light Lexus ES350 2020 / LEXUS 2020 ES350 FROM OCT. 2019 PROD. (OM06194U) Owners Manual

2034-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
*: If equipped
Meter control switches
Turn the Blind Spot Monitor on/off.
Outside rear view mirror indicators
When a vehicle is detected 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.
BSM indicator
When the Blind Spot Monitor is turned on,
the indicator comes on.
1Press or of the meter con-
trol switches, select .
2
Press or of the meter con-
trol switches, select “BSM”, and
then press “OK”.
■Outside rear view mirror indicator visi-
bility
In strong sunlight, the outside rear view mir-
ror indicator may be difficult to see.
■When “Blind Spot Monitor Unavailable”
is shown on the multi-information dis-
play
Ice, snow, mud, etc., may be attached to the
rear bumper around the sensors.
(  P.205) Remove the ice, snow, mud, etc.,
attached to the rear bumper around the
sensors to return the function to normal.
Additionally, the sensors may not operate
normally when driving in extremely hot or
cold environments.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized. (Cus-
tomizable features:  P.404)
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor)*
The Blind Spot Monitor is a system
that uses rear side radar sensors
installed on the inner side of the
rear bumper on the left and right
side to assist the driver in confirm-
ing safety when changing lanes.
WARNING
■Cautions regarding the use of the
function
The driver is solely responsible for safe
driving. Always driv e safely, taking care
to observe your surroundings.
The Blind Spot Monitor is a supplemen-
tary function which alerts the driver that a
vehicle is in a blind spot of the outside
rear view mirrors or is approaching rap-
idly from behind into a blind spot. Do not
overly rely on the Blind Spot Monitor. As
the function cannot judge if it is safe to
change lanes, over reliance could lead to
an accident resulting in death or serious
injury.
As the system may not function correctly
under certain conditions, the driver’s own
visual confirmation of safety is necessary.
System components
A
Turning the Blind Spot Monitor
on/off
B
C

2054-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
WARNING
■Handling the rear side radar sensors
Blind Spot Monitor se nsors are installed
behind the left and right sides of the rear
bumper respectively. Observe the fol-
lowing to ensure the Blind Spot Monitor
can function correctly.
●Keep the sensors and the surrounding
areas on the rear bumper clean at all
times.
If a sensor or its surrounding area on
the rear bumper is dirty or covered
with snow, the Blind Spot Monitor may
not operate and a warning message
(  P.203) will be displayed. In this sit-
uation, clear off the dirt or snow and
drive the vehicle with the operation
conditions of the BSM function
(  P.207) satisfied for approximately
10 minutes. If the warning message
does not disappear, have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer.
●Do not subject a sensor or its sur-
rounding area on the rear bumper to a
strong impact.
If a sensor is moved even slightly off
position, the system may malfunction
and vehicles may not be detected cor-
rectly.
In the following situations, have your
vehicle inspected by your Lexus
dealer.
• A sensor or its surrounding area is subject to a strong impact.
• If the surrounding area of a sensor is scratched or dented, or part of them
has become disconnected.
●Do not disassemb le the sensor.
●Do not attach accessories, stickers
(including transparent stickers), alumi-
num tape, etc. to a sensor or its sur-
rounding area on the rear bumper.
●Do not modify the sensor or surround-
ing area on the rear bumper.
●If a sensor or the rear bumper needs to
be removed/installed or replaced,
contact your Lexus dealer.
●Do not paint the rear bumper any
color other than an official Lexus color.

2134-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
and turn it on. If the system is dis-
abled, it will remain off even if the
engine switch is turned to IGNTION
ON mode after the engine switch has
been turned off.
■The system can be operated when
●The engine switch is in IGNITION ON
mode.
●Intuitive parking assist function is on.
●The vehicle speed is less than about 6
mph (10 km/h).
WARNING
■When using the intuitive parking
assist
Observe the following precautions.
Failing to do so may result in the vehicle
being unable to be driven safely and pos-
sibly cause an accident.
●Do not use the sensor at speeds in
excess of 6 mph (10 km/h).
●The sensors’ detection areas and reac-
tion times are limited. When moving
forward or reversing, check the areas
surrounding the vehicle (especially the
sides of the vehicle) for safety, and
drive slowly, using the brake to control
the vehicle’s speed.
●Do not install accessories within the
sensors’ detection areas.
●The area directly under the bumpers is
not detected. Thin posts or objects
lower than the sensor may not be
detected when appr oached, even if
they have been detected once.
■When to disable the function
In the following situations, disable the
function as it may operate even though
there is no possibility of a collision.
●The vehicle is equipped with a fender
pole, wireless antenna or fog lights.
●The front or rear bu mper or a sensor
receives a strong impact.
●A non-genuine Lexus suspension
(lowered suspension, etc.) is installed.
●Towing eyelet is installed.
●A backlit license plate is installed.
■When using intuitive parking assist
In the following situations, the system
may not function correctly due to a sen-
sor malfunction, etc. Have the vehicle
checked by your Lexus dealer.
●The intuitive parking assist operation
display flashes or shows continuously,
and a buzzer sounds when no objects
are detected.
●If the area around a sensor collides
with something, or is subjected to
strong impact.
●If the bumper or grille collides with
something.
●If the display flashes or is displayed
continuously and a buzzer does not
sound, except when the mute function
has been turned on.
●If a display error oc curs, first check the
sensor.
If the error occurs even when there is
no ice, snow or mud on the sensor, it is
likely that the sensor is malfunctioning.
■Notes when washing the vehicle
Do not apply intensive bursts of water or
steam to the sensor area.
Doing so may result in the sensor mal-
functioning.
●When using a high pressure washer to
wash the vehicle, do not spray the sen-
sors directly, as doing so may cause a
sensor to malfunction.
●When using steam to clean the vehicle,
do not direct steam too close to the
sensors as doing so may cause a sen-
sor to malfunction.

2194-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
■Outside rear view mirror indicator visi-
bility
In strong sunlight, the outside rear view mir-
ror indicator may be difficult to see.
■Hearing the RCTA buzzer
The RCTA buzzer may be difficult to hear
over loud noises, such as if the audio system
volume is high.
■When “Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Unavailable” is shown on the multi-
information display
Ice, snow, mud, etc., may be attached to the
rear bumper around the sensors.
(  P.205) Remove the ice, snow, mud, etc.,
attached to the rear bumper around the
sensors to return the function to normal.
Additionally, the sensors may not operate
normally when driving in extremely hot or
cold environments.
■Rear side radar sensors
 P.205
■Operation of the RCTA function
The RCTA function uses rear side radar sensors to detect vehicles approaching
from the right or left at the rear of the vehicle and alerts the driver of the presence
of such vehicles by flashing the outside rear view mirror indicators and sounding a
buzzer.
Approaching vehicles
Detection areas of approaching vehicles
WARNING
■Cautions regarding the use of the
function
The driver is solely responsible for safe
driving. Always driv e safely, taking care
to observe your surroundings.
The RCTA function is only a supplemen-
tary function which alerts the driver that a
vehicle is approaching from the right or
left at the rear of the vehicle. As the
RCTA function may not function cor-
rectly under certain conditions, the
driver’s own visual confirmation of safety
is necessary. Over reli ance on this func-
tion may lead to an accident resulting
death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■Before using the RCTA function
Do not place obstacles near the sensors.
RCTA function
A
B

2244-5. Using the driving support systems
detection function, preventing the func-
tion from operating properly:
• Pedestrians who are bending forward or squatting
• Pedestrians who are lying down
• Pedestrians who are running
• Pedestrians who suddenly enter the detection area
• People riding a bicycle, skateboard, or other light vehicle
• Pedestrians wearing oversized clothing such as a rain coat, long skirt, etc., making
their silhouette obscure
• Pedestrians whose body is partially hid- den by an object, such as a cart or
umbrella
• Pedestrians which are obscured by dark- ness, such as at night
●In some situations, such as the following,
pedestrians may not be detected by the
rear camera detection function, prevent-
ing the function from operating properly:
• When backing up in inclement weather (rain, snow, fog, etc.)
• When the rear camera is obscured (dirt,
snow, ice, etc. are attached) or scratched
• When a very bright light, such as the sun, or the headlights of another vehicle,
shines directly into the rear camera
• When backing up in a place where the surrounding brightness changes sud-
denly, such as at the entrance or exit of a
garage or underground parking lot
• When backing up in a dim environment
such as during dusk or in an underground
parking lot
●Even though there are no pedestrians in
the detection area, some objects, such as
the following, may be detected, possibly
causing the rear camera detection func-
tion to operate.
• Three dimensional objects, such as a
pole, traffic cone, fence, or parked vehi-
cle
• Moving objects, such as a car or motor-
cycle
• Objects moving toward your vehicle when backing up, such as flags or pud-
dles (or airborne matter, such as smoke,
steam, rain, or snow)
• Cobblestone or gravel roads, tram rails,
road repairs, white lines, pedestrian
crossings or fallen leaves on the road • Metal covers (gratings), such as those
used for drainage ditches
• Objects reflected in a puddle or on a wet road surface
• The roadside or bumps on the road
•Shadows on the road
●In some situations, such as the following,
the rear camera detection function may
operate even though there are no pedes-
trians in the detection area.
• When backing up toward the roadside or a bump on the road
• If the vehicle is signif icantly tilted, such as
when carrying a heavy load
• When backing up toward an
incline/decline
• If the suspension has been modified or tires of a size othe r than specified are
installed
• If the rear of the vehicle is raised or low- ered due to the carried load
• If an electronic component, such as a
backlit license plate is installed near the
rear camera
• If a bumper protector, such as an addi-
tional trim strip, is installed to the rear
bumper
• If the orientation of the rear camera has
been changed due to a collision or other
impact, or removal and installation
• If a towing eyelet is in stalled to the rear of
the vehicle
• When water is flowing over the rear cam- era lens
• When the rear camera is obscured (dirt,
snow, ice, etc. are at tached) or scratched
• If there is a flashing light in the detection
area, such as the emergency flashers of
another vehicle
●Situations in which the rear camera
detection function may be difficult to
notice
• The buzzer may be difficult to hear if the surrounding area is noisy, the volume of
the audio system volume is high, the air
conditioning system is being used, etc.
• If the temperature in the cabin is extremely high or low, the Center Display
may not operate correctly.

2354-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
• When parallel parking
• When there is a rut or hole in the surface of the road
• When driving on a metal cover (grating),
such as those used for drainage ditches
• When driving on a steep slope
• If a sensor is hit by a large amount of water, such as when driving on a flooded
road
●Weather
• If a sensor is covered with ice, snow, dirt, etc. (when cleared, the system will return
to normal)
• If heavy rain or water strikes a sensor
• When driving in incl ement weather such
as fog, snow or a sandstorm
• When strong winds are blowing
●Other ultrasonic wave sources
• When vehicle horns, vehicle detectors, motorcycle engines, air brakes of large
vehicles, the clearance sonar of other
vehicles or other devices which produce
ultrasonic waves are near the vehicle
• If a sticker or an el ectronic component,
such as a backlit license plate (especially
fluorescent type), fog lights, fender pole
or wireless antenna is installed near a
sensor
●Changes in the vehicle posture
• If the vehicle is significantly tilted
• If the front of the vehicle is raised or low- ered due to the carried load
• If the orientation of a sensor has been changed due to a collision or other
impact
■Situations in which the Parking Support
Brake function (stati c objects) may not
operate properly
In some situations, such as the following, this
function may not operate properly.
●Weather
• When a sensor or the area around a sen- sor is extremely hot or cold • When strong winds are blowing
• If a sensor is covered with ice, snow, dirt,
etc. (when cleared, the system will return
to normal)
• If heavy rain or water strikes a sensor
• When driving in incl ement weather such
as fog, snow or a sandstorm
• A sensor is frozen. (Thawing the area will resolve this problem.)
●Vehicle surroundings
• When an object that cannot be detected is between the vehicle and a detected
object
• If an object such as a vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrian cuts in front of the
vehicle or runs out from the side of the
vehicle
• The vehicle is approaching a tall or
curved curb.
• On an extremely bumpy road, on an incline, on gravel, or on grass.
• If objects draw too close to the sensor.
●Other ultrasonic waves sources
• When vehicle horns, vehicle detectors, motorcycle engines, air brakes of large
vehicles, the clearance sonar of other
vehicles or other de vices which produce
ultrasonic waves are near the vehicle
• If a sticker or an electronic component,
such as a backlit license plate (especially
fluorescent type), fog lights, fender pole
or wireless antenna is installed near a
sensor
●Changes in the vehicle posture

2404-5. Using the driving support systems
snow, dirt, etc.
●When it is raining heavily or water strikes
the vehicle
●When the detection area of a radar sen-
sor is obstructed by an adjacent vehicle
●If the vehicle is significantly tilted
●When equipment that may obstruct a
sensor is installed, such as a towing eye-
let, bumper protector (an additional trim
strip, etc.), bicycle carrier, or snow plow
●If the suspension has been modified or
tires of a size other than specified are
installed
●If the front of the vehicle is raised or low-
ered due to the carried load
●If a sticker or an electronic component,
such as a backlit license plate (especially
fluorescent type), fog light, 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 ga p between each vehi-
cle
●If a vehicle is approaching the rear of
your vehicle rapidly
●Situations in which the radar sensor 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
• When a vehicle turns into the detection area

2434-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
detection area
• People riding a bicycle, skateboard, or other light vehicle
• Pedestrians wearing oversized clothing
such as a rain coat, long skirt, etc., making
their silhouette obscure
• Pedestrians whose body is partially hid-
den by an object, such as a cart or
umbrella
• Pedestrians which are obscured by dark-
ness, such as at night
●In some situations, such as the following,
pedestrians may not be detected by the
Parking Support Brake function (rear
pedestrians), preventing the function
from operating properly:
• When backing up in inclement weather (rain, snow, fog, etc.)
• When the rear camera is obscured (dirt, snow, ice, etc. are attached) or scratched
• When a very bright light, such as the sun, or the headlights of another vehicle,
shines directly into the rear camera
• When backing up in a place where the surrounding brightness changes sud-
denly, such as at the entrance or exit of a
garage or underground parking lot
• When backing up in a dim environment
such as during dusk or in an underground
parking lot
●Even though there are no pedestrians in
the detection area, some objects, such as
the following, may be detected, possibly
causing the Parking Support Brake func-
tion (rear pedestri ans) to operate.
• Three dimensional objects, such as a
pole, traffic cone, fence, or parked vehi-
cle
• Moving objects, such as a car or motor-
cycle
• Objects moving toward your vehicle when backing up, such as flags or pud-
dles (or airborne matter, such as smoke,
steam, rain, or snow)
• Cobblestone or gravel roads, tram rails,
road repairs, white lines, pedestrian
crossings, puddles or fallen leaves on the
road
• Metal covers (gratings), such as those used for drainage ditches
• Objects reflected in a puddle or on a wet
road surface
• The roadside or bumps on the road •Shadows on the road
●In some situations, such as the following,
the Parking Support Brake function (rear
pedestrians) may operate even though
there are no pedestrians in the detection
area.
• When backing up toward the roadside or a bump on the road
• If the vehicle is signif icantly tilted, such as
when carrying a heavy load
• When backing up toward an incline/decline
• If the suspension has been modified or tires of a size othe r than specified are
installed
• If the rear of the vehicle is raised or low- ered due to the carried load
• If an electronic component, such as a
backlit license plate or rear fog light, is
installed near the rear camera
• If a bumper protector, such as an addi- tional trim strip, is installed to the rear
bumper
• If the orientation of the rear camera has been changed due to a collision or other
impact, or removal and installation
• If a towing eyelet is in stalled to the rear of
the vehicle
• When water is flowing over the rear cam- era lens
• When the rear camera is obscured (dirt,
snow, ice, etc. are at tached) or scratched
• If there is a flashing light in the detection area, such as the emergency flashers of
another vehicle

2444-5. Using the driving support systems
■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.
■Secondary Collision Brake
When the SRS airbag sensor detects a
collision and the system operates, the
brakes and brake lights are automati-
cally controlled to reduce the vehicle
speed and that help reduce the possi-
bility of further damage due to a sec-
ondary collision
■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
■AVS (Adaptive Variable Suspen-
sion System) (if equipped)
By independently controlling the
damping force of th e shock absorbers
for each of the 4 wheels according to
the road and driving conditions, this
system helps riding comfort with supe-
rior vehicle stability, and helps good
vehicle posture.
Also, the damping force changes
depending on the selected driving
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

2454-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
mode. (P.208)
■When the TRAC/VSC systems are
operating
The slip indicator light will flash while the
TRAC/VSC systems are operating.
■Disabling the TRAC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in mud, dirt or snow,
the TRAC system may reduce power from
the engine 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.
“Traction Control Turned Off” will be shown
on the multi-information display.
Press the switch again to turn the sys-
tem back on.
■Turning off both TRAC and VSC sys-
tems
To turn the TRAC and VSC 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 Cont rol Turned Off” will
be shown on the multi-information display.
*
Press the switch again to turn the sys-
tem back on.
*: PCS (Pre-Collision System) will also be disabled (only Pre-Collision warning is
available). The PCS warning light will
come on and a message will be displayed
on the multi-information display. ( P.181)
■When the message is displayed 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 infor-
mation continues to show, contact your
Lexus dealer.
■Operating conditions of hill-start assist
control
When the following four conditions are met,
the hill-start assist control will operate:
●The shift lever is in a position other than P
or N (when starting off forward/back-
ward on an up ward 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, TRAC and hill-
start assist control systems
●A sound may be heard from the engine
compartment when the brake pedal is
depressed repeatedly, when the engine 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.