
Driving your vehicle
6-38
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
OOS050012
Electronic Stability Control helps to
stabilize the vehicle during cornering
maneuvers.
ESC checks where you are steering and
where the vehicle is actually going. ESC
applies braking pressure to any one of
the vehicle's brakes and intervenes in the
engine management system to assist the
driver with keeping the vehicle on the
intended path. It is not a substitute for
safe driving practices. Always adjust your
speed and driving to the road conditions.
WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions when cornering. ESC will not
prevent accidents.
Excessive speed in turns, abrupt
maneuvers, and hydroplaning on wet
surfaces can result in severe accidents.
ESC operation
When the Engine Start/Stop button is
in the ON position, ESC and the ESC
OFF indicator lights illuminate for
approximately three seconds. After both
lights go off, ESC is enabled.
When ESC is in operation, the
ESC indicator light blinks:
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the wheels,
you may hear sounds from the brakes,
or feel a corresponding sensation in
the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ESC is active.
When ESC activates, the engine may
not respond to the accelerator as it
does under routine conditions.
If Cruise Control was in use when ESC
activates, Cruise Control automatically
disengages. Cruise Control can be
reengaged when the road conditions
allow. See “Cruise Control (CC)” later
in this chapter (if equipped).
When moving out of the mud or
driving on a slippery road, the engine
rpm (revolutions per minute) may
not increase even if you press the
accelerator pedal deeply. This is to
maintain the stability and traction of
the vehicle and does not indicate a
problem.

Driving your vehicle
6-40
NOTICE
Driving with wheels and tires with
different sizes may cause the ESC
system to malfunction. Before replacing
tires, make sure all four tires and wheels
are the same size. Never drive the
vehicle with different sized wheels and
tires installed.
ESC OFF usage
The ESC OFF mode should only be used
briefly to help free the vehicle if stuck in
snow or mud, by temporarily stopping
operation of ESC, to maintain wheel
torque.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the
ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the transmission:
Do not allow wheel(s) of one axle to
spin excessively while the ESC, ABS,
and Parking Brake warning lights
are displayed. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Reduce engine power and do not
spin the wheel(s) excessively while
these lights are displayed.
When operating the vehicle
on a dynamometer, make sure
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated).
Information
Vehicle Stability Management
(VSM)
Vehicle Stability Management is a
function of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) system. It helps the vehicle
stay stable when accelerating or braking
suddenly on wet, slippery and rough
roads where traction over the four tires
can suddenly become uneven.
WARNING
Take the following precautions when
using Vehicle Stability Management:
ALWAYS check the speed and the
distance to the vehicle ahead. VSM
is not a substitute for safe driving
practices.
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions. VSM will not prevent
accidents. Excessive speed in bad
weather, on slippery and uneven
roads can result in severe accidents.
VSM operation
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may activate ESC, you
may hear sounds from the brakes, or feel
a corresponding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means your
VSM is active.
Information

Driving your vehicle
6-46
OOS060003K
Four Wheel Drive (4WD) delivers engine
power to front and rear wheels for
maximum traction. 4WD is useful when
extra traction is required, such as when
driving on, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY
or DEATH:
Do not drive in conditions that
exceed the vehicles intended
design such as challenging off-road
conditions.
Avoid high speeds when cornering or
turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel
movements, such as sharp lane
changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of a rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of your
vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or
more wheels drop off the roadway
and the driver over steers to reenter
the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
NOTICE
Do not drive in water if the level
is higher than the bottom of the
vehicle.
Check your brake condition once
you are out of mud or water. Depress
the brake pedal several times as you
move slowly until you feel normal
braking return.
Shorten your scheduled
maintenance interval if you drive in
off-road conditions such as sand,
mud or water (see "Maintenance
Under Severe Usage Conditions"
section in chapter 9).
Always wash your vehicle thoroughly
after off road use, especially the
bottom of the vehicle.
Be sure to equip the vehicle with four
tires of the same size and type.
Make sure that a full time 4WD
vehicle is towed by a flat bed tow
truck.

Driving your vehicle
6-48
CAUTION
When driving on normal roads,
deactivate the 4WD LOCK mode by
pushing the 4WD LOCK button (4WD
LOCK indicator light goes off). Driving
on normal roads with the 4WD LOCK
mode, especially, when cornering
may cause mechanical noise or
vibration. The noise and vibration will
disappear when the 4WD LOCK mode is
deactivated. Prolonged driving with the
noise and vibration may damage some
parts of the power train.
NOTICE
When the 4WD LOCK mode is
deactivated, a sensation may be felt
as the driving power is delivered
entirely to the front wheels.
For safe 4WD operation
Make sure all passengers are wearing
seat belts.
Sit upright and closer to the steering
wheel than usual. Adjust the steering
wheel to a position comfortable for
you to drive.
Start off slowly by applying the
accelerator pedal gently.
Use snow tires or tire chains.
Keep sufficient distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
Apply engine braking during
deceleration by using the paddle
shifter (manual shift mode) and
manually selecting a lower gear.
Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration,
sudden brake applications, and sharp
turns to prevent skids.

Driving your vehicle
6-64
NOTICE
If you are still stuck after rocking the
vehicle a few times, have the vehicle
pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid
engine overheating, possible damage to
the transmission, and tire damage. See
“Towing” section in chapter 8.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are wet.
Ideally, corners should always be taken
under gentle acceleration.
Driving at night
Night driving presents more hazards than
driving in the daylight. Here are some
important tips to remember:
Slow down and keep more distance
between you and other vehicles, as it
may be more difficult to see at night,
especially in areas where there may
not be any street lights.
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare
from other drivers’ headlamps.
Keep your headlamps clean and
properly aimed. Dirty or improperly
aimed headlamps will make it much
more difficult to see at night.
Avoid staring directly at the
headlamps of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your eyes
to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous. Here are a few things to
consider when driving in the rain or on
slick pavement:
Slow down and allow extra following
distance. A heavy rainfall makes
it harder to see and increases the
distance needed to stop your vehicle.
Turn OFF your Cruise Control. (if
equipped)
Replace your windshield wiper blades
when they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield.
Be sure your tires have enough tread.
If your tires do not have enough tread,
making a quick stop on wet pavement
can cause a skid and possibly lead to
an accident. See “Tire replacement”
in chapter 9.
Turn on your headlamps to make it
easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large puddles
can affect your brakes. If you must go
through puddles, try to drive through
them slowly.
If you believe your brakes may be wet,
apply them lightly while driving until
normal braking operation returns.
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough, your vehicle may
have little or no contact with the road
surface and actually ride on the water.
The best advice is SLOW DOWN when
the road is wet.
The risk of hydroplaning increases as
the depth of tire tread decreases, refer
to “Tire Tread” section in chapter 9.

Driver assistance system
7-6
OTM070059L
Stopping vehicle and ending brake control
When the vehicle is stopped due to
warning message will appear on the
cluster.
For your safety, the driver should
depress the brake pedal immediately
and check the surroundings.
Brake control will end after the vehicle
is stopped by emergency braking for
approximately 2 seconds.
WARNING
Take the following precautions when
using Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist:
For your safety, change the Settings
after parking the vehicle at a safe
location.
With ‘Active Assist’ or ‘Warning Only’
selected, when ESC is turned off by
pressing and holding the ESC OFF
button, Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist will turn off automatically.
In this case, Forward Collision-
Avoidance Assist cannot be set
from the Settings menu and the
warning light will illuminate on the
cluster which is normal. If ESC is
turned on by pressing the ESC OFF
button, Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist will maintain the last setting.
Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
does not operate in all situations or
cannot avoid all collisions.
The driver should hold the
responsibility to control the vehicle.
Do not solely depend on Forward
Collision-Avoidance Assist. Rather,
maintain a safe braking distance,
and, if necessary, depress the brake
pedal to reduce driving speed or to
stop the vehicle.
Never deliberately operate Forward
Collision-Avoidance Assist on people,
animal, objects, etc. It may cause
serious injury or death.
Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist may not operate if the driver
depresses the brake pedal to avoid
collision.
Depending on the road and driving
conditions, Forward Collision-
Avoidance Assist may warn the driver
late or may not warn the driver.
During Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist operation the vehicle may
stop suddenly injuring passengers
and shifting loose objects. Always
have the seat belt on and keep loose
objects secured.
If any other function’s warning
message is displayed or audible
warning is generated, Forward
Collision-Avoidance Assist warning
message may not be displayed
and audible warning may not be
generated.
You may not hear the warning sound
of Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist if the surrounding is noisy.
Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist may turn off or may not
operate properly or may operate
unnecessarily depending on the road
conditions and the surroundings.

07
7-19
OTM070059L
Stopping vehicle and ending brake control
When the vehicle is stopped due
to emergency braking, the ‘Drive
appear on the cluster.
For your safety, the driver should
depress the brake pedal immediately
and check the surroundings.
Brake control will end after the vehicle
is stopped by emergency braking for
approximately 2 seconds.
WARNING
Take the following precautions when
using Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist:
For your safety, change the Settings
after parking the vehicle at a safe
location.
With ‘Active Assist’ or ‘Warning Only’
selected, when ESC is turned off by
pressing and holding the ESC OFF
button, Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist will turn off automatically.
In this case, Forward Collision-
Avoidance Assist cannot be set
from the Settings menu and the
warning light will illuminate on the
cluster which is normal. If ESC is
turned on by pressing the ESC OFF
button, Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist will maintain the last setting.
Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
does not operate in all situations or
cannot avoid all collisions.
The driver should hold the
responsibility to control the vehicle.
Do not solely depend on Forward
Collision-Avoidance Assist. Rather,
maintain a safe braking distance, and
if necessary, depress the brake pedal
to reduce driving speed or to stop
the vehicle.
Never deliberately operate Forward
Collision-Avoidance Assist on people,
animal, objects, etc. It may cause
serious injury or death.
Forward Collision-Avoidance
Assist may not operate if the driver
depresses the brake pedal to avoid
collision.

Driver assistance system
7-32
WARNING
The steering wheel may not be
assisted if the steering wheel is held
very tight or the steering wheel is
steered over a certain degree.
Lane Keeping Assist does not operate
at all times. It is the responsibility of
the driver to safely steer the vehicle
and to maintain the vehicle in its
lane.
The hands–off warning message
may appear late depending on road
conditions. Always have your hands
on the steering wheel while driving.
If the steering wheel is held very
lightly, the hands–off warning
message may appear because Lane
Keeping Assist may not recognize
that the driver has their hands on the
steering wheel.
If you attach objects to the steering
wheel, the hands-off warning may
not work properly.
Information
Lane undetectedLane detected
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