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5-1. Before driving
Driving
WARNING
●Use regenerative braking to main- tain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill. Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effectiveness.
( P.251)
●If “Regenerative braking limited.
Press brake to decelerate.” appears on the multi-information display, firmly depress the brake pedal to
decelerate the vehicle. ( P.523)
●Do not adjust the positions of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body are not outside the vehicle.
●AWD models: Do not drive the vehi-cle off-road.
This is not a AWD vehicle designed for off-road driving. Proceed with all due caution if it becomes unavoid-
able to drive off-road.
●Do not drive across a river or
through other bodies of water. This may cause electric/electronic components to short circuit, dam-
age the EV system or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and
steering may cause tire slippage and reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration or regenera-tive braking due to shift changing
could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that the brakes are func-
tioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from func-tioning properly. If the brakes on
only one side are wet and not func- tioning properly, steering control may be affected.
■When shifting the shift position
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward
while a forward driving position is selected, or roll forward while the shift position is in R.
Doing so may result in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift position to P while the vehicle is moving.Doing so can damage the transmis-
sion and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift position to R while the vehicle is moving forward.Doing so can damage the transmis-
sion and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift position to a driving position while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmis- sion and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Changing the shift position to N while the vehicle is moving will dis-
engage the EV system. Regenera- tive braking is not available with the EV system disengaged.
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5-1. Before driving
WARNING
●Be careful not to change the shift position with the accelerator pedal
depressed. Changing the shift position to any position other than P or N may lead
to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an acci-dent and result in death or serious
injury. After changing the shift position, make sure to confirm the current
shift position displayed on the shift position indicator inside the meter.
■If you hear a squealing or scrap-ing noise (brake pad wear indica-tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer,
or any reliable repairer 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 the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
If the shift position is in any position other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly and unexpect-
edly, causing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to
the vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing the brake pedal while stopped with the “READY”
indicator is illuminated, 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 rolling
forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal and securely apply the parking brake as
needed.
■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 follow-
ing:
• 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, caus-
ing the contents to spray over the interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit 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 seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do not place containers such as air fresh-
eners on the instrument panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs or con-tainers 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 sil-ver-colored one. Reflected sunlight
may cause the glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.
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5-1. Before driving
Driving
WARNING
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift position to P, stop the
EV system and lock the vehicle. Do not leave the vehicle unat-tended while the “READY” indicator
is illuminated. If the vehicle is parked with the shift position in P but the parking brake
is not set, the vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an acci-dent.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the EV system off. Other-
wise, you may accidentally move the shift position or depress the accelera-tor pedal, causing the vehicle to unin-
tentionally move, which can lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
■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 electronically controlled brake
system does not operate, do not fol- low 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 distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2 or more individual hydraulic systems; 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 braking distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels excessively 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 propel the vehicle for-ward or backward, causing an acci-
dent.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and
brake pedals at the same time during driving, as this may restrain the EV system 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.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there
for an extended period of time. Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to
avoid damaging the wheels, under- side of the vehicle, etc.
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5-1. Before driving
When the following unusual opera-
tion is performed with the accelera-
tor pedal depressed, the EV system
output may be restrained.
• When the shift position to R*.
• When the shift position is shifted
from P or R to forward drive shift
position such as D*.
When the system operates, a mes-
sage appears on the multi-informa-
tion display. Read the message and
follow the instruction.
NOTICE
■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
vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a
flat tire ( P.528)
■When encountering flooded
roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain, etc. Doing so
may cause the following serious dam- age to the vehicle:
●Short in electrical components
●Traction battery damage caused by
water immersion
In the event that you drive on a
flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to have any autho-rized Toyota retailer or Toyota autho-
rized repairer, or any reliable repairer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of transmission fluid, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings and suspension joints (where possi-
ble), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.
●Components connected to the trac-tion battery.
If the shift control system is damaged
by flooding, it may not be possible to
shift the shift position to P, or from P
to other positions. In this case, con-
tact any authorized Toyota retailer or
Toyota authorized repairer, or any reli-
able repairer.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and
shift the shift position to P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate sud-
denly if the accelerator pedal is acci- dentally depressed.
■When involved in a minor acci-dent
Damage to the traction battery or bat-
tery peripheral components could cause malfunctions. Even if it is a minor accident, have the vehicle
inspected by any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer.
Sudden start restraint con-
trol (Drive-Start Control
[DSC])
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5-1. Before driving
Driving
*: Depending on the situation, the shift
position may not be changed.
■Drive-Start Control (DSC)
●When the TRC is turned off ( P.407),
sudden start restraint control also does not operate. If your vehicle have trouble escaping from the mud or
fresh snow due to sudden start restraint control operation, deactivate TRC ( P. 40 7 ) s o t h at t he ve hi c le ma y
become able to escape from the mud or fresh snow.Also, sudden start restraint control will
not operate in the following conditions: • When “X-MODE” is selected (if equipped)
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following
information about storage pre-
cautions, cargo capacity and
load:
WARNING
■Things that must not be carried in the luggage compartment
The following things may cause a fire if loaded in the luggage compartment:
●Receptacles containing gasoline
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may prevent the ped-
als from being depressed properly, may block the driver’s vision, or may result in items hitting the driver or
passengers, possibly causing an acci- dent.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the lug-
gage compartment whenever pos- sible.
●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 anyone to ride in the
luggage compartment. It is not designed for passengers. They should ride in their seats with their
seat belts properly fastened.
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5-1. Before driving
WARNING
●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 luggage cover
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard
• In front of the instrument cluster
●Secure all items in the occupant
compartment.
■Load and distribution
●Do not overload your vehicle.
●Do not apply loads unevenly.
Improper loading may cause deteri- oration of steering or braking con-trol which may cause death or
serious injury.
■When using a roof luggage car-
rier (vehicles with roof rails)
Observe the following precautions:
●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.554)
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is securely fastened on the roof lug-
gage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of grav- ity of the vehicle higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneu- vers, otherwise it may result in loss of control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle cor- rectly and result 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 75 kg (165.3 lb.) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo (vehicles with panoramic moon roof and solar roof)
Be careful not to scratch the surface of the panoramic moon roof and solar roof.
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5-1. Before driving
Driving
Check the allowable towing capac-
ity, GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass),
MPAC (Maximum Permissible Axle
Capacity), and permissible draw-
bar load before towing. ( P. 5 5 4 )
Toyota recommends the use of the
Toyota hitch/bracket for your vehi-
cle. Other products of a suitable
nature and comparable quality may
also be used.
For vehicle where the towing
device blocks any of the lights or
license plate, the following shall be
observed:
Do not use towing devices that
cannot be easily removed or
repositioned.
Towing devices must be
removed or repositioned when
not in use.
■Total trailer weight and per-
missible drawbar load
Total trailer weight
Weight of the trailer itself plus the trailer
load should be within the maximum
towing capacity. Exceeding this weight
is dangerous. ( P.554)
When towing a trailer, use a friction
coupler or friction stabilizer (sway con-
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed pri-
marily as a passenger carrying
vehicle. Towing a trailer will
have an adverse effect on han-
dling, performance, braking,
durability, and power con-
sumption. Your safety and sat-
isfaction depend on the proper
use of correct equipment and
cautious driving habits. For
your safety and the safety of
others, do not overload the
vehicle or trailer.
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the
vehicle in accordance with the
trailer’s characteristics and
operating conditions.
Toyota warranties do not apply
to damage or malfunction
caused by towing a trailer for
commercial purposes.
Contact any authorized Toyota
retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable
repairer for further information
about additional requirements
such as towing kits, etc.
Weight limits
Towing hitch/bracket
Important points regarding
trailer loads
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5-1. Before driving
trol device).
Permissible drawbar load
Allocate the trailer load so that the
drawbar load is greater than 25 kg
(55.1 lb.) or 4% of the towing capacity.
Do not let the drawbar load exceed the
indicated weight. ( P.554)
■Information tag (manufac-
turer’s label)
Gross vehicle mass
The combined weight of the driver, pas-
sengers, luggage, towing hitch, total
curb mass and drawbar load should not
exceed the gross vehicle mass by more
than 100 kg (220.5 lb.). Exceeding this
weight is dangerous.
Maximum permissible rear axle
capacity
The weight borne by the rear axle
should not exceed the maximum per-
missible rear axle capacity by 15% or
more. Exceeding this weight is danger-
ous. The values for towing capacity
were derived from testing conducted at
sea level. Take note that EV system
output and towing capacity will be
reduced at high altitudes.1 538 mm (21.2 in.)
2 538 mm (21.2 in.)
WARNING
■When the gross vehicle mass or maximum permissible axle
capacity is exceeded
Failing to observe this precaution may lead to an accident causing death or
serious injury.
●Add an additional 20.0 kPa (0.2
kgf/cm2 or bar, 3 psi) to the recom- mended tire inflation pressure
value. ( P.559)
●Do not exceed the established
speed limit for towing a trailer in built-up areas or 100 km/h (62 mph), whichever is the lower.
Installation positions for the
towing hitch/bracket and
hitch ball