded in the luggage com-
partment:
●Receptacles containing gaso-
line
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may prevent the 
pedals from being depressed 
properly, may block the driver’s 
vision, or may res ult in items hit-
ting the driver or passengers, pos-
sibly causing an accident.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the 
luggage compartment when-
ever possible.
●Do not stack cargo and luggage 
in the luggage compartment 
higher than the seatbacks.
●When you fold down the rear 
seats, long items should not be 
placed directly behind the front 
seats.
●Never allow anyon e to ride in 
the luggage compartment. It is 
not designed for passengers. 
They should ride in their seats 
with their seat belts properly 
fastened.
●Do not place cargo or luggage 
in or on the follo wing locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rear  seats (when stacking items)
• On the luggage cover
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard
●Secure all items in the occupant 
compartment.
■Capacity and distribution
●Do not exceed the maximum 
axle weight rating or the total 
vehicle weight rating. 

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. 

2024-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
●All trailer lights work as required 
by law.
●All lights work each time you con-
nect them.
●The trailer ball is set at the proper 
height for the coupler on the 
trailer.
●The trailer is level when it is 
hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not 
level, and check for improper 
tongue weight, overloading, worn 
suspension, or other possible 
causes.
●The trailer cargo is securely 
loaded.
●The rear view mirrors conform to 
all applicable federal, state/provin-
cial or local regu lations. If they do 
not, install rear  view mirrors 
appropriate for towing purposes.
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped 
with any new power train compo-
nents (such as an engine, hybrid 
transmission, rear differential or 
wheel bearing), Toyota recommends 
that you do not tow  a trailer until the 
vehicle has been driven for over 500 
miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for 
over 500 miles (800 km), you can 
start towing. However, for the next 
500 miles (800 km), drive the vehi-
cle at a speed of less than 50 mph 
(80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and 
avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle 
will require more f requent mainte-
nance due to the additional load. 
(See “Scheduled Maintenance 
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Sup-
plement”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the 
towing ball and bracket after 
approximately 600 miles (1000 
km) of trailer towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, 
passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) 
can adversely affect handling of 
your vehicle and trailer, causing 
instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel.  Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to contr ol trailer sway-
ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator  pedal immediately but very gradu-
ally to reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not 
apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction 
with the steering or brakes, your 
vehicle and trailer  should stabilize. 
(if enabled, Trailer Sway Control can 
also help to stabilize the vehicle and 
trailer.)
●After the trailer swaying has 
stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occu- pants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and  the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not 
shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is 
appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is not over-
loaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the 
speed at which trailer swaying 
occurred is beyond the limit of your 
particular vehicle-trailer combina-
tion. Drive at a lower speed to pre-
vent instability. Remember that 
swaying of the towing vehicle-trailer 
increases as speed increases.