2084-1. Before driving
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the hybrid system
P.231
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal
depressed, shift the shift
lever to D. ( P.238)
2 Release the parking brake.
( P.243)
If the parking brake is in automatic
mode, the parking brake is
released automatically when shift-
ing the shift lever to any position
other than P. ( P.243)
3 Gradually release the brake
pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to acceler-
ate the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 With the shift lever in D,
depress the brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking
brake. ( P.243)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the
shift lever to P. ( P.238)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D,
depress the brake pedal. 2
Set the parking brake
( P.243), and shift the shift
lever to P ( P.238).
3 Turn the power switch to
OFF to stop the hybrid sys-
tem.
4 Lock the door, making sure
that you have the key on your
person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels
as needed.
■Starting off on a steep
uphill
1 With the brake pedal
depressed, shift the shift
lever to D. ( P.238)
2 Pull the parking brake switch
and parking brake is set
manually. ( P.243)
3 Release the brake pedal and
gently depress the accelera-
tor pedal to accelerate the
vehicle.
Parking brake automatic release
function ( P.244)
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will acti-
vate. ( P.335)
■For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybrid vehicles
are similar to conventional vehicles,
and it is necessary to refrain from
activities such as sudden accelera-
tion, etc. Refer to “Hybrid vehicle
driving tips”. ( P.341)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully whe n it is raining,
because visibility will be reduced,
the windows may become fogged-
up, and the road could be slip-
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures
should be observed to
ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure
2134-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●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 as a lens, caus-
ing a fire.
●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
vehicle
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 pos-
sible, but the brake pedal
should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance 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 will still operate. In this
case, the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than
usual and the braking 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 during 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.
2154-1. Before driving
4
DrivingCargo capacity depends on the
total weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load
capacity) - (Total weight of occu-
pants)
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
(1) Locate the statement “The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on your
vehicle’s placard.
(2) Determine the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
(4) The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following
information about storage
precautions, cargo capacity
and load.
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 co ntaining gaso-
line
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may pre-
vent the pedals from being
depressed properly, may block
the driver’s vision, or may result in
items hitting the d river or passen-
gers, possibly causing an acci-
dent.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the
luggage compartment when-
ever possible.
●Do not stack anything in the lug-
gage compartment higher than
the seatbacks.
●Do not place cargo or luggage
in or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rear seats (when stacking items)
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard
• On the auxiliary box or tray that has no lid
●Secure all items in the occupant
compartment.
●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. Otherw ise, they are
much more likely to suffer death
or serious bodily injury, in the
event of sudden braking, sud-
den swerving or an accident.
Capacity and distribution
2264-1. Before driving
Weight carrying ball position:
48.8 in. (1238.8 mm)
Hitch receiver pin hole posi-
tion: 42.5 in. (1079.7 mm)
Use the correct trailer ball for
your application.
Trailer ball load rating
Matches or exceeds the gross
trailer weight rat ing of the trailer.
Ball diameter
Matches the size of the trailer cou-
pler. Most couplers are stamped
with the required tr ailer ball size.
Shank length
Protrudes beyond the bottom of the
lock washer and nut by at least 2
threads.
Shank diameter
Matches the ball mount hole diame-
ter size.
■Matching trailer ball height to
trailer coupler height
No matter wh ich class of tow hitch
applies, for a safe trailer hookup, the
trailer ball setup on must be proper
height for the coup ler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
Please consult your dealer
when installing trailer lights, as
Positions for towing hitch
receiver
Selecting trailer ball
A
B
A
B
Trailer classTypical trailer ball size
II2 in.
I1 7/8 in.
Connecting trailer lights
C
D
A
B
2284-1. Before driving
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 use
the transmission in D.
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 hybrid
system may overheat on hot
days (at temperatures over
85°F [30°C]) when driving up
a long or steep grade. If the
engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating,
immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull
your vehicle off the road and
stop in a safe spot. ( P.511)
Always place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and
the trailer’s wheels when
parking. Apply the parking
brake firmly, and put the
transmission in P. Avoid park-
ing on a slope, but if unavoid-
able, 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 Apply the parking brake
firmly.
2294-1. Before driving
4
Driving
5Shift into P and 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.243)
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.
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped
with any new power train compo-
nents (such as an engine, transmis-
sion, differential or wheel bearing),
Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer unt il 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 45 mph
(72 km/h) when towing a trailer, and
avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a traile r, 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 tra iler towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds,
passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.)
can adversely affect handling of
your vehicle and t railer, 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.
2324-2. Driving procedures
■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 u ntil the “READY”
indicator is steady on, as steady
means the vehicle is able to move.
■Sounds and vibrations specific
to a hybrid vehicle
P.81
■If the 12-volt battery is dis-
charged
The hybrid system cannot be
started using the smart key system.
Refer to P.506to re start the hybrid
system.
■Electronic key battery depletion
P.128
■Conditions affecting operation
P.166
■Note for the entry function
P.166
■Steering lock function
●After turning the power switch to
OFF and opening and closing the
doors, the steer ing 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 the Steering Wheel
in Either Direction” will be dis-
played on the multi-information
display.
Check that the shift lever is set 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 , the motor may
be suspended if the hybrid system
is turned on and off repeatedly in
a short period of ti me. In this case,
refrain from operating the power
switch. After about 10 seconds,
the steering lo ck motor will
resume functioning.
■If there is a malfunction in the
smart key system
If “Smart Key System Malfunction
See Owner’s Manual” is displayed
on the multi-information display, the
system may be malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer immediately.
■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.
■When “Check Fuel Cap” is dis-
played on the multi-information
display
P.261
■If the hybrid sys tem is malfunc-
tioning
P.86
■Electronic key battery
P.447
■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 res tart the hybrid
2334-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
system immediately after turning
the power switch to OFF, the
hybrid system may not start in
some cases. After turning the
power switch to OFF, please wait
a few seconds before restarting
the hybrid system.
■Customization
If the smart key system has been
deactivated in a customized setting,
refer to P.505.
1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 Set the parking brake
( P.243) and shift the shift
lever to P ( P.238).
3 Press the power switch
shortly and firmly.
The hybrid system will stop, and the
meter display will be extinguished.
Make sure not to touch the shift
lever when pressing the power
switch.
4Release the brake pedal and
check that “ACCESSORY” or
“IGNITION ON” is not shown
on the meter.
■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 operating
while the shift lever is in P.
●The message asking if you wish to
enable/disable t he automatic
hybrid syste m shut off feature will
sometimes be displayed on the
multi-information display. Leaving
WARNING
■When starting the hybrid sys-
tem
Always start the hybrid system
while sitting in the driver’s seat.
Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while starting the hybrid
system under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident
resulting in dea th or serious
injury.
■Caution while driving
If hybrid system f ailure 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.
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 somewhat differently
than usual, such as the switch
sticking slightly, there may be a
malfunction. Contact your Toyota
dealer immediately.
Stopping the hybrid sys-
tem