steering LEXUS ES350 2021 Owner's Manual

1233-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
3
Before driving
■Using automatic mode in cold weather
(power type)
When automatic mode is used in cold
weather, the door mirror could freeze up
and automatic stowing and return may not
be possible. In this case, remove any ice and
snow from the door mirror, then either
operate the mirror using manual mode or
move the mirror by hand.
■Customization
The automatic mirror fo lding and extending
operation can be changed.
(Customizable features: P.419)
When the mirror select switch is in the
“L” or “R” position, the outside rear
view mirrors will automatically angle
downwards when the vehicle is revers-
ing in order to give a better view of the
ground.
To disable this function, move the mir-
ror select switch to the neutral position
(between “L” or “R”).
■Adjusting the mirror angle when
the vehicle is reversing
With the shift lever in R, adjust the mir-
ror angle at a desired position. The
adjusted angle will be memorized and
the mirror will automatically tilt to the
memorized angle whenever the shift
lever is shifted to R from next time.
The memorized downward tilt position of
the mirror is linked to the normal position
(angle adjusted with th e shift lever in other
than R). Therefore, if the normal position is
changed after adjustment, the tilt position
will also change.
When the normal position is changed,
readjust the angle in reversing.
WARNING
■When a mirror is moving
To avoid personal injury and mirror mal-
function, be careful not to get your hand
caught by the moving mirror.
Linked mirror function when
reversing (vehicles with driving
position memory)

1344-1. Before driving
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the engine
 P.144
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D. ( P.150)
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, release the parking brake.
(P.154)
3 Gradually release the brake pedal
and gently depress the accelerator
pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 With the shift lever in D, depress
the brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking brake.
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the shift lever
to P or N. ( P.150)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D, depress
the brake pedal.
2 Set the parking brake ( P.154),
and shift the shift lever to P
( P.150).
3 Press the engine switch to stop the
engine.
4 Lock the door, making sure that
you have the electronic key on your
person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels as
needed.
■Starting off on a steep uphill
1 Make sure that the parking brake is
set with the brake pedal depressed,
and then shift the shift lever to D.
2 Release the brake pedal and gently
depress the accelerator pedal.
3 Release the parking brake.
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate.
(  P.246)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because
visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road
will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain,
because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on
an expressway in the rain, because there
may be a layer of wa ter between the tires
and the road surface, preventing the
steering and brakes from operating
properly.
■Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine
speed may become high while driving. This
is due to automatic up-shifting control or
down-shifting implementation to meet driv-
ing conditions. It does not indicate sudden
acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill
or downhill
●When the accelerato r pedal is released
●When the brake pedal is firmly or quickly
depressed
■Restraining the engine output (Brake
Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake pedals
are depressed at the same time, the
engine output may be restrained.
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be
observed to ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

1354-1. Before driving
4
Driving
●A warning message is displayed on the
multi-information display while the sys-
tem is operating. ( P.363)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
●When the following unusual operation is
performed, the engine output may be
restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to
D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D
includes S) with the accelerator pedal
depressed, a warning message appears
on the multi-information display. If a
warning message is shown on the multi-
information display, read the message
and follow the instructions.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed
too much while the vehicle is in reverse.
●While Drive-Start Control is being acti-
vated, your vehicle may have trouble
escaping from the mud or fresh snow. In
such case, deactivate TRAC ( P.247)
to cancel Drive-Start Control so that the
vehicle may become able to escape from
the mud or fresh snow.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing
the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign
country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registra-
tion laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P.400)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with
the location of the brake and accelera-
tor pedals to avoid depressing the
wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelera- tor pedal instead of the brake pedal
will result in sudden acceleration that
may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in
operating the pedals. Make sure to
operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle
only slightly. This allows you to depress
the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal
using your left foot may delay
response in an emer gency, resulting in
an accident.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop
the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases
can be extremely hot. These hot parts
may cause a fire if there is any flamma-
ble material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not turn off
the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of
steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be
lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull
over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emer-
gency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way:
 P.352

1364-1. Before driving
WARNING
●Use engine braking (downshift) to
maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may
cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. (P.149)
●Do not adjust the positions of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the inside
or outside rear view mirrors while driv-
ing.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
●Always check that all passengers’
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 an 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/electronic components to
short circuit, damage the engine or
cause other serious damage to the
vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits 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 fail-
ure, loss of control and possible injury.
Be sure to consult a tire dealer to
determine whether the tires on your
vehicle are high-speed capability tires
or not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and
steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehi-
cle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking
due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid,
resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle, lightly
depress the brake pedal to make sure
that the brakes are functioning prop-
erly. Wet brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning properly. If
the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering
control may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward
while the shift lever is in a driving posi-
tion or roll forward while the shift lever
is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall
or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident
or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shif t lever to P while
the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while
the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a driving
position while the vehicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Shifting the shift lever to N while the
vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine
braking is not available when N is
selected.

1384-1. Before driving
WARNING
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if
you accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, this could
cause an accident or fire due to engine
overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is
parked in a poorly ventilated area,
exhaust gases may collect and enter the
vehicle, leading to death or a serious
health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more
cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the
brakes are wet, and this may cause
one side of the vehicle to brake differ-
ently than the other side. Also, the
parking brake may not securely hold
the vehicle.
●If the brake booster device does not
operate, do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid hills or sharp turns
that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but
the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up
the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 or
more individual hydraulic systems; if
one of the systems fails, the other(s)
will still operate. In this case, the brake
pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual and the braking dis-
tance will increase. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD
models)
Do not spin the wheels excessively when
any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehi-
cle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may
damage the driveline components or
propel the vehicle forward or backward,
causing an accident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and
brake pedals at th e same time while
driving, as this may restrain the engine
output.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or
depress the accelerator 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
damaging the wheels, underside of the
vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the fol-
lowing situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually depress the
brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehi-
cle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal
sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat
tire ( P.375)

1404-1. Before driving
Steps for Determining Correct Load
Limit 
(1) Locate the statement “The com-
bined 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 passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers 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 passengers 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 lug-
gage load capacity calculated in Step
4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will be
transferred to your vehicle. Consult
this manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity of your vehicle.
(  P.141)
Lexus does not recommend towing a
trailer with your vehicle. Your vehicle is not
designed for trailer towing.
Cargo capacity
Total load capacity (vehicle capac-
ity weight) ( P.398)
When 2 people with the combined
weight of A lb. (kg) are riding in your
vehicle, which has a total load capacity
(vehicle capacity weight) of B lb. (kg),
the available amount of cargo and lug-
gage 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
WARNING
■Capacity and distribution
●Do not exceed the maximum axle
weight rating or the total vehicle
weight rating.
●Even if the total load of occupant’s
weight and the cargo load is less than
the total load capacity, do not apply
the load unevenly. Improper loading
may cause deterioration of steering or
braking control which may cause
death or serious injury.
Calculation formula for your
vehicle
A
B

1414-1. Before driving
4
Driving
In this condition, if 3 more passengers 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 luggage 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 number of occupants
causes an excess of the total load
capacity (combined weight of occu-
pants plus cargo and luggage load),
you must reduce the cargo and lug-
gage on your vehicle.
■Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire
and loading information label. ( P.336)
Vehicle load limits
Vehicle load limits include total
load capacity, seating capacity,
towing capacity and cargo capac-
ity.
 Total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight): P.398
Total load capacity means the com-
bined weight of occupants, cargo
and luggage.
 Seating capacity: P.398
Seating capacity means the maxi-
mum number of occupants whose
estimated average weight is 150 lb.
(68 kg) per person.
 Towing capacity
Lexus does not recommend towing
a trailer with your vehicle.
 Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or
decrease depending on the weight
and the number of occupants.
WARNING
■Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to the tires,
but also degrade steering and braking
ability, resulting in an accident.

1454-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■If the battery is discharged
The engine cannot be started using the
smart access system with push-button start.
Refer to P.389 to restart the engine.
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P.92
■Conditions affe cting operation
 P.108
■Notes for the entry function
 P.108
■Steering lock function
●After turning the engine switch off and
opening and closing the doors, the steer-
ing wheel will be lock ed due to the steer-
ing lock function. Operating the engine
switch again automatically cancels the
steering lock.
●When the steering lock cannot be
released, “Push Engine Switch while
Turning Steering Whee l in Either Direc-
tion” will be displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
Check that the shift leve r is set in P. Press
the engine switch shor tly and firmly while
turning the steering wheel left and right.
●To prevent the steering lock motor from
overheating, operation of the motor may
be suspended if the engine is turned on
and off repeatedly in a short period of
time. In this case, refrain from operating
the engine switch. After about 10 sec-
onds, the steering lock motor will resume
functioning.
■If there is a malfun ction in the smart
access system with push-button start
If “Access System with Elec. Key Malfunc-
tion See Owner’s Manual” is displayed on
the multi-information display, the system
may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
■Electronic key battery
 P.341
■Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is no t pressed shortly and
firmly, the engine switch mode may not
change or the engine may not start.
●If attempting to restart the engine imme-
diately after turning th e engine switch off,
the engine may not start in some cases.
After turning the engine switch off, please
wait a few seconds be fore restarting the
engine.
■Customization
If the smart access system with push-button
start has been deactivated in a customized
setting, refer to P.419.
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in
the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the
engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle
is moving, do not lock or open the doors
until the vehicle reaches a safe and com-
plete stop. Activation of the steering lock
in this circumstance may lead to an acci-
dent, resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to start
or stalls frequently, have your vehicle
checked by your Lexus dealer imme-
diately.

1464-2. Driving procedures
1Stop the vehicle completely.
2 Set the parking brake ( P.154),
and shift the shift lever to P
( P.150).
3 Press the engine switch.
4 Release the brake pedal and check
that “ACCESSORY” or “IGNI-
TION ON” is not shown on the
meter.
■Automatic engine shut off feature
●The vehicle is equipped with a feature
that automatically shuts off the engine
when the shift lever is in P with the engine
running for an extended period.
●The engine will automatically shut off
after approximately 1 hour if it has been
left running while the shift lever is in P.
●The timer for the automatic engine shut
off feature will reset if the brake pedal is
depressed or if the shif t lever is in a posi-
tion other than P.
●After the vehicle is parked, if the door is
locked with the door lock switch
(  P.97) from the inside or the mechani-
cal key from the outside, the automatic
engine shut off feature will be disabled.
The timer for the automatic engine shut
off feature will be re-enabled if the
driver’s door is opened.
■Locking the door from outside with the
engine running
1 With the driver’s door open, pull the
driver’s door hand le and insert the
mechanical key.
2 Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise.
3 Pull out the mechanical key and close
the door.NOTICE
■Symptoms indicating a malfunction
with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operat-
ing somewhat differently than usual, such
as the switch sticking slightly, there may
be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus
dealer immediately.
Stopping the engine
WARNING
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
●If you want to stop the engine in an
emergency while driving the vehicle,
press and hold the engine switch for
more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly
3 times or more in succession.
(  P.352)
However, do not touch the engine
switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. Turning the engine off while
driving will not cause loss of steering
or braking control, but the power
assist to these systems will be lost. This
will make it more difficult to steer and
brake, so you should pull over and stop
the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
●If the engine switch is operated while
the vehicle is running, a warning mes-
sage will be shown on the multi-infor-
mation display and a buzzer sounds.

1604-3. Operating the lights and wipers
1With the headlights on, push the
lever away from you to turn on the
high beams.
Pull the lever toward you to the center
position to turn the high beams off.
2Pull the lever toward you and
release it to flash the high beams
once.
You can flash the high beams with the
headlights on or off.
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System)
secures excellent visibility at intersec-
tions and on curves by automatically
adjusting the direction of the light axis
of the headlights according to vehicle
speed and the degree of the tire’s
angle as controlled by steering input.
AFS operates at speed s of approximately
6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.
When any of the following conditions is
met, while the headlights (low beam)
are on, the cornering lights will addi- tionally turn on and light up the direc-
tion of movement for the vehicle. This is
to ensure excellent visibility when
either driving at intersections or park-
ing at night.

The steering wheel is operated
 The turn signal lever is operated
 The shift position is in R (both left
and right side cornering lights)
■Cornering light control
●The lights illuminate when the vehicle
speed is approximately 19 mph (30
km/h) or less. However, the lights turn off
when the vehicle speed increases to
approximately 22 mph (35 km/h) or
more.
●After the lights remain illuminated for 30
minutes, they automatically turn off.
Turning on the high beam head-
lights
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting
System) (if equipped)
Cornering lights