steering TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 (in English) Manual PDF

3264-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■Handling of tires and the sus-
pension
Using tires with any kind of prob-
lem or modifying the suspension
will affect the driving assist sys-
tems, and may cause a system to
malfunction.
■Trailer Sway Control precau-
tion
The Trailer Sway Control system
is not able to reduce trailer sway
in all situations. Depending on
many factors such as the condi-
tions of the vehicle, trailer, road
surface and driving environment,
the Trailer Sway Control system
may not be effect ive. Refer to
your trailer owner’s manual for
information on how to tow your
trailer properly.
■If trailer sway occurs
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failing to do so may cause death
or serious injury.
●Firmly grip the steering wheel.
Steer straight ahead. Do not try
to control trailer sway by turning
the steering wheel.
●Begin releasing the accelerator
pedal immediately but very
gradually to reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not
apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction
with the steering or brakes, your
vehicle and trailer should stabi-
lize. (
P.191)
■Secondary Collision Brake
Do not rely solely upon the Sec-
ondary Collision Brake. This sys-
tem is designed to help reduce
the possibility of further damage
due to a secondary collision, how-
ever, that effect changes accord-
ing to various conditions. Overly
relying on the system may result
in death or serious injury.

3274-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
4-6.Driving tips
Use fluids that are appropriate
to the prevailing outside tem-
peratures.
• Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Washer fluid
Have a service technician
inspect the condition of the
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
to the driving conditions:
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 may 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 specified 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 engine braking.
●Slow down sufficiently before
entering a curve to ensure that
vehicle control is maintained.
●Do not use the LTA (Lane Trac-
ing Assist) system.
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow
tires
Request repairs or replacement of
snow tires from Toyota dealers 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

3314-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
When driving your vehicle
off-road, please observe the fol-
lowing 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,
Hawaii and Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information per-
taining to driving your vehicle
off-road, consult the following orga-
nizations.
●State and Local Parks and Recre-
ation Departments
●State Motor Vehicle Bureau
●Recreational Vehicle Clubs
●U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management
Off-road drivingWARNING
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following pre-
cautions to minimize 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 outside 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.
●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.

333
5
5
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_U
Interior features
.5-1. Toyota multi-operation touch
Toyota multi-operation touch .................................. 334
5-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Front manual air condition- ing system ................. 336
Front automatic air condi- tioning system ........... 341
Rear manual air condition- ing system ................. 354
Rear automatic air condi- tioning system ........... 356
Heated steering wheel/seat heaters/seat ventilators
.................................. 360
5-3. Using the interior lights Interior lights list .......... 363
5-4. Using the storage features List of storage features.................................. 366
Luggage compartment fea- tures .......................... 371
5-5. Using the other interior features
Other interior features . 375
Garage door opener.... 387

3605-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
HIGHLANDER_U
*: If equipped
Turns the heated steering wheel
on/off
The indicator light comes on when
the heated steering wheel is oper-
ating.
■Operation condition
The engine switch is in ON.
■Timer function
The heated steering wheel will auto-
matically turn off after a period of
time.
■Front (Front air condition-
ing control panel)
Each time the switch is pressed,
the operation condition changes
as follows.
Hi (3 segments lit) Mid (2 seg-
ments lit) Lo (1 segment
lit) Off
The level indicator (amber)
lights up during operation.
Heated steering
wheel*/seat heat-
ers*/seat ventilators*
 Heated steering wheel
Warms up the grip of the
steering wheel
 Seat heaters
Warm up the seat upholstery
 Seat ventilators
Maintain good ventilation
using a fan built into the seat
WARNING
■To prevent minor burn inju-
ries
Care should be take n if anyone in
the following catego ries 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.)
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
seat heaters
Do not put heavy objects that
have an uneven surface on the
seat and do not stick sharp
objects (needles, nails, etc.) into
the seat.
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not use the functions when the
engine is off.
Heated steering wheel
Seat heaters

3705-4. Using the storage features
HIGHLANDER_U
Front of console
Rear of console box (if
equipped)
■Cable pass through (Instru-
ment panel)
The open tray is provided with a
hole that allows cables to be passed
through the tray from the USB port,
USB charging ports or power outlet.
Remove the cover.
WARNING
■Items unsuitable for the open
tray
Observe the following precautions
when putting items in the open
tray. Failure to do so may cause
items to be thrown out of the tray
in the event of sudden braking or
steering. In these cases, the items
may interfere with pedal operation
or cause driver di straction, result-
ing in an accident.
●Do not store items in the tray
that can easily shift or roll out.
●Do not stack items in the tray
higher than the tray’s edge.
●Do not put items in the tray that
may protrude over the tray’s
edge.

3986-1. Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
NOTICE
●If the paint is chipped or
scratched, have it repaired
immediately.
●To prevent the wheels from cor-
roding, remove any dirt and
store in a place with low humid-
ity when storing the wheels.
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use
organic substances or scrub
with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces
of the lights.
●Do not apply wax to the sur-
faces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the
lenses.
■When using an automatic car
wash (vehicles with
rain-sensing windshield wip-
ers)
Set the wiper switch to the off
position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”,
the wipers may operate and the
wiper blades may be damaged.
■When using a high pressure
car wash
●When washing the vehicle, do
not spray the camera or its sur-
rounding area directly with a
high pressure washer. Shock
applied from high pressure
water may cause the device to
not operate normally.
●Do not spray water directly on
the radar which is equipped
behind the emblem. Otherwise
it may cause the device to be
damaged.
●Do not bring the nozzle tip close
to boots (rubber or resin manu-
factured cover), connectors or
the following parts. The parts
may be damaged if they come
into contact with high-pressure
water.
• Traction related parts
• Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
●Keep the cleaning nozzle at
least 11.9 in. (30 cm) away from
the vehicle body. Otherwise
resin section, such as moldings
and bumpers, may be deformed
and damaged.
Also, do not continuously hold the
nozzle in the same place.
●Do not spray the lower part of
the windshield continuously.
If water enters the air conditioning
system intake located near the
lower part of the windshield, the
air conditioning system may not
operate correctly.
●Do not wash the underside of
the vehicle using a high pres-
sure car washer.

4056-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move
smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have
appropriate
clearance from
the floor?
( P.504)
• Does the brake pedal have the
correct amount
of free play?
( P.504)
Brakes
• The vehicle
should not pull to
one side when
the brakes are
applied.
• The brakes should work
effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel
spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get
too close to the
floor when the
brakes are
applied.
Head
restraints
• Do the head restraints move
smoothly and
lock securely?
Horn• Works properly?
Indica-
tors/buzzers
• Do the indica-tors and buzzers
function prop-
erly?
ItemsCheck points
Lights
• Do all the lights come on?
• Are the head- lights aimed cor-
rectly? ( P.440)
Parking brake
• Does the park-
ing brake switch
operate nor-
mally?
• When parked on a slope and the
parking brake is
on, is the vehicle
securely
stopped?
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operate
smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be
damaged.
Seats
• Do the seat con-trols operate
properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steer-ing wheel rotate
smoothly?
• Does the steer- ing wheel have
the correct
amount of free
play?
• There should not be any strange
sounds coming
from the steer-
ing wheel.
ItemsCheck points

4517-1. Essential information
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
more, or press it briefly 3
times or more in succession.
5 Stop the vehicle in a safe
place by the road. 
Remove the seat belt first.
 If the door can be opened,
open the door and exit the
vehicle.
 If the door can not be opened,
open the window using the
power window switch and exit
the vehicle through the win-
dow.
 If the window can not be
opened using the power win-
dow switch, remain calm, wait
until the water level inside the
vehicle rises to the point that
the water pressure inside of
the vehicle equals the water
pressure outside of the vehi-
cle, and then open the door
and exit the vehicle.
WARNING
■If the engine has to be turned
off while driving
Power assist for the brakes and
steering wheel will be lost, making
the brake pedal harder to depress
and the steering wheel heavier to
turn. Decelerate as much as pos-
sible before turning off the engine.
If the vehicle is
trapped in rising water
In the event the vehicle is
submerged in water, remain
calm and perform the fol-
lowing.

4547-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
The following may indicate a
problem with your transmission.
Contact your Toyota dealer or
commercial towing service
before towing.
The engine is running but the
vehicle does not move.
 The vehicle makes an abnor-
mal sound.
WARNING
■While towing
●When towing using cables or
chains, avoid sudden starts, etc.
which place excessive stress on
the towing eyelets, cables or
chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become
damaged, broken debris may hit
people, and cause serious dam-
age.
●Do not turn the engine switch
off.
There is a possibility that the
steering wheel is locked and
cannot be operated.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when towing using a
wheel-lift type truck
●Do not tow the vehicle from the
rear when the engine switch is
off. The steering lock mecha-
nism is not strong enough to
hold the front wheels straight.
●When raising the vehicle,
ensure adequate ground clear-
ance for towing at the opposite
end of the raised vehicle. With-
out adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while
being towed.
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when towing with a
sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck,
either from the front or rear.
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle during emergency
towing
Do not secure cables or chains to
the suspension components.
■When towing a vehicle
equipped with a Stop & Start
system (if equipped)
If it is necessary to tow the vehicle
with all 4 wheels on the ground,
perform the following procedure
before towing the vehicle, in order
to protect the system.
Turn the engine switch off and
then start the engine or turn the
engine switch to ON.
■Recreational towing (behind
motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to
prevent causing serious damage
to the Dynamic Torque Control
AWD system (AWD models) or
Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD
system (AWD models) and trans-
mission. ( P.201)
Situations when it is nec-
essary to contact dealers
before towing