1464-1. Before driving
WARNING
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
(AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels exces-
sively 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 pro-
pel the vehicle forward or back-
ward, causing an accident.
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 engine 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.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake and
shift the shift lever to P. Failure to
do so may cause the vehicle to
move or the vehi cle may acceler-
ate 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 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.405)
■When encountering flooded
roads
Do not drive on a road that has
flooded after h eavy 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 and 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 the quantity and
quality of the engine oil, tran-
saxle fluid, transfer oil (AWD
models), rear dif ferential oil
(AWD models), etc.
●Lubricant condition for the pro-
peller shaft (AWD models),
bearings and suspension joints
(where possible), and the func-
tion of all joints, bearings, etc.
1514-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
■Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to
the tires, but also degrade steer-
ing and braking ability, resulting in
an accident.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed pri-
marily as a passen-
ger-and-load-carrying
vehicle. Towing a trailer can
have an adverse impact on
handling, performance,
braking, durability, and fuel
consumption. For your
safety and the safety of oth-
ers, you must not overload
your vehicle or trailer. You
must also ensure that you
are using appropriate tow-
ing equipment, that the tow-
ing equipment has been
installed correctly and used
properly, and that you
employ the requisite driv-
ing habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and
braking performance are
affected by trailer stability,
brake performance and set-
ting, trailer brakes, the hitch
and hitch systems (if
equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the
vehicle in accordance with
your trailer’s characteris-
tics and operating condi-
tions.
1534-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds,
passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.)
can adversely affect handling of
your vehicle and trailer, causing
instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer sway-
ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal immediately but very gradu-
ally to reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not
apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no ext reme correction
with the steering or brakes, your
vehicle and trailer should stabilize.
(if enabled, Trailer Sway Control can
also help to stabilize the vehicle and
trailer.)
●After the trailer swaying has
stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occu- pants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not
shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is
appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is not over-
loaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the
speed at which trailer swaying
occurred is beyond the limit of your
particular vehicle- trailer combina-
tion. Drive at a lower speed to pre-
vent instability. Remember that
swaying of the towing vehicle-trailer
increases as speed increases.
WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
To tow a traile r safely, use
extreme care and drive the vehi-
cle in accordance with the trailer’s
characteristics and operating con-
ditions. Failure to do so could
cause an accident resulting in
death or serious injury. Vehicle
stability and brak ing performance
are affected by trailer stability,
brake setting and performance,
and the hitch. Your vehicle will
handle differently when towing a
trailer.
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not exceed the TWR,
unbraked TWR, GCWR, GVWR
or GAWR.
●Adjust the tongue weight within
the appropriate range. Place
heavier loads as close to the
trailer axle as possible.
●Do not exceed 65 mph (104
km/h), the posted towing speed
limit or the spee d limit for your
trailer as set forth in your trailer
owner’s manual, whichever is
lowest. Slow down sufficiently
before making a turn, in cross
winds, on wet or slippery sur-
face, etc. to help avoid an acci-
dent. If you experience a
vehicle-trailer instability from
reducing a certain speed, slow
down and make sure you keep
your vehicle speed under the
speed of which you experience
the instability.
●Do not make jerky, abrupt or
sharp turns.
●Do not apply the brakes sud-
denly as you may skid, resulting
in jackknifing and loss of vehicle
control. This is especially true
on wet or slippery surfaces.
1544-1. Before driving
■GCWR (Gross Combination
Weight Rating)
The maximum allowable gross
combination weight. The gross
combination weight is the sum
of the total vehicle weight
(including the occupants, cargo
and any optional equipment
installed on the vehicle) and the
weight of the trailer being towed
(including the cargo in the
trailer).
WARNING
●Do not exceed th e trailer hitch
assembly weight, gross vehicle
weight, gross axle weight and
trailer tongue weight capacities.
●Do not use the following sys-
tems when trailer towing.
• Dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range
• LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
• LDA (Lane Departure Alert)
• PKSB (Parking Support Brake) (if equipped)
• RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert) (if equipped)
• PCS (Pre-Collision System)
• BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) (if equipped)
●Slow down and downshift
before descending steep or long
downhill grades. Do not make
sudden downshifts while
descending steep or long down-
hill grades.
●Vehicle-trailer in stability is more
likely on steep long downhills.
Before descending steep or
long downhill grades, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts when
descending steep or long down-
hill grades. Avoid holding the
brake pedal down too long or
applying the brakes too fre-
quently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
●Do not tow a trailer when the
compact spare tire is installed
on your vehicle.
■When towing a trailer
Toyota recommends trailers with
brakes that conform to any appli-
cable federal and s tate/provincial
regulations.
●If the gross tr ailer weight
exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer
brakes are required. Toyota rec-
ommends trailers with brakes
that conform to all applicable
federal and state/provincial reg-
ulations.
●Never tap into your vehicle’s
hydraulic system, as this will
lower the vehicle’s braking
effectiveness.
●Never tow a traile r without using
a safety chain securely attached
to both the trailer and the vehi-
cle. If damage occurs to the
coupling unit or hitch ball, there
is danger of the trailer wander-
ing into another lane.
Towing related terms
1564-1. Before driving
With brakes
■Unbraked TWR (Unbraked
Trailer Weight Rating)
The trailer weight rating for tow-
ing a trailer without a trailer ser-
vice brake system.
Without brakes
■Tongue Weight
The load placed on the trailer
hitch ball. ( P.156)
The gross trailer weight must
never exceed 1500 lb. (680
kg).
The gross combination weight
must never exceed the follow-
ing:
• 2WD models: 5790 lb. (2625 kg)
• AWD models: 5955 lb. (2700 kg)
The gross vehicle weight
must never exceed the
GVWR indicated on the Certi-
fication Label. ( P.429)
The gross axle weight on
each axle must never exceed
the GAWR indicated on the
Certification Label. ( P.429)
If the gross trailer weight is
over the unbraked TWR,
trailer service brakes are
required.
Confirm that the gross trailer
weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and tongue
weight are all within the limits.
■GCWR*
2WD models: 5790 lb. (2625 kg)
AWD models: 5955 lb. (2700 kg)
■TWR*
1500 lb. (680 kg)
■Unbraked TWR*
1500 lb. (680 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi- cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
A recommended tongue
weight varies in accordance
with the types of trailers or
Weight limits
GCWR, TWR and
Unbraked TWR
Trailer Tongue Weight
1594-1. Before driving
4
Driving
requires practice. Grip the
bottom of the steering wheel
and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the
right to move the trailer to
right. (This is generally oppo-
site to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp
or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when
reversing to reduce the risk of
an accident.
As stopping distance is
increased when towing a
trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased.
For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of
speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length.
Avoid sudden braking as you
may skid, resulting in the
trailer jackknifing and a loss of
vehicle control. This is espe-
cially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden
acceleration.
Avoid jerky steering and
sharp turns, and slow down
before making turn.
Note that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be
closer than the vehicle wheels
to the inside of the turn. Com-
pensate by making a wider
than normal turning radius.
Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or
slippery surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can
destabilize the trailer.
Take care when passing other
vehicles. Passing requires
considerable distance. After
passing a vehicle, do not for-
get the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty
of room before changing
lanes.
To maintain engine braking
efficiency and charging sys-
tem performance when using
engine braking, do not put the
transmission in D. If in the M
mode, the transmission shift
range position must be in 6 or
lower. ( P.168)
Instability happens more fre-
quently when descending
steep or long downhill grades.
Before descending, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts
while descending steep or
long downhill grades.
Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the
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 engine
may overheat on hot days (at
temperatures over 85°F
[30°C]) when driving up a long
1604-1. Before driving
or steep grade. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air condi-
tioning (if in use), pull your
vehicle off the road and stop
in a safe spot. (P.423)
Always place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and
the trailer’s wheels when
parking. Put the transmission
in P and apply the parking
brake. Avoid parking on a
slope, but if unavoidable, 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 Shift into P and apply the
parking brake.
5 Turn off the engine.
When restarting after parking
on a slope:
1 With the transmission in P,
start the engine. Be sure to
keep the brake pedal
depressed.
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.172)
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.
1624-2. Driving procedures
4-2.Driving procedures
1Check that the parking brake
is set. ( P.172)
2 Check that the shift lever is in
P.
Do not press the shift lever button
after shifting the shit position to P.
3Firmly depress the brake
pedal.
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.68)
Contact your Toyota dealer.
■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 steerin g wheel slightly
left and right.
1 OFF (“LOCK” position)
The key can be removed. (The key
can be removed only when the shift
lever is in P.)
2ACC (“ACC” position)
Some electrical components such
as the audio sys tem can be used.
3ON ( “ON” position)
Engine (ignition)
switch (vehicles with-
out a smart key sys-
tem)
Starting the engine
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sit-
ting in the driver’s seat. Do not
depress the accelerator pedal
while starting the engine under
any circumstances. Doing so may
cause an accident 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 your
Toyota dealer immediately.
Changing the engine
switch positions