2023 SUBARU SOLTERRA warning

3935-5. Driving tips
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
5
Driving
5-5.Driving tips
 Use fluids that are appropriate
to the prevailing outside tem-
peratures.
• Power control unit coolant
• Heater coolant
• Washer fluid
Have a service technician
inspect the condition of the
12-volt battery.
 Have the vehicle fitted with
four snow tires or purchase a
set of tire chains for the front
tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same
size and brand, and that chains
match the size of the tires.
Perform the following according
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary
preparations and inspec-
tions before driving the
vehicle in winter. Always
drive the vehicle in a man-
ner appropriate to the pre-
vailing weather conditions.
Pre-winter preparations
WARNING
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions
to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so m ay result in a
loss of vehicle control and cause
death or serious injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
●Maintain the recommended
level of air pressure.
●Do not drive in excess of 75
mph (120 km/h), regardless of
the type of snow tires being
used.
●Use snow tires on all, not just
some wheels.
■Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions
to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the
vehicle being unable to be driven
safely, and may cause death or
serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the
speed limit specifi ed for the tire
chains being used, or 30 mph
(50 km/h), whichever is lower.
●Avoid driving on bumpy road
surfaces or over potholes.
●Avoid sudden acceleration,
abrupt steering, sudden brak-
ing and shifting operations that
cause sudden regenerative
braking.
●Slow down sufficiently before
entering a curve to ensure that
vehicle control is maintained.
●Do not use LTA (Lane Tracing
Assist).
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow
tires
Request repairs or replacement of
snow tires from your Toyota
dealer or legitimate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and
attachment of snow tires affects
the operation of the tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters.
Before driving the vehicle

3955-5. Driving tips
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
5
Driving
Use the correct tire chain size
when mounting the tire chains.
Chain size is regulated for each
tire size.
Side chain: 0.12 in. (3 mm) in diameter
0.39 in. (10 mm) in width
1.18 in. (30 mm) in length
Cross chain:
0.16 in. (4 mm) in diameter
0.55 in. (14 mm) in width
0.98 in. (25 mm) in length
Regulations regarding the use
of tire chains vary depending on location and type of road.
Always check local regulations
before installing chains.
■Tire chain installation
Observe the followi ng precautions
when installing and removing
chains:
●Install and remove tire chains in a
safe location.
●Install tire chains on the front tires
only. Do not install tire chains on
the rear tires.
●Install tire chains on front tires as
tightly as possible. Retighten
chains after drivi ng 1/4 - 1/2 mile
(0.5 - 1.0 km).
●Install tire chains following the
instructions provided with the tire
chains.
WARNING
■When parking the vehicle
When parking the v ehicle without
applying the parking brake, make
sure to chock the wheels. If you
do not chock the wheels, the vehi-
cle may move une xpectedly, pos-
sibly resulting in an accident.
Selecting tire chains
Regulations on the use of
tire chains
NOTICE
■Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves
and transmitters may not function
correctly when tire chains are fit-
ted.

3965-5. Driving tips
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
Specific design characteris-
tics give it a higher center of
gravity than ordinary passen-
ger cars. This vehicle design
feature causes this type of
vehicle to be more likely to
rollover. And, utility vehicles
have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types
of vehicles.
 An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better
view of the road allowing you
to anticipate problems.
 It is not designed for corner-
ing at the same speeds as
ordinary passenger cars any
more than low-slung sports
cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road
conditions. Therefore, sharp
turns at excessive speeds
may cause the vehicle to roll-
over.
When driving your vehicle off-
Utility vehicle precau-
tions
This vehicle belongs to the
utility vehicle class, which
has higher ground clear-
ance and narrower tread in
relation to the height of its
center of gravity to make it
capable of performing in a
wide variety of off-road
applications.
Utility vehicle feature
WARNING
■Utility vehicle precautions
Always observe t he following pre-
cautions to minim ize the risk of
death, serious injury or damage to
your vehicle:
●In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wear-
ing a seat belt. Therefore, the
driver and all passengers
should always fasten their seat
belts.
●Avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers, if at all possible.
Failure to operat e this vehicle
correctly may result in loss of
control or vehicle rollover caus-
ing death or serious injury.
●Loading cargo on the roof lug-
gage carrier (if equipped) will
make the center of the vehicle
gravity higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp
turns, sudden braking or abrupt
maneuvers, otherwise it may
result in loss of control or vehi-
cle rollover du e to failure to
operate this vehicle correctly.
●Always slow down in gusty
crosswinds. Because of its pro-
file and higher ce nter of gravity,
your vehicle is more sensitive to
side winds than an ordinary
passenger car. Slowing down
will allow you to have better
control.
●Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up
or straight down is preferred.
Your vehicle (or any similar off-
road vehicle) can tip over side-
ways much more easily than
forward or backward.
Off-road driving

3975-5. Driving tips
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
5
Driving
road, please observe the follow-
ing precautions to ensure your
driving enjoyment and to help
prevent the closure of areas to
off-road vehicles:
 Drive your vehicle only in
areas where off-road vehicles
are permitted to travel.
 Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before
entering private property.
 Do not enter areas that are
closed. Honor gates, barriers
and signs that restrict travel.
 Stay on established roads.
When conditions are wet,
driving techniques should be
changed or travel delayed to
prevent damage to roads.
■Additional information for off-
road driving
For owners in U.S. mainland and
Hawaii:
To obtain additional information per-
taining to driving your vehicle off-
road, consult the following organiza-
tions: • State and Local Parks and Recre-
ation Departments
• State Motor Vehicle Bureau
• Recreational Vehicle Clubs
• U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
WARNING
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe t he following pre-
cautions to minim ize the risk of
death, serious injury or damage to
your vehicle:
●Drive carefully when off the
road. Do not take unnecessary
risks by driving in dangerous
places.
●Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off-road. A
bad bump could jerk the wheel
and injure your hands. Keep
both hands and especially your
thumbs on the ou tside of the
rim.
●Always check your brakes for
effectiveness immediately after
driving in sand, mud, water or
snow.
●After driving through tall grass,
mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc.,
check that there is no grass,
bush, paper, rags, stone, sand,
etc. adhering or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such
matter from the underbody. If
the vehicle is used with these
materials trapped or adhering to
the underbody, a breakdown or
fire could occur.

3985-5. Driving tips
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
WARNING
●When driving off-road or in rug-
ged terrain, do not drive at
excessive speeds, jump, make
sharp turns, strike objects, etc.
This may cause loss of control
or vehicle rollover causing
death or serious injury. You are
also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension
and chassis.
NOTICE
■To prevent the water damage
Take all necessary safety mea-
sures to ensure that water dam-
age to the traction battery, EV
system or other components does
not occur.
●Water entering the motor com-
partment may cause severe
damage to the EV system.
●Water entering the transmis-
sion will cause deterioration in
transmission quality. The mal-
function indicator may come on,
and the vehicle may not be driv-
able.
●Water can wash the grease
from wheel bearings, causing
rusting and premature failure,
and may also enter the tran-
saxle case, reducing the gear
oil’s lubricating qualities.
■When you drive through
water
If driving through water, such as
when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the riverbed for
firmness. Drive slowly and avoid
deep water.
■Inspection after off-road driv-
ing
●Sand and mud that has accu-
mulated around brake discs
may affect braking efficiency
and may damage brake system
components.
●Always perform a maintenance
inspection after each day of off-
road driving that has taken you
through rough terrain, sand,
mud, or water. For scheduled
maintenance information, refer
to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual
Supplement”.

4066-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
1Press the automatic mode
switch.
The dehumidification function begins to operate. Air outlets and
fan speed are automatically
adjusted according to the tempera-
ture setting and humidity.
2
Adjust the temperature set-
ting.
3 To stop the operation, press
the “OFF” switch.
If the fan speed setting or air
flow modes are operated, the
automatic mode indicator goes
off. However, automatic mode
for functions other than that
operated is maintained.
■Using automatic mode
Fan speed is adjusted automati-
cally according to the temperature
setting and the ambient conditions.
Therefore, the fan may stop for a
while until warm or cool air is ready
to flow immediately after the auto-
matic mode switch is pressed.
To turn on the “SYNC” mode,
perform any of the following pro-
cedures:
 Press the “SYNC” mode
switch.
 Adjust the front passenger’s
side temperature setting.
The indicator comes on when the
“SYNC” mode is on.
WARNING
■To prevent the windshield
from fogging up
Do not use the windshield defog-
ger switch during cool air opera-
tion in extremely humid weather.
The difference between the tem-
perature of the outside air and
that of the windshield can cause
the outer surface of the wind-
shield to fog up, blocking your
vision.
■To prevent burns
●Do not touch the rear view mir-
ror surfaces when the outside
rear view mirror defoggers are
on.
●Vehicles with windshield wiper
de-icer: Do not touch the glass
at lower part of the windshield
or to the side of the front pillars
when the windshield wiper de-
icer is on.
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery dis-
charge
Do not leave the air conditioning
system on longer than necessary
when the EV system is off.
■When repairing/replacing
parts of the air conditioning
system
Have repair/replacement per-
formed by your Toyota dealer.
When a part of the air conditioning
system, such as the evaporator, is
to be replaced, it must be
replaced with a new one.
Using automatic mode
Adjusting the temperature
for driver and front pas-
senger seats separately
(“SYNC” mode)

4086-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
This function automatically con-
trols the air conditioning airflow
so that priority is given to the
front seats. Unnecessary air
conditioning is suppressed, con-
tributing to increased electricity
consumption efficiency.
Front seat concentrated airflow
mode operates in the following
situations.
No passengers are detected
in the rear seats
 The windshield defogger is
not operating
While operating, illuminates.
■Manually turning front seat
concentrated airflow mode
on/off
In front seat concentrated air-
flow mode, directing airflow to
the front seats only and to all
seats can be switched via switch
operation. When the mode has
been switched manually, auto-
matic airflow control stops oper-
ating.
Press on the air conditioning
operation panel and switch the
airflow.
 Indicator illuminated: Airflow
to the front seats only
 Indicator off: Airflow to all the
seats
■Operation of automatic airflow
control
●In order to maintain a comfortable
interior, airflow may be directed to
seats without passengers immedi-
ately after the EV system is
started and at other times depend-
ing on the outside temperature.
●After the EV system is started, if
passengers move around inside
or enter/exit the vehicle, the sys-
tem cannot accura tely detect the
presence of passengers and auto-
matic airflow control will not oper-
ate.
■Operation of manual airflow
control
Even if the function is manually
switched to directing airflow to only
the front seats, w hen a rear seat is
occupied, it may automatically direct
airflow to all seats.
WARNING
■To not interrupt the wind-
shield defogger from operat-
ing
Do not place anything on the
instrument panel which may cover
the air outlets. Otherwise, air flow
may be obstructed, preventing the
windshield defoggers from defog-
ging.
Front seat concentrated
airflow mode (S-FLOW)

4116-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
6
Interior features
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P. 1 6 2
■When the electronic key bat-
tery is fully depleted
 P. 4 9 7
■Customization
Setting (e.g. Operation using “A/C”
on the wireless remote control) can
be changed. (Customizable fea-
tures: P.575)*: If equipped
WARNING
■Precautions for the Remote
Air Conditioning System
●Do not use the system if people
are in the vehicle.
Even when the system is in use,
the internal temperature may
still reach a high or low level
due to features such as the
automatic shut-off. Children and
pets left inside the vehicle may
suffer heatstroke dehydration or
hypothermia, or could result in
death or serious injury.
●Depending on the surrounding
environment, signals from the
wireless switch may transmit
further than expected. Pay
appropriate attention to the
vehicle’s surroundings and use
the switch only when necessary.
●Do not operate “A/C” if the hood
is open. The air conditioning
may operate unintentionally and
objects may be drawn into the
electrical cooling fan.
NOTICE
■To prevent the traction bat-
tery from being discharged
through incorrect operation
Use “A/C” only when necessary.
Heated steering
wheel*/seat heat-
ers*/seat ventila-
tors*/radiant heater*
 Heated steering wheel
Warms up the grip of the
steering wheel
 Seat heaters
Warm up the seat upholstery
 Seat ventilators
Maintain good airflow on the
seat upholstery by sucking air
into the seats
 Radiant heaters
Warm up the feet of the front
seats
WARNING
■To prevent minor burn inju-
ries
Care should be taken if anyone in
the following categories comes in
contact with the steering wheel or
seats when the heater is on:
●Babies, small children, the
elderly, the sick and the physi-
cally challenged
●Persons with sensitive skin
●Persons who are fatigued
●Persons who have taken alco-
hol or drugs that induce sleep
(sleeping drugs, cold remedies,
etc.)