TOYOTA BZ4X 2023 Owners Manual

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.

2235-1. Before driving
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5
Driving
WARNING

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

2265-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
Cargo capacity depends on the
total weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load
capacity) - (Total weight of occu-
pants)
Steps for Determining Cor-
rect Load Limit 
(1) Locate the statement “The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on your
vehicle’s placard.
(2) Determine the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
(4) The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity. For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs. and
there will be five 150 lb passen-
gers in your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400 -
750 (5 
150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi-
cle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the
available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
( P.228)
WARNING

2275-1. Before driving
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5
Driving
Cargo capacity
Total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight) ( P.550)
When 2 people with the com-
bined weight of A lb. (kg) are rid-
ing in your vehicle, which has a
total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight) of B lb. (kg),
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity will
be C lb. (kg) as follows:
B
*2 lb. (kg) - A*1 lb. (kg) = C*3 lb.
(kg)
*1: A = Weight of people
*2: B = Total load capacity
*3: C = Available cargo and luggage load
In this condition, if 3 more passen-
gers with the combined weight of D
lb. (kg) get on, the available cargo
and luggage load will be reduced E
lb. (kg) as follows:
C lb. (kg) - D*4 lb. (kg) = E*5 lb.
(kg)
*4: D = Additional weight of people
*5: E = Available cargo and luggage load
As shown in the example above,
if the number of occupants
increases, the cargo and lug-
gage load will be reduced by an
amount that equals the
increased weight due to the
additional occupants. In other
words, if an increase in the num-
ber of occupants causes an
excess of the total load capacity
(combined weight of occupants
plus cargo and luggage load),
you must reduce the cargo and
luggage on your vehicle.
Calculation formula for
your vehicle
WARNING
■When loading cargo on the
roof luggage carrier (if
equipped)
Observe the following precau-
tions:
●Place the cargo so that its
weight is distributed evenly
between the front and rear
axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo,
never exceed the vehicle overall
length or width. ( P.550)
●Before driving, m ake sure the
cargo is securely fastened on
the roof luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof lug-
gage carrier will make the cen-
ter of gravity of the vehicle
higher. Avoid high speeds, sud-
den starts, sharp turns, sudden
braking or abrupt maneuvers,
otherwise it may result in loss of
control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle
correctly and result in death or
serious injury.

2285-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
■Total load capacity and seating
capacity
These details are also described on
the tire and loading information
label. ( P.491)
WARNING
●If driving for a long distance, on
rough roads, or at high speeds,
stop the vehicle now and then
during the trip to make sure the
cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 165.3 lb. (75 kg)
cargo weight on the roof lug-
gage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo on the
roof luggage carrier (if
equipped)
Be careful not to scratch the sur-
face of the panoramic moon roof
(if equipped).
Vehicle load limits
Vehicle load limits include
total load capacity, seating
capacity, TWR (Trailer
Weight Rating) and cargo
capacity.
 Total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight):  P.550
Total load capacity means the
combined weight of occu-
pants, cargo and luggage.
 Seating capacity:  P.550
Seating capacity means the
maximum number of occu-
pants whose estimated aver-
age weight is 150 lb. (68 kg)
per person.
 TWR (Trailer Weight Rat-
ing)
Toyota does not recommend
towing a trailer with your vehi-
cle.
 Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase
or decrease depending on the
weight and the number of
occupants.

2295-1. Before driving
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5
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
Toyota does not recom-
mend towing a trailer with
your vehicle. Toyota also
does not recommend the
installation of a tow hitch or
the use of a tow hitch car-
rier for a wheelchair,
scooter, bicycle, etc. Your
vehicle is not designed for
trailer towing or for the use
of tow hitch mounted carri-
ers.

2305-1. Before driving
Owners Manual_USA_M42C01_en
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed
to be dinghy towed (with 4
wheels on the ground)
behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to
your vehicle
Do not tow your vehicle with 4
wheels on the ground.