Page 181 of 616

1814-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an acc ident or fire
due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicl e, leading to
death or a serious health hazard.
■ When braking
● When the brakes are 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 brake booster device does not operate, do not follow oth er vehicles
closely and avoid hills or shar p 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 distance will increase.
● Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
● The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; 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 dist ance will
increase.
If this happens, do not continue to drive the vehicle. Have you r brakes
fixed immediately.
Page 182 of 616

1824-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
● Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same tim e during
driving, as this may restrain the engine output.
● Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■ When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so
may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate sud denly if
the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■ Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
● Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and ho ld it there for
an extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering pump.
● When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■ If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehi-
cle.
● It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
● The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
● The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( P. 502)
Page 183 of 616
1834-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
NOTICE
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. D oing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle:
● Engine stalling
● Short in electrical components
● Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle i s flooded, be
sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following:
● Brake function
● Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, trans-
mission, transfer (4WD models), differentials, etc.
● Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspe nsion joints
(where possible), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.
Page 190 of 616

1904-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a passenger-and-load-car-
rying vehicle. Towing a trailer can have an adverse impact on
handling, performance, braking, durability, and fuel consump-
tion. For your safety and the safety of others, you must not ov er-
load your vehicle or trailer. You must also ensure that you are
using appropriate towing equipm ent, that the towing equipment
has been installed correctly a nd used properly, and that you
employ the requisi te driving habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and braking performance are affected by
trailer stability, brake performance and setting, trailer brake s,
the hitch and hitch systems (if equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care and drive the vehicle in
accordance with your trailer’s characteristics and operating
conditions.
Toyota warranties do not apply to damage or malfunction
caused by towing a trailer for commercial purposes.
Contact your Toyota dealer for further information about addi-
tional requirements such as a towing kit, etc.
Page 192 of 616
1924-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)■
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).
■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, passengers and cargo in the vehi
cle will
reduce the trailer weight rating so as not to exceed GCWR, GVWR and
GAWR.
If the gross trailer weight exceeds 3000 lb. (1360 kg), it is r ecommended
to use a trailer with 2 or more axles.
Front GAWR
Rear GAWR
(With brakes)
Page 193 of 616
1934-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)■
Unbraked TWR (Unbraked Trailer Weight Rating)
The trailer weight rating for tow-
ing a trailer without a trailer ser-
vice brake system.
■Tongue Weight
The load placed on the trailer
hitch ball. (
P. 195)
(Without brakes)
Page 194 of 616
1944-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
●The gross trailer weight must never exceed the TWR described in
the table. ( P. 1 9 5 )
● The gross combination weight must never exceed the GCWR
described in the table. ( P. 1 9 5 )
● The gross vehicle weight must
never exceed the GVWR indi-
cated on the Certification Label.
● The gross axle weight on each
axle must never exceed the
GAWR indicated on the Certifi-
cation Label.
● If the gross trailer weight is over the unbraked TWR, trailer s ervice
brakes are required.
● If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway c ontrol
device with sufficient capacity is required.
Weight limits
Page 195 of 616

1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
Confirm that the gross trailer weight, gross combination weight, gross
vehicle weight, gross axle weight and tongue weight are all within the
limits.
■GCWR* and TWR*
■Unbraked TWR*
1655 lb. (750 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehicle trailering requirement of SA E Interna-
tional per SAE J2807.
● 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 t he following instructions.
• Tongue Weight
The gross trailer weight should be distributed so that the tong ue
weight is 9% to 11%. (Tongue weight /Gross trailer weight x 100
= 9% to 11%)
Gross trailer weight
Tongue weight
The gross trailer weight, gross axle weight and tongue weight
can be measured with platform sca les found at a highway weigh-
ing station, building supply company, trucking company, junk
yard, etc.
GCWR, TWR and Unbraked TWR
Driving systemTrailer Weight RatingGCWR
2WD 5000 lb.
(2270 kg) 11100 lb. (5035 kg)
4WD11300 lb. (5125 kg)
Trailer Tongue Weight
1
2