
1754-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C031_en
4
Driving
WARNING
●If the vehicle is stopped on an 
incline, in order to prevent acci-
dents caused by the vehicle roll-
ing 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 overheat, 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 fol-
lowing:
• 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,  causing the contents to spray 
over the interior of the vehicle, 
and may also caus e a short cir-
cuit 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 
fresheners on the instrument 
panel or dashboard. Adhesive 
discs or containers 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 silver-colored one. 
Reflected sunlight may cause 
the glass to act a s 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 
unattended while the hybrid 
system is operating.
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.
●4WD models: If the shift lever is 
moved before the “4L” indicator 
turns on/off, the transfer mode 
may not be shifted completely.
The transfer mode disengages 
both the front and rear drivesh-
afts from the p owertrain and 
allows the vehicle to move 
regardless of the shift position. 
(At this time, the indicator blinks 
and the buzzer sounds.)
Therefore, the vehicle is free to 
roll even if the  automatic trans-
mission is in P. You or someone 
else could be seriously injured. 
You must complete the shifting 
of the transfer mode. ( P.361) 

1774-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C031_en
4
Driving
When the following unusual 
operation is performed with the 
accelerator pedal depressed, 
the hybrid system output may be 
restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted  to R
*.
• When the shift lever is shifted 
from P or R to forward drive 
shift position such as D
*.
When the system o perates, a mes-
sage appears on the multi-informa-
tion display. Read the message and 
follow the instruction.
*: Depending on the situation, the  shift position may not be 
changed.
■Drive-Start Control (DSC)
When the TRAC is turned off 
(  P.376), sudden start restraint 
control also does not operate. If 
your vehicle have trouble escaping 
from the mud or fr esh snow due to 
sudden start restraint operation, 
deactivate TRAC ( P.376) so that 
the vehicle may become able to 
escape from the mud or fresh snow.
Also, sudden start restraint control 
will not operate in the following con-
ditions:
●When the front-wheel drive control 
switch is in “4H” or “4L” position. 
(4WD models only)
●When AUTO LSD mode, the drive 
start control does not operate. (if 
equipped)
●When Multi-terrain Select is 
selected. (if equipped)
NOTICE
■If you get a flat tire while driv-
ing
A flat or damaged tire may cause 
the following situations. Hold the 
steering wheel firmly and gradu-
ally 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 abnor-
mally.
Information on what to do in case 
of a flat tire ( P.515)
■When encountering flooded 
roads
Do not drive on a road that has 
flooded after heavy rain, etc. 
Doing 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 an d the vehicle 
becomes flooded or stuck in mud 
or sand, be sure to have your Toy-
ota dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality 
of oil and fluid used for the 
engine, transmission, transfer 
(4WD vehicles), differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the pro-
peller shaft, bearings and sus-
pension joints (where possible), 
and the function  of all joints, 
bearings, etc.
Sudden start restraint 
control (Drive-Start Con-
trol [DSC]) 

1934-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M0C031_en
4
Driving
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.535)
 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.
5 Shift 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 
pressed.
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.205)
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, transfer [4WD models], rear 
differential or wheel bearing), Toyota 
recommends that y ou do not tow a 
trailer until 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 50 mph 
(80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and 
avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle 
will require more fr equent mainte-
nance due to the additional load. 
(See “Owner’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Scheduled Main-
tenance Guide” / “Owner’s Manual 
Supplement”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the 
towing ball and bracket after  

2004-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C031_en
*1: Shifting to the D position allows the system to select a gear suit-
able for the driving conditions. 
Setting the shift lever to the D 
position is recommended for nor-
mal driving.
*2: Selecting shift ranges using S mode restricts the upper limit of 
the possible gear ranges, con-
trols engine brak ing force, and 
prevents unnecessary upshifting.
■Driving on a downhill
On declines, there may be case 
where the vehicle  shifts down auto-
matically to obtain engine braking. 
As a result of the  downshifting, the  engine speed may increase.
■To protect the a
utomatic trans-
mission
●If the tires spin continually when 
the vehicle becomes stuck in mud, 
dirt or snow, or if the accelerator 
pedal is depressed and released 
repeatedly while driving, the auto-
matic transmission temperature 
may become too high and the 
automatic transmission may be 
damaged.
To avoid damaging the automatic 
transmission, the system may 
temporarily lock the gear. If the 
automatic transmission tempera-
ture falls, the gear  locking is can-
celed and the automatic 
transmission is returned to the 
normal operation.
●If the automatic tr ansmission fluid 
temperature is high, “Transmis-
sion Oil Temp. High Stop in a Safe 
Place and See Owner’s Manual” 
will be displayed on the multi-
information display. Immediately 
stop the vehicle in a safe place, 
shift the shift lever to P and wait 
until the warning message go off. 
If the warning message go off, you 
may start the vehicle again. If the 
warning message do not go off, 
contact your Toyota dealer.
■When driving with dynamic 
radar cruise control with full-
speed range (if  equipped) or 
cruise control activated (if 
equipped)
Even when perform ing the following 
actions with the intent of enabling 
engine braking, engine braking will 
not activate because dynamic radar 
cruise control with full-speed range 
or cruise control  will not be can-
celed.
●While driving in S mode, down-
shifting to 9, 8,  7, 6, 5 or 4. 
(  P.202)
Automatic transmis-
sion
Select the shift position 
depending on your pur-
pose and situation.
Shift position purpose 
and functions
Shift posi-
tionObjective or function
P
Parking the vehi-
cle/starting the hybrid  system
RReversing
N
Neutral (Condition in 
which the po wer is not 
transmitted)
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2 
(  P.202) 

2014-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C031_en
4
Driving
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-
Start Control)
 P. 1 7 7
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatically selects 
the suitable gear according to driver 
operation and driving conditions.
AI-SHIFT automatically operates 
when the shift lever is in D or S.
 While the power switch is in 
ON and the brake pedal 
depressed
*, shift the shift lever 
while pushing the shift release 
button on the shift knob.  Shift the shift lever while 
pushing the shift release button 
on the shift knob.
 Shift the shift lever normally.
When shifting the shift lever 
between P and D, make sure that 
the vehicle is completely stopped.
*: For the vehicle to be able to be shifted from P, the brake pedal 
must be depressed before the 
shift release button is pushed. If 
the shift release button is pushed 
first, the shift lock will not be 
released.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to 
prevent accidental operation of the 
shift lever in starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P 
only when the power switch is in 
ON, the brake pedal is depressed 
and the shift release button is 
pushed.
■If the shift lever cannot be 
shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal 
is being depressed.
If the shift lever  cannot be shifted 
even though the  brake pedal is 
depressed and the shift release but-
ton is pushed, the re may be a prob-
lem with the shift lock system. Have 
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota 
dealer immediately.
The following steps may be used as 
an emergency measure to ensure 
that the shift lev er can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1 Set the parking brake.
2 Turn the power  switch off.
3 Depress the brake pedal.
4 Pry the cover up  with a flathead 
screwdriver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, 
WARNING
■When driving on slippery 
road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears 
suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine brak-
ing may cause the vehicle to spin 
or skid, resulting in an accident.
Shifting the shift lever 

2024-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C031_encover the tip of the screwdriver 
with a rag.
5 Press and hold the shift lock 
override button and then push 
the button on the shift knob.
The shift lever  can be shifted 
while both buttons are pressed.
■Drive mode
 P.358 When the shift lever is in the S 
position, the shift lever can be 
operated as follows:
1
Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The selected shift range, from S1 to 
S10 will be displayed on the multi-
information display.
The initial shift  range in S mode is 
set automatically to  4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 
according to vehicle speed.
However, the initial shift range may 
be set to 4 if AI-SHIFT has oper-
ated while the shift lever was in the 
D position. ( P.201)
■S mode
●You can choose from 10 levels of 
accelerating force and engine 
braking force.
●A lower shift range will provide 
greater accelerating force and 
engine braking force than a higher 
shift range, and t he engine revolu-
tions will also increase.
●To prevent the engine from over-
revving, upshifting may automati-
cally occur.
●To protect the automatic transmis-
sion, a function is adopted that 
automatically selects a higher shift 
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when 
releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock 
override button, make sure to set 
the parking brake and depress the 
brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed instead of the 
brake pedal when the shift lock 
override button is pressed and the 
shift lever is shifted out of P, the 
vehicle may suddenly start, possi-
bly leading to an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving 
mode
Changing shift ranges in 
S mode 

2034-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C031_en
4
Driving
range when the fluid temperature 
is high.
●When the shift range is 9 or lower, 
holding the shift lever toward “+” 
sets the shift range to 10.
■Downshifting restriction warn-
ing buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving 
performance, downshifting opera-
tion may sometimes b e restricted. In 
some circumstances, downshifting 
may not be possible even when the 
shift lever is opera ted. (A buzzer will 
sound twice.)
■If the S indicator does not come 
on even after shifting the shift 
lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in 
the automatic tra nsmission system. 
Have the vehicle inspected by your 
Toyota dealer immediately.
Use “TOW HAUL” or “TOW+” 
mode when pulling a trailer or 
hauling a heavy load. Activating 
“TOW HAUL” or “TOW+” mode 
is changes engine, transmis-
sion, and steering to be more 
suitable when pulling a trailer. “TOW HAUL” indicator
“TOW+” indicator
“TOW HAUL” switch
Mode select switch
1 Press the “TOW HAUL” 
switchThe “TOW HAUL” indicator will 
come on.
Press the switch once more to can-
cel the mode.
2Turn the mode select switch 
to change between “TOW 
HAUL” or “TOW+” modes.
When more towing power is 
needed than is available in “TOW 
HAUL” mode, use “TOW+” mode. 
( P.204)
The “TOW+” indicator will come on.
■Automatic deactivation of 
“TOW HAUL” and “TOW+” 
mode
“TOW HAUL” and “TOW+” mode is 
deactivated the following conditions:
●When the front-wheel drive control 
switch is in “4L”
●When driving m ode select or 
Multi-terrain Select  (if equipped) is 
“TOW HAUL” switch (if 
equipped) 

2774-5. Using the driving support systems
Owners Manual_USA_M0C031_en
4
Driving
over the sensor surface, such as in 
a heavy rain. When the system 
determines that it is normal, the sys-
tem will return  to normal.
■Sensor detection information
●The sensor’s detection areas are 
limited to the areas around the 
vehicle’ front and rear bumpers.
●The following situations may occur 
during use.
• Depending on the shape of the 
object and other  factors, the 
detection distance may shorten, or 
detection may be impossible.
• Detection may be impossible if  static objects draw too close to the 
sensor.
• There will be a  short delay 
between static  object detection 
and display (warning buzzer 
sounds). Even at  low speeds, 
there is a possibilit y that the object 
will come within 11.9 in. (30 cm) 
before the display is shown and 
the warning buzzer sounds.
• It might be difficult to hear the 
buzzer due to the volume of the 
audio system or air flow noise of 
the air conditioning system.
• It may be difficult to hear the  sound of this system due to the 
buzzers of other systems.
■Objects which the system may 
not be properly detected
The shape of the object may pre-
vent the sensor from detecting it. 
Pay particular attention to the follow-
ing objects:
●Wires, fences, ropes, etc.
●Cotton, snow and other materials 
that absorb sound waves
●Sharply-angled objects
●Low objects
●Tall objects with upper sections 
projecting outwards in the direc-
tion of your vehicle
■Situations in which the system 
may not operate properly
Certain vehicle conditions and the  surrounding environment may affect 
the ability of a sensor to correctly 
detect objects. Part
icular instances 
where this may occur are listed 
below.
●There is dirt, snow, water drops or 
ice on a sensor. (Cleaning the 
sensors will resolve this problem.)
●A sensor is froz en. (Thawing the 
area will resolve this problem.) 
In especially cold weather, if a 
sensor is frozen the sensor dis-
play may be displayed abnormally, 
or objects, such as a wall, may not 
be detected.
●When a sensor or the area around 
a sensor is extremely hot or cold.
●On an extremely bumpy road, on 
an incline, on gravel, or on grass.
●When vehicle horns, vehicle 
detectors, motorcycle engines, air 
brakes of large vehicles, the clear-
ance sonar of ot her vehicles or 
other devices which produce ultra-
sonic waves are near the vehicle
●A sensor is coated with a sheet of 
spray or heavy rain.
●If objects draw too close to the 
sensor.
●When a pedestrian is wearing 
clothing that does not reflect ultra-
sonic waves (ex. skirts with gath-
ers or frills).
●When objects that are not perpen-
dicular to the ground, not perpen-
dicular to the vehicle traveling 
direction, uneven, or waving are in 
the detection range.
●Strong wind is blowing
●When driving in inclement weather