TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

3214-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
●When the distance between your
vehicle and metal objects, such as
a guardrail, wall, sign, or parked
vehicle, which may reflect electri-
cal waves toward the rear of the
vehicle, is short
●When there are spinning objects
near your vehicle such as the fan
of an air conditioning unit
●When water is splashed or
sprayed toward the rear bumper,
such as from a sprinkler
■Situations in which the Parking
Support Brake function
(rear-crossing vehicles) may
not operate properly
In some situations, such as the fol-
lowing, the radar sensors may not
detect an object and this function
may not operate properly
●Stationary objects
●When a sensor or the area around
a sensor is extremely hot or cold
●If the rear bumper is covered with
ice, snow, dirt, etc.
●If a sensor has been painted or
covered with a sticker, etc.
●When it is rainin g heavily or water
strikes the vehicle
●If the vehicle is significantly tilted
●When equipment that may
obstruct a sensor is installed, such
as a towing eyelet, bumper pro-
tector (an additional trim strip,
etc.), bicycle carrier, or snow plow
●If the suspension has been modi-
fied or tires of a size other than
specified are installed
●If the front of the vehicle is raised or lowered due to the carried load
●If an electronic component, such
as a backlit license plate (espe-
cially fluorescent type), fog lights,
fender pole or wireless antenna is
installed near a radar sensor
●If the orientation of a radar sensor
has been changed
●When multiple vehicles are
approaching with only a small gap
between each vehicle
●If a vehicle is approaching the rear
of your vehicle rapidly
●Situations in which the radar sen-
sor may not detect a vehicle
• When a vehicle approaches from
the right or left at the rear of the
vehicle while you are turning while
backing up
• When turning while backing up
• When backing out of a shallow angle parking spot
• When backing up on a slope with a sharp change in grade

3224-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U• When a vehicle turns into the
detection area
Multi-information display
Driving mode select switch
Operate the driving mode select
switch forward or backward to
select the desired driving mode on
the multi-information display.
1 Normal mode
Provides an optimal balance of fuel
economy, quietness, and dynamic
performance. Suitable for normal
driving.
2Sport mode
Controls the hybrid system to pro-
vide quick, powerful acceleration.
This mode also changes the steer-
ing feel, making it suitable for when
agile driving response is desired,
such as when driving on roads with
Driving mode select
switch
The driving modes can be
selected to suit the driving
and usage conditions.
Selecting a driving mode

3234-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_Umany curves.
When Sport mode is selected,
Sport mode indicator comes on.
3
Eco drive mode
Helps the driver accelerate in an
eco-friendly manner and improve
fuel economy through moderate
throttle characteristics and by con-
trolling the operation of the air con-
ditioning system (heating/cooling).
When Eco drive mode is selected,
Eco drive mode indicator comes
on.
■Air conditioning system opera-
tion in Eco drive mode
In Eco drive mode, heating/cooling
operations and the fan speed is con-
trolled to improve fuel efficiency.
Perform the following procedures to
increase the air conditioning perfor-
mance.
●Vehicle with a 12.3-inch display:
Turn eco air conditioning mode off
(  P.350)
●Adjust the fan speed ( P.343)
●Cancel Eco drive mode
■Canceling a driving mode
●Sport mode is automatically can-
celed and the driving mode
returns to normal mode when the
power switch is off.
●Normal mode and Eco drive mode
are not canceled until another
driving mode is selected. (Even if
the power switch is off, normal
mode and Eco drive mode will not
be automatically canceled.)
Press the Trail Mode switch
When the switch is pressed, Trail
Mode turns on and the Trail Mode
indicator illuminates on the
multi-information display.
When the switch is pressed again,
the Trail Mode indicator turns off.
Trail Mode (AWD vehi-
cles)
Trail Mode is a system that
performs integrated control
for the AWD, brake and
drive force control systems
to assist the drive power on
bumpy roads, etc.
WARNING
■Before using Trail Mode
Make sure to observe the follow-
ing precautions. Failure to
observe these precautions may
result in an unexpected accident.
●Check that the Trail Mode indi-
cator is illuminate d before driv-
ing. Trail Mode will not operate
when the indicator is off.
●Trail Mode is not intended to
expand the limits of the vehicle.
Thoroughly check the road con-
ditions and drive with caution.
●Thoroughly check the road con-
ditions before driving. As Trail
Mode is suitable for driving on
bumpy roads, there is a chance
that Trail Mode may not be the
most appropriate in terms of
other road conditions.
Turning Trail Mode on

3244-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Tr ai l M o de
●Trail Mode is intended for use
when driving on bumpy roads. Do
not turn the switch on in other situ-
ations.
●Trail Mode controls the vehicle so
that it can use the maximum
amount of drive force when driving
on bumpy roads. As a result, fuel
efficiency may diminish when
compared to driving with Trail
Mode off.
●If Trail Mode is continuously used
for a long period of time, the load
on related parts increases and the
system may be unable to operate
effectively.
■When Trail Mode is canceled
In the following situations, Trail
Mode is automatically canceled
even if it is turned on.
●When the driving mode is
changed ( P.322)
●When the power switch is turned
off
■During Trail Mode operation
The following types of situations
may occur, but they are not malfunc-
tions.
●Vibrations may be felt throughout
the vehicle or steering wheel
●Operating noise may be heard
from the engine compartment
■When an inspection at your
Toyota dealer is necessary
In the following situations, the sys- tem may be malfunctioning. Have
the vehicle inspect
ed by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
●When the slip indicator illuminates
while Trail Mode is on
●When the Trail Mode indicator
does not illuminate even though
the Trail Mode switch is pressed

3254-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■ECB (Electronically Con-
trolled Brake System)
The electronically controlled
system generates braking force
corresponding to the brake
operation
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake Sys-
tem)
Helps to prevent wheel lock
when the brakes are applied
suddenly, or if the brakes are
applied while driving on a slip-
pery road surface
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of
braking force after the brake
pedal is depressed when the
system detects a panic stop sit-
uation
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Con-
trol)
Helps the driver to control skid-
ding when swerving suddenly or
turning on slippery road sur-
faces
■Enhanced VSC (Enhanced
Vehicle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control of
the ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS.
Helps to maintain directional
stability when swerving on slip-
pery road surfaces by con-
trolling steering performance.
■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 prevent the drive wheels
from spinning when starting the
vehicle or accelerating on slip-
pery roads
■Active Cornering Assist
(ACA)
Helps to prevent the vehicle
from drifting to the outer side by
performing inner wheel brake
control when attempting to
accelerate while turning
■Hill-start assist control
Helps to reduce the backward
movement of the vehicle when
Driving assist systems
To keep driving safety and
performance, the following
systems operate automati-
cally 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

3264-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
starting on an uphill
■EPS (Electric Power Steer-
ing)
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 when cornering, going
uphill, starting off or accelerat-
ing, and when the road surface
is slippery due to snow, rain, etc.
■VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics
Integrated Management)
Provides integrated control of
the ABS, brake assist, TRAC,
VSC, hill-start assist control and
EPS systems
Helps to maintain vehicle stabil-
ity when swerving on slippery
road surfaces by controlling the
brakes, hybrid system output
and steering assist.
■The Secondary Collision
Brake
When the SRS airbag sensor
detects a collision and the sys-
tem operates, the brakes and
brake lights are automatically
controlled to reduce the vehicle speed and help reduce the pos-
sibility of further damage due to
a secondary collision.
■When the
TRAC/VSC/ABS/Trailer Sway
Control systems are operating
The slip indicator light will flash
while the TRAC/VSC/ABS/Trailer
Sway Control systems are operat-
ing.
■Disabling the TRAC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in mud, dirt
or snow, the TRAC system may
reduce power from the hybrid sys-
tem to the wheels. Pressing the
switch to turn the system off may
make it easier for you to rock the
vehicle in order to free it.
To turn the TRAC system off, quickly
press and release the switch.
The “Traction Control Turned OFF”
will be shown on the multi-informa-
tion display.
Press the switch again to turn
the system back on.

3274-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Turning off both TRAC, VSC
and Trailer Sway Control sys-
tems
To turn the TRAC, VSC and Trailer
Sway Control systems off, press
and hold the switch for more
than 3 seconds while the vehicle is
stopped.
The VSC OFF indicator light will
come on and the “Traction Control
Turned OFF” will be shown on the
multi-information display.
*
Press the switch again to turn
the system back on.
*: On vehicles with PCS (Pre-Colli- sion System), PCS will also be
disabled (only Pre-Collision warn-
ing is available). The PCS warning
light will come on and a message
will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
( P.249)
■When the message is dis-
played on the multi-information
display showing that TRAC has
been disabled even if the
switch has not been pressed
TRAC is temporary deactivated. If
the information continues to show,
contact your Toyota dealer.
■Operating conditions of
hill-start assist control
When the following four conditions
are met, the hill-star t assist control
will operate:
●The shift lever is in a position
other than P or N (when starting
off forward/backward on an
upward incline)
●The vehicle is stopped
●The accelerator pedal is not
depressed
●The parking brake is not engaged
■Automatic system cancelation
of hill-start assist control
The hill-start assist control will turn
off in any of the following situations:
●The shift lever is shifted to P or N
●The accelerator pedal is
depressed
●The parking brake is engaged
●2 seconds at maximum elapsed
after the brake pedal is released
■Sounds and vibrations caused
by the ABS, brake assist, VSC,
Trailer Sway Control, TRAC and
hill-start assist control systems
●A sound may be heard from the
engine compartment when the
brake pedal is depressed repeat-
edly, when the hybrid system is
started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This sound does
not indicate that a malfunction has
occurred in any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions
may occur when the above sys-
tems are operating. None of these
indicates that a malfunction has
occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the
vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard also
after the vehicle comes to a stop.
■ECB operating sound
ECB operating sound may be heard
in the following cases, but it does
not indicate that a malfunction has
occurred.
●Operating sound heard from the
engine compartment when the
brake pedal is operated.
●Motor sound of the brake system
heard from the front part of the
vehicle when the driver’s door is
opened.
●Operating sound heard from the
engine compartment when one or
two minutes passed after the stop
of the hybrid system.

3284-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Active Cornering Assist opera-
tion sounds and vibrations
When the Active Cornering Assist is
operated, operation sounds and
vibrations may be generated from
the brake system, but this is not a
malfunction.
■EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is oper-
ated, a motor sound (whirring
sound) may be heard. This does not
indicate a malfunction.
■Reduced effectiveness of the
EPS system
The effectiveness of the EPS sys-
tem is reduced to prevent the sys-
tem from overheating when there is
frequent steering input over an
extended period of time. The steer-
ing wheel may feel heavy as a
result. Should this occur, refrain
from excessive steering input or
stop the vehicle and turn the hybrid
system off. The EPS system should
return to normal within 10 minutes.
■Automatic reactivation of
TRAC, Trailer Sway Control and
VSC systems
After turning the TRAC, Trailer
Sway Control and VSC systems off,
the systems will be automatically
re-enabled in the following situa-
tions:
●When the power switch is turned
OFF
●If only the TRAC system is turned
off, the TRAC will turn on when
vehicle speed increases
If both the TRAC and VSC sys-
tems are turned off, automatic
re-enabling will not occur when
vehicle speed increases.
■Operating conditions of Active
Cornering Assist
The system operates when the fol-
lowing occurs.
●TRAC/VSC can operate
●The driver is at tempting to accel- erate while turning
●The system detects that the vehi-
cle is drifting to the outer side
●The brake pedal is released
■Secondary Collision Brake
operating conditions
The system operates when the SRS
airbag sensor detects a collision
while the vehicle is in motion.
However, the system does not oper-
ate in any of the following situations.
●The vehicle speed is below 6 mph
(10 km/h)
●Components are damaged
■Secondary Collision Brake
automatic cancellation
The system is automatically can-
celed in any of the following situa-
tions.
●The vehicle speed drops below
approximately 6 mph (10 km/h)
●A certain amount of time elapses
during operation
●The accelerator pedal is
depressed a large amount
WARNING
■The ABS does not operate
effectively when
●The limits of tire gripping perfor-
mance have been exceeded
(such as excessively worn tires
on a snow covered road).
●The vehicle hydroplanes while
driving at high speed on wet or
slick roads.
■Stopping distance when the
ABS is operating may exceed
that of normal conditions
The ABS is not designed to
shorten the vehicle’s stopping dis-
tance. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front of
you, especially in the following sit-
uations:

3294-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
WARNING
●When driving on dirt, gravel or
snow-covered roads
●When driving with tire chains
●When driving over bumps in the
road
●When driving over roads with
potholes or uneven surfaces
■TRAC/VSC may not operate
effectively when
Directional control and power may
not be achievable while driving on
slippery road surfaces, even if the
TRAC/VSC system is operating.
Drive the vehicle carefully in con-
ditions where stability and power
may be lost.
■Active Cornering Assist does
not operate effectively when
●Do not overly rely on Active
Cornering Assist. Active Corner-
ing Assist may not operate
effectively when accelerating
down slopes or driving on slip-
pery road surfaces.
●When Active Cornering Assist
frequently operates, Active Cor-
nering Assist may temporarily
stop operating to ensure proper
operation of the brakes, TRAC
and VSC.
■Hill-start assist control does
not operate effectively when
●Do not overly rely on hill-start
assist control. Hill-start assist
control may not operate effec-
tively on steep inclines and
roads covered with ice.
●Unlike the parking brake,
hill-start assist control is not
intended to hold the vehicle sta-
tionary for an extended period
of time. Do not attempt to use
hill-start assist control to hold
the vehicle on an incline, as
doing so may lead to an acci-
dent.
■When the
TRAC/ABS/VSC/Trailer Sway
Control is activated
The slip indicato r light flashes.
Always drive carefully. Reckless
driving may cause an accident.
Exercise particular care when the
indicator light flashes.
■When the TRAC/VSC/Trailer
Sway Control systems are
turned off
●Be especially careful and drive
at a speed appropriate to the
road conditions. As these are
the systems to help ensure
vehicle stability and driving
force, do not turn the
TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway Con-
trol systems off unless neces-
sary.
●Trailer Sway Control is part of
the VSC system and will not
operate if VSC is turned off or
experiences a malfunction.
■Replacing tires
Make sure that all tires are of the
specified size, brand, tread pat-
tern and total load capacity. In
addition, make sure that the tires
are inflated to the recommended
tire inflation pressure level.
The ABS, TRAC, Trailer Sway
Control and VSC systems will not
function correctly if different tires
are installed on the vehicle.
Contact your Toyota dealer for fur-
ther information when replacing
tires or wheels.

3304-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER HV_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.202)
■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.