
149
4
4-1. Before driving
Driving
WA R N I N G
●Vehicles with a Multidrive: Be care-
ful not to shift the shift lever with the
accelerator pedal depressed. Shift- ing the shift lever to any positions
other than P or N may lead to unex-
pected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident
and result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scrap- ing noise (brake pad wear indica-
tors)
Have the front and rear brake pads checked at the same time 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 race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other
than P (Multidrive) or N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly and unex-
pectedly, causing an accident.
●Vehicles with a Multidrive: In order
to prevent accidents due to the
vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing the brake pedal while
the engine is running, 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.
●Avoid revving or racing the engine. Running the engine at high speed
while the vehicle is stopped may
cause the exhaust system to over- heat, 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 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 adh esive 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.

1504-1. Before driving
WA R N I N G
●Always apply the parking brake,
shift the shift lever to P (vehicles
with a Multidrive), stop the engine and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running. If the vehicle is parked with the shift
lever in P but the parking brake is
not set, the vehicl e may start to
move, possibly leading to an acci- dent.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or
immediately after turning the engine
off. Doing so may cause burns.
■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 accident or fire due to
engine overheating. Additionally, if the
vehicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and
enter the vehicle, 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 other vehi-
cles 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.
●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 indi-vidual 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
distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively
when a driven wheel 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 (vehi-
cles with a Multidrive)
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time dur-
ing 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 driving the vehicle (vehi-
cles with a manual transmission)
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time dur-
ing driving, as this may restrain the
engine output.
●Do not shift gears unless the clutch
pedal is fully depressed. After shift- ing, do not release the clutch pedal
abruptly. Doing so may damage the
clutch, transmission and gears.

151
4
4-1. Before driving
Driving
NOTICE
●Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause exces-
sive premature wear or damage to the clutch, eventually making it diffi-
cult to accelerate and start off from
a stop. Have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Toyota retailer or
Toyota authorized repairer, or any
reliable repairer.
• Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal or depress it any time other
than when shifting.
Doing so may cause clutch trouble.
• Do not use any gear other than the
1st gear when starting off and mov- ing forward.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
• Do not use the clutch pedal to
adjust vehicle speed.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
• When stopping the vehicle with the
shift lever in a position other than N, make sure to fully depress the
clutch pedal and stop the vehicle
using the brakes.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R with-
out the vehicle completely stopped. Doing so may damage the clutch,
transmission and gears.
■When parking the vehicle (vehi-
cles with a Multidrive)
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 suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally
depressed.
■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.
■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.482, 498)
■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:
●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
becomes flooded or stuck in mud or sand, be sure to have any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable repairer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in the quantity and quality
of the engine oil, transaxle fluid,
clutch fluid, differential oil, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings
and suspension joints (where possi- ble), and the function of all joints,
bearings, etc.

153
4
4-1. Before driving
Driving
Check the allowable towing capac-
ity, GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass),
MPAC (Maximum Permissible Axle
Capacity), and permissible drawbar
load before towing. ( P.524)
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 vehicles 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
Trailer towing (for
M15A-FKS engine)
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 fuel consump-
tion. Your safety and satisfac-
tion depend on the proper use
of correct equipment and cau-
tious 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.
Ask your local authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reli-
able repairer for further details
before towing, as there are
additional legal requirements
in some countries.
Weight limits
Towing hitch/bracket
Important points regarding
trailer loads

1544-1. Before driving
is dangerous. ( P.524)
When towing a trailer, use a friction
coupler or friction stabilizer (sway con-
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.524)
■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 engine output
and towing capacity will be reduced at
high altitudes.
1 516 mm (20.31 in.)
2 516 mm (20.31 in.)
WA R N I N G
■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.533)
●Do not exceed the established
speed limit for towing a trailer in built-up areas or 100 km/h (62
mph), whichever is lower.
Installation positions for the
towing hitch/bracket and
hitch ball

157
4
4-1. Before driving
Driving
of your vehicle and trailer and
ensure that the vehicle-to-vehicle
distance is sufficient before execut-
ing lane changes.
■Transmission information
Multidrive
To maintain engine braking effi-
ciency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking,
do not use the transmission in D,
must be in M and select gear step 4
or lower. ( P. 1 6 5 )
Manual transmission
Refrain from driving in 6th gear to
maintain the effectiveness of
engine braking and to maintain
charging system performance.
■If the engine overheats
Towing a loaded trailer up a long,
steep incline in temperatures
exceeding 30°C (85°F) may result
in the engine overheating. If the
engine coolant temperature gauge
indicates that the engine is over-
heating, turn the air conditioning off
immediately, leave the road and
stop the vehicle in a safe place.
( P.518)
■When parking the vehicle
Always place wheel chocks under
the wheels of both the vehicle and
trailer. Firmly set the parking brake
and shift the shift lever to P
(Multidrive) and 1 or R (manual
transmission).
WA R N I N G
Follow all the instructions described in
this section. Failure to do so could
cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Trailer towing precautions
When towing, make sure that none of
the weight limits are exceeded.
( P.153)
■Vehicle speed in towing
Observe the legal maximum speeds
for trailer towing.
■Before descending hills or long
declines
Reduce speed and downshift. How-
ever, never downshift suddenly while
descending steep or long downhill grades.
■Operation of the brake pedal
Do not hold the brake pedal
depressed often or for long periods of
time. Doing so may result in the brake overheating or reduce braking effects.
■To avoid accident or injury
●Vehicles with a compact spare tire:
Do not tow a trailer when the com-
pact spare tire is installed on your vehicle.
●Vehicles with the emergency tire puncture repair kit: Do not tow a
trailer when the tire installed is
repaired with the emergency tire puncture repair kit.
●Do not use the following systems when trailer towing.
• Cruise control (if equipped)
• Dynamic radar cruise control (if
equipped)
• Dynamic radar cruise control with
full-speed range (if equipped)

1584-1. Before driving
NOTICE
■Do not directly splice trailer
lights
Directly splicing trailer lights may damage your vehicle’s electrical sys-
tem and cause a malfunction.
Trailer towing (except
for M15A-FKS engine)
Toyota does not recommend
towing a trailer with your vehi-
cle. Toyota also does not rec-
ommend the installation of a
tow hitch or the use of a tow
hitch carrier for a wheelchair,
scooter, bicycle, etc. Your vehi-
cle is not designed for trailer
towing or for the use of tow
hitch mounted carriers.

159
4
4-2. Driving procedures
Driving
4-2.Driving procedures
1 Check that the parking brake is
set. ( P.172, 173)
2 Check that the shift lever is in P
(Multidrive) or N (manual trans-
mission).
3 Firmly depress the brake pedal
(Multidrive) or clutch pedal
(manual transmission).
4 Turn the engine switch to
START to start the engine.
■If the engine does not start
The engine immobilizer system may not
have been deactivated. ( P.74) Contact
any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer.
■When the steering lock cannot be
released
When starting the engine, the engine switch may seem stuck in OFF. To free
it, turn the key while turning the steering
wheel slightly left and right.
1 OFF (“LOCK” position)
The steering wheel is locked and the
key can be removed. (vehicles with a
Multidrive: The key can be removed
only when the shift lever is in P.)
2 ACC (“ACC” position)
Engine (ignition) switch
(vehicles without a
smar t entr y & start sys-
tem)
Starting the engine
WA R N I N G
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in
the driver’s seat. Do not depress the accelerator pedal while starting the
engine under any circum-
stances.Doing so may cause an acci- dent resulting in death or serious
injury.
NOTICE
■When starting the engine
●Do not crank the engine for more
than 30 seconds at a time. This
may overheat the starter and wiring system.
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have your vehicle checked by any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable repairer immediately.
Changing the engine switch
positions