LEXUS NX300h 2020 Owners Manual
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*:If equipped
BSM main switch
Pressing the switch turns the system on or  off. When the switch is set to on, the 
switch’s indicator 
illuminates and the 
buzzer sounds. This swit ch is for both Blind 
Spot Monitor function and Rear Cross 
Traffic Alert function.
BSM outside rear view mirror indi-
cators
Blind Spot Monitor function:
When a vehicle is dete cted in a blind spot 
of the outside rear view mirrors or 
approaching rapidly from behind into a 
blind spot, the outside rear view mirror 
indicator on the detected side will illumi-
nate. If the turn signal lever is operated 
toward the detected side, the outside rear 
view mirror indicator will flash.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert function:
When a vehicle approaching from the right 
or left at the rear of  the vehicle is detected, 
both outside rear view mirror indicators 
will flash.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert buzzer 
(Rear Cross Traffic Alert function 
only)
When a vehicle approaching from the right 
or left rear of the vehicle is detected, a 
buzzer sounds from behind the right-hand 
rear seat.
Navigation/multimedia system 
screen (Rear Cross Traffic Alert 
function only)
If a vehicle approaching from the right or 
left at the rear of th e vehicle is detected, 
the Rear Cross Traffic Alert icon ( P.266) 
for the detected side will be displayed.
■The BSM outside rear view mirror indi-
cators visibility
When under strong sunlight, the BSM out-
side rear view mirror indicator may be diffi-
cult to see.
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor)*
The Blind Spot Monitor uses the 
sensors installed behind the rear 
bumper. The system is intended to 
assist the driver check areas that 
are not easily vi sible. The system 
has the following 2 functions:
 The Blind Spot Monitor function
Assists the driver in  making the decision 
when changing lanes
 The Rear Cross Traffic Alert func-
tion
Assists the driver when backing up
These functions use the same sen-
sors.
System components
A
B
C
D 
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■Rear Cross Traffic Alert buzzer hearing
Rear Cross Traffic Alert function may be 
difficult to hear over loud noises such as 
high audio volume.
■When “Blind Spot Monitor Unavailable” 
is shown on the multi-information dis-
play
Water, snow mud, etc., may be built up in 
the vicinity of the sensor area of bumper. 
(  P.263) Removing the  water, snow, mud,  etc., from the vicinity of the sensor area 
bumper should return it to normal. Also, the 
sensor may not function normally when 
used in extremely hot or cold weather.■When “Blind Spot Monitor System Mal-
function Visit Your Dealer” is shown on 
the multi-information display
There may be a sensor malfunction or volt-
age abnormality. Have the vehicle 
inspected at a Lexus dealer.
■Certification for the B lind Spot Monitor system
For vehicles sold in the U.S.A.
For vehicles sold in Canada 
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The Blind Spot Monitor function uses 
radar sensors to detect vehicles that 
are traveling in an adjacent lane in the 
area that is not reflected in the outside 
rear view mirror (the blind spot), and 
advises the driver of the vehicles exis-
tence via the BSM outside rear view 
mirror indicator.
■The Blind Spot Monitor function 
detection areas
The areas that vehicles can be 
detected in are outlined below.
WARNING
■Handling the radar sensor
One Blind Spot Monitor sensor is 
installed inside the le ft and right side of 
the vehicle rear bumper respectively. 
Observe the following to ensure the 
Blind Spot Monitor system can function 
correctly.
●Keep the sensor and its surrounding 
area on the bumper clean at all times.
●Do not subject the sensor or surround-
ing area on the bumper to a strong 
impact. If the sensor moves even 
slightly off position, the system may 
malfunction and vehicles that enter the 
detection area may not be detected. If 
the sensor or surrounding area is sub-
ject to a strong impact, always have the 
area inspected by your Lexus dealer.
●Do not disassemb le the sensor.
●Do not attach accessories or stickers 
to the sensor or surrounding area on 
the bumper.
●Do not modify the sensor or surround-
ing area on the bumper.
●Do not paint the rear bumper any 
color other than an official Lexus color.
●If the radar sensor needs to be 
replaced, contact your Lexus dealer.
The Blind Spot Monitor function 
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2644-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_enThe range of the detection area extends to:
Approximately 11.5 ft. (3.5 m) from 
the side of the vehicle
The first 1.6 ft. (0.5 m)
 from the side of the 
vehicle is not in the detection area
Approximately 9.8 ft. (3 m) from 
the rear bumper
Approximately 3.3 ft. (1 m) forward 
of the rear bumper
■The Blind Spot Monitor function is oper-
ational when
●The BSM main switch is set to on
●Vehicle speed is greater than approxi-
mately 10 mph (16 km/h).
■The Blind Spot Monitor function will 
detect a vehicle when
●A vehicle in an adj acent lane overtakes 
your vehicle.
●Another vehicle enters the detection 
area when it changes lanes.
●You overtake a vehicle in adjacent lane 
slowly.
■Conditions under wh ich the Blind Spot 
Monitor function will not detect a vehi-
cle
The Blind Spot Monitor function is not 
designed to detect the following types of 
vehicles and/or objects:
●Small motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, 
etc.*
●Vehicles traveling in the opposite direc-
tion
●Guardrails, walls, signs, parked vehicles 
and similar stationary objects*
●Following vehicles that are in the same 
lane*
●Vehicles driving 2 lanes across from your 
vehicle*
●Vehicles which are being overtaken rap-
idly by your vehicle*
*
: Depending on conditions, detection of a  vehicle and/or object may occur.
■Conditions under which the Blind Spot 
Monitor function may not function cor-
rectly
●The Blind Spot Monitor function may not 
detect vehicles correctly in the following 
situations:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to a 
strong impact to the sensor or its sur-
rounding area
• When mud, snow, ice, a sticker, etc. is 
covering the sensor or surrounding area 
on the rear bumper
• When driving on a road surface that is 
wet with standing water during bad 
weather, such as heavy rain, snow, or fog
• When multiple vehicles are approaching 
with only a small gap between each vehi-
cle
• When the distance between your vehicle 
and a following vehicle is short
• When there is a significant difference in  speed between your vehicle and the vehi-
cle that enters the detection area
• When the difference in speed between  your vehicle and another vehicle is 
changing
• When a vehicle enters a detection area  traveling at about the same speed as your 
vehicle
• As your vehicle starts from a stop, a vehi- cle remains in the detection area
• When driving up and down consecutive  steep inclines,  such as hills, dips in the 
road, etc.
• When driving on roads with sharp bends, 
A
B
C 
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consecutive curves, or uneven surfaces
• When vehicle lanes are wide, or when  driving on the edge of a lane, and the 
vehicle in an adjacent lane is far away 
from your vehicle
• When towing a trailer (vehicles with tow-
ing package)
• When items such as a bicycle carrier are  installed on the rear of the vehicle
• When there is a significant difference in  height between your vehicle and the 
vehicle that enters the detection area
• Immediately after the Blind Spot Monitor  function is turned on
●Instances of the Blind Spot Monitor func-
tion unnecessarily detecting a vehicle 
and/or object may increase in the follow-
ing situations:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to a  strong impact to the sensor or its sur-
rounding area
• When the distance between your vehicle  and a guardrail, wall, etc. that enters the 
detection area is short
• When driving up an d down consecutive 
steep inclines, such as hills, dips in the 
road, etc.
• When vehicle lanes are narrow, or when  driving on the edge of a lane, and a vehi-
cle traveling in a lane  other than the adja- cent lanes enters the detection area
• When driving on roads with sharp bends,  consecutive curves, or uneven surfaces
• When the tires are slipping or spinning
• When the distance between your vehicle  and a following vehicle is short
• When a bicycle carrier or other acces- sory is installed to the rear of the vehicle
• When towing a trailer (vehicles with tow-
ing package)
The Rear Cross Traffic Alert function operat es when your vehicle is in reverse. It 
can detect other vehicles approaching from th e right or left rear of the vehicle. It 
uses radar sensors to alert the driver of the other vehicle’s existence through flash-
ing the BSM outside rear view mirror  indicators and sounding a buzzer.
Approaching vehicles
WARNING
■Cautions regarding  the use of the sys-
tem
The driver is solely responsible for safe 
driving. Always drive  safely, taking care 
to observe your surroundings.
The Blind Spot Monitor function is a sup-
plementary function which alerts the 
driver that a vehicle is present in the blind 
spot. Do not overly re ly on the Blind Spot 
Monitor function. The function cannot 
judge if it is safe to change lanes, there-
fore over reliance could cause an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury.
According to conditions, the system may 
not function correctly. Therefore the 
driver’s own visual confirmation of safety 
is necessary.
The Rear Cross Traffic Alert function
A 
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Detection areas
■Rear Cross Traffic Alert icon dis-
play (if equipped)
When a vehicle approaching from the 
right or left at the rear of the vehicle is 
detected, the following will be dis-
played on the navigation/multimedia 
system screen.
Lexus parking assist monitor
A vehicle is approaching from the left 
or right at the rear of the vehicle
Panoramic view monitor
A vehicle is approaching from the left 
or right at the rear of the vehicle
■The Rear Cross Traffic Alert function detection areas
The areas that vehicles can be detected in are outlined below.
To give the driver a more consistent 
time to react, the bu zzer can alert for 
faster vehicles from farther away.
Example:
B 
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■The Rear Cross Traffic Alert function is 
operational when
●The BSM main switch is set to on.
●The shift lever is in R.
●Vehicle speed is less than approximately 
5 mph (8 km/h).
●Approaching vehicle speed is between 
approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) and 18 
mph (28 km/h).
■Conditions under which the Rear Cross 
Traffic Alert function  will not detect a 
vehicle
The Rear Cross Traffic Alert function is not 
designed to detect the following types of 
vehicles and/or objects.
●Small motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, 
etc.*
●Vehicles approaching from directly 
behind*
●Guardrails, walls, signs, parked vehicles 
and similar stationary objects*
●Vehicles moving away from your vehicle
●Vehicles approaching from the parking 
spaces next to your vehicle*
●Vehicles backing up in the parking space 
next to your vehicle*
*
: Depending on conditions, detection of a  vehicle and/or object may occur.
■Conditions under which the Rear Cross 
Traffic Alert function may not function 
correctly
The Rear Cross Traffic Alert function may 
not detect vehicles correctly in the follow-
ing conditions:
●During bad weather su ch as heavy rain, 
fog, snow, etc.
●When ice or mud, etc., is attached to the 
rear bumper
●When multiple vehicl es approach contin-
uously
●Shallow angle parking
●When a vehicle is approaching at high 
speed
●When backing up on a slope with a sharp 
change in grade
●When backing out of a sharp angle park-
ing spot
●When parking on a steep incline, such as 
hills, a dip in the road, etc.
●Directly after the BSM main switch is set 
to on
●Directly after the hybr id system is started 
with the BSM main switch on
●Vehicles that the sensors cannot detect 
because of obstacles
Approach-
ing vehicleSpeed
 Approxi-
mate alert  distance
Fast18 mph (28  km/h)65 ft. (20 m)
Slow5 mph (8 km/h)18 ft. (5.5 m)
A 
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●Instances of the Rear Cross Traffic Alert 
function unnecessary detecting a vehicle 
and/or object may increase in the follow-
ing situations:
• When a vehicle passes by the side of your  vehicle
• When the parking space faces a street  and vehicles are being driven on the 
street
• When the distance between your vehicle  and metal objects, such as a guardrail, 
wall, sigh, or parked vehicle, which may 
reflect electrical waves toward the rear of 
the vehicle, is short
WARNING
■Cautions regarding  the use of the sys-
tem
The driver is solely responsible for safe 
driving. Always drive  safely, taking care 
to observe your surroundings.
The Rear Cross Traffic Alert function is 
only an assist and is not a replacement for 
careful driving. Driver must be careful 
when backing up, even when using Rear 
Cross Traffic Alert function. The driver’s 
own visual confirmation of behind you 
and your vehicle is necessary and be sure 
there are no pedestrians, other vehicles, 
etc., before backing up. Failure to do so 
could cause death or serious injury.
According to conditions, the system may 
not function correctly. Therefore the 
driver’s own visual confirmation of safety 
is necessary. 
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1 Normal mode
For normal driving.
Press the switch to change the driving 
mode to Normal mode when selected to 
Eco mode or Sport mode.
2Eco mode
In contrast to Normal mode when stepping 
on the accelerator pedal, torque genera-
tion becomes slower, air conditioning 
operations (heating/cooling) are 
restrained, and driving is suited for 
improved fuel consumption.
When not in Eco mode and the driving 
mode select switch is turned to the left, 
“Eco” indicator will be shown on the multi-
information display.
3Sport mode
Assists acceleration response by con-
trolling the hybrid  system and steering. 
Suitable for when precise handling is desir-
able, for example when driving on moun-
tain roads.
When not in Sport mode and the driving 
mode select switch is turned to the right, 
“Sport” indicator will be shown on the 
multi-information display and the hybrid 
system indicator changes to the tachome-
ter. ( P.84)
■Operation of the air conditioning sys-
tem in Eco mode
Eco mode controls the heating/cooling 
operations and fan speed of the air condi-
tioning system to enhance fuel efficiency. To 
improve air conditio ning performance, 
adjust the fan speed or turn off Eco mode.
■When canceling Eco mode/Sport mode
●Select another driving mode. Also, Sport 
mode will be canceled automatically 
when the power switch is turned off.
●Normal mode and Eco mode will not be 
canceled automatically until another driv-
ing mode is selected , even if the power 
switch is turned off.
Driving mode select switch
The driving modes can be selected 
to suit driving conditions.
Selecting a driving mode 
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■ECB (Electronically Controlled 
Brake System)
The electronically controlled system 
generates braking force correspond-
ing to the brake operation
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the 
brakes are applied suddenly, or if the 
brakes are applied while driving on a 
slippery road surface
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of brak-
ing force after the brake pedal is 
depressed when the system detects a 
panic stop situation
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to  control skidding 
when swerving sudden ly or turning on 
slippery road surfaces.
■Enhanced VSC (Enhanced Vehi-
cle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control of the 
ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS. Helps to maintain directional stability 
when swerving on slippery road sur-
faces by controlling steering perfor-
mance.
■Trailer Sway Control
Helps the driver to  control trailer sway 
by selectively applying brake pressure 
for individual wheels and reducing 
driving torque when trailer sway is 
detected.
■TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and pre-
vent the drive wheels from spinning 
when starting the vehicle or accelerat-
ing on slippery roads
■Active Cornering Assist (ACA)
Helps to prevent the vehicle from drift-
ing to the outer side by performing 
inner wheel brake control when 
attempting to accele rate while turning
■Hill-start assist control
Helps to reduce the backward move-
ment of the vehicle when starting on an 
uphill
■EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce 
the amount of effort needed to turn the 
steering wheel
■E-Four
Electronic On-Demand AWD system. 
Automatically switches from front-
wheel drive to all-wheel drive (AWD) 
according to the driving conditions, 
helping to ensure reliable handling and 
stability. Examples of  conditions where 
the system will switch to AWD are 
Driving assist systems
To keep driving safety and perfor-
mance, the following systems oper-
ate automatically in response to 
various driving situations. Be aware, 
however, that these systems are 
supplementary and should not be 
relied upon too heavily when oper-
ating the vehicle.
Summary of the driving assist 
systems