2023 TOYOTA BZ4X shift

1954-3. Adjusting the seats
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
4
Before driving
■Front seats
1 Up
Pull the head restraints up.
2Down
Push the head restraint down while
pressing the lock release button .
WARNING
●Do not attempt t o fold the seat-
backs down while driving.
●Stop the vehicle on level
ground, set the parking brake
and shift the shift position to P.
●Do not allow anyo ne to sit on a
folded seatback or in the lug-
gage compartment while driv-
ing.
●Do not allow child ren to enter
the luggage compartment.
●Do not operate the rear seat if it
is occupied.
●Be careful not to get feet or
hands caught in the moving
parts or joints of the seats
during operation.
●Do not allow children to operate
the seat.
■After returning the rear seat-
back to the upright position
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
●Make sure that the seatback is
securely locked in position by
lightly pushing it back and forth.
If the seatback is not securely
locked, the red marking will be
visible on the seatback lock
release lever. Make sure that
the red marking is not visible.
●Check that the seat belts are
not twisted or caught in the
seatback.
Head restraints
Head restraints are pro-
vided for all seats.
WARNING
■Head restraint precautions
Observe the following precautions
regarding the head restraints.
Failure to do so may result in
death or serious injury.
●Use the head restraints
designed for each respective
seat.
●Adjust the head restraints to the
correct position at all times.
●After adjusting the head
restraints, push down on them
and make sure they are locked
in position.
●Do not drive with the head
restraints removed.
Vertical adjustment

2195-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
5
Driving
5-1.Before driving
■Before starting the EV sys-
tem
Check that the charging cable is
disconnected. ( P.105, 113)
■Starting the EV system
 P. 2 3 1
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal
depressed, shift the shift
position to D. ( P.237)
Check that the shift position indica-
tor shows D.
2If the parking brake is set,
release the parking brake.
( P.243)
If the parking brake is in automatic
mode, the parkin g brake will be
released automatically. ( P.243)
3 Gradually release the brake
pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to acceler-
ate the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 Depress the brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking
brake. ( P.243)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the
shift position to P. ( P.237)
■Parking the vehicle
1 Depress the brake pedal to
stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is
released, set the parking
brake. ( P.243)
Make sure the park ing brake indi-
cator light is on.
3 Shift the shift position to P.
( P.237)
Check that the shif t position indica-
tor shows P and the parking brake
indicator is illuminated.
4 Press the power switch to
stop the EV system.
5 Slowly release the brake
pedal.
6 Lock the door, making sure
that you have the electronic
key on your person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels
as needed.
■Starting off on a steep
uphill
1 Firmly depress the brake
pedal and shift the shift posi-
tion to D.
The hill-start assist control will be
activated.
2Set the parking brake.
( P.243)
3 Release the brake pedal and
gently depress the accelera-
tor pedal to accelerate the
vehicle.
4 Release the parking brake.
( P.243)
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures
should be observed to
ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

2215-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
5
Driving
WARNING
●During normal driving, do not
turn off the EV system. Turning
the EV system off while driving
will not cause loss of steering or
braking control, however, power
assist to the steering will be lost.
This will make it more difficult to
steer smoothly, so you should
pull over and stop the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency,
such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal
way: P. 5 0 5
●Use regenerative braking to
maintain a safe speed when
driving down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously
may cause the brakes to over-
heat and lose effectiveness.
( P.240)
●If “Regenerative braking lim-
ited. Press brake to decelerate.”
appears on the multi-informa-
tion display, firmly depress the
brake pedal to decelerate the
vehicle. ( P.522)
●Do not adjust the position of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the
inside or outside rear view mir-
rors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of
vehicle control.
●Always check that all passen-
gers’ arms, heads or other parts
of their body are not outside the
vehicle.
●AWD models: Do not drive the
vehicle off-road.
This is not a AWD vehicle
designed for off-road driving.
Proceed with all due caution if it
becomes unavoidable to drive
off-road.
●Do not drive across a river or
through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/elec-
tronic components to short cir-
cuit, damage the EV system or
cause other serious damage to
the vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the
speed limit. Even if the legal
speed limit permits it, do not
drive over 85 mph (140 km/h)
unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving
over 85 mph (140 km/h) may
result in tire fa ilure, loss of con-
trol and possible injury. Be sure
to consult a tire dealer to deter-
mine whether the tires on your
vehicle are high-speed capabil-
ity tires or not before driving at
such speeds.
■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 regen-
erative braking due to shift
changing could cause the vehi-
cle to skid, resulting in an acci-
dent.
●After driving through a puddle,
lightly depress the brake pedal
to make sure that the brakes
are functioning properly. Wet
brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning prop-
erly. If the brakes on only one
side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may
be affected.

2225-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
WARNING
■When shifting the shift posi-
tion
●Do not let the vehicle roll back-
ward while a forward driving
position is selected, or roll for-
ward while the shift position is in
R.
Doing so may result in an acci-
dent or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift position to
P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission 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 trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift position to
a driving position while the vehi-
cle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Changing the shif t position to N
while the vehicle is moving will
disengage the hy brid system.
Regenerative braking is not
available with the EV system
disengaged.
●Be careful not to change the
shift position wit h the accelera-
tor pedal depressed.
Changing the shif t position to
any positions other than P or N
may lead to unexpected rapid
acceleration of the vehicle that
may cause an accident and
result in death or serious injury.
After changing the shift position,
make sure to confirm the cur-
rent shift position displayed on
the shift position indicator inside
the meter.
■If you hear a squealing or
scraping noise (brake pad
wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and
replaced by your Toyota dealer 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 sud-
denly and unexpectedly, caus-
ing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents
due to the vehic le rolling away,
always keep depressing the
brake pedal while stopped with
the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated, 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 roll-
ing 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 fol-
lowing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may
lead to a fire.

2245-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
When the following unusual
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress t he accelerator
and brake pedals at the same
time during drivin g, as this may
restrain the EV system output.
●Do not use the accelerator
pedal or depress the accelera-
tor 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 damagi ng the wheels,
underside of the vehicle, etc.
■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.527)
■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:
●Short in electrical components
●Traction battery caused by
water immersion
In the event that you drive on a
flooded road and the vehicle is
flooded, be sure to have your Toy-
ota dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality
of transmission fluid, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bear-
ings and suspension joints
(where possible), and the func-
tion of all joints, bearings, etc.
●Components connected to the
traction battery.
If the shift control system is dam-
aged by flooding, it may not be
possible to shift the shift position
to P, or from P to other positions.
In this case, contact your Toyota
dealer.
■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 acceler-
ate suddenly if t he accelerator
pedal is accidentally depressed.
■When involved in a minor
accident
Damage to the traction battery or
battery peripheral components
could cause malfunctions. Even if
it is a minor accident, have the
vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
Sudden start restraint
control (Drive-Start Con-
trol [DSC])

2255-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
5
Driving
operation is performed with the
accelerator pedal depressed,
the EV system output may be
restrained.
• When the shift position is shifted to R
*.
• When the shift position is
shifted from P or R to forward
drive shift position such as D
*.
When the system op erates, 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.388), sudden start restraint
control also does not operate. If
your vehicle have trouble escap-
ing from the mud or fresh snow
due to sudden start restraint con-
trol operation, deactivate TRAC
(  P.388) so that the vehicle may
become able to e scape from the
mud or fresh snow.
Also, sudden start restraint control
will not operate in the following con-
ditions:
• When “X-MODE” is selected (if equipped)
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following
information about storage
precautions, cargo capac-
ity and load.
WARNING
■Things that must not be car-
ried in the luggage compart-
ment
The following things may cause a
fire if loaded in the luggage com-
partment:
●Receptacles containing gaso-
line
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may prevent the
pedals from being depressed
properly, may block the driver’s
vision, or may res ult in items hit-
ting the driver or passengers, pos-
sibly causing an accident.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the
luggage compartment when-
ever possible.
●Do not stack cargo and luggage
in the luggage compartment
higher than the seatbacks.
●Do not place cargo or luggage
in or on the follo wing locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rear seats (when stacking items)
• On the luggage cover (if equipped)
• On the instrument panel
• On the dashboard

2315-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
5
Driving
5-2.Driving procedures
1 Check that the charging
cable is disconnected.
( P.105, 113)
2 Pull the parking brake switch
to check that the parking
brake is set. ( P.243)
The parking brake indicator will
come on.
3Firmly depress the brake
pedal.
and a message will be dis-
played on the multi-information dis-
play.
If it is not displayed, the EV system
cannot be started.
When the shift position is in N, the
EV system cannot start. Shift the
shift position to P when starting the
EV system. ( P.237)
4 Press the power switch
shortly and firmly.
When operating the power switch,
one short, firm press is enough. It is
not necessary to press and hold the
switch.
If the “READY” indicator turns on,
the EV system will operate nor-
mally.
Continue depressing the brake
pedal until the “READY” indicator is illuminated.
The EV system can be started from
any power switch mode.
5
Check that the “READY” indi-
cator is illuminated.
The vehicle cannot be driven if the
“READY” indicator is off.
■Power switch illumination
According to the situation, the
power switch illu mination operates
as follows.
●When driver’s door or front pas-
senger’s door is opened, the
power switch illu mination illumi-
nates.
●When the power switch is in OFF
and depressing t he brake pedal
with carrying the electronic key on
your person, the power switch illu-
mination blinks.
●When the power switch is in ACC
or ON, the power switch illumina-
tion illuminates.
●When the power switch mode is
changed from ACC or ON to OFF,
the power switch illumination illu-
minates for a certain amount of
time. Afterwards, the power switch
illumination turns off.
■If the EV system does not start
●The immobilizer system may not
have been deactivated. ( P. 6 8 )
Contact your Toyota dealer.
●The charging cable may be con-
nected to the vehicle. ( P. 8 9 )
●If a message related to start-up is
Power (ignition)
switch
Performing the following
operations when carrying
the electronic key on your
person starts the EV system
or changes power switch
modes.
Starting the EV system

2335-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
5
Driving
1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 Set the parking brake.
( P.243)
3 Press the P position switch.
( P.237)
Check that the shift position indica-
tor shows P and the parking brake
indicator is illuminated.
4Press the power switch.
The EV system will stop, and the
meter display will be extinguished
(the shift position indicator will be
extinguished a few seconds after
the meter display).
5Release the brake pedal and
check that “ACCESSORY” or
“POWER ON” is not shown
on the meter.
■Automatic EV system shut off
feature
●The vehicle is equipped with a
feature that automatically shuts off
the EV system when the shift posi-
tion is in P with the EV system operating for an extended period.
●The EV system will automatically
shut off after approximately 1 hour
if it has been left operating while
the shift position is in P.
●The timer for the automatic EV
system shut off feature will reset if
the brake pedal is depressed or if
the shift position is in a position
other than P.
●After the vehicle
is parked, if the
door is locked with the door lock
switch ( P.170) from the inside or
the mechanical key (P.539) from
the outside, the automatic EV sys-
tem shut off feature will be dis-
abled. The timer for the automatic
EV system shut off feature will be
re-enabled if the driver’s door is
opened.
■When the shift control system
malfunctions
When attempting to turn the power
switch off while t here is a malfunc-
tion in the shift control system, the
power switch mode may change to
ACC. In this case, ACC may be
turned off by applying the parking
brake and pressing the power
switch again.
If there is a malfunction in the sys-
tem, have the vehicle inspected by
your Toyota dealer immediately.
■Automatic P position selection
function
 P.238
NOTICE
■When starting the EV system
If the EV system becomes difficult
to start, have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a mal-
function with the power
switch
If the power switch seems to be
operating somewh at differently
than usual, such as the switch
sticking slightly, there may be a
malfunction. Contact your Toyota
dealer immediately.
Stopping the EV system