LEXUS LS500 2021 Owners Manual

1714-1. Before driving
4
Driving
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.172)
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.456)
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
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 occupant s 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.
Calculation formula for your
vehicle
A
B
WARNING
■Things that must not be carried in the
trunk
The following things may cause a fire if
loaded in the trunk:
●Receptacles containing gasoline
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may prevent the pedals
from being depressed properly, may
block the driver’s vision, or may result in
items hitting the driver or passengers,
possibly causing an accident.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the trunk
whenever possible.

1724-1. Before driving
■Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire
and loading information label. ( P.406)
WARNING
●Do not place cargo or luggage in or on
the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or rear seats (when stacking items)
• On the package tray
• On the instrument panel
•On the dashboard
• In front of the Center Display
●Secure all items in the occupant com-
partment.
■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.
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.456
Total load capacity means the com-
bined weight of occupants, cargo
and luggage.
 Seating capacity: P.456
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.

1734-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Trailer towing
Lexus does not recommend towing
a trailer with your vehicle. Lexus
also does not recommend the
installation of a tow hitch or the use
of a tow hitch carrier for a wheel-
chair, scooter, bicycle, etc. Your
vehicle is not designed for trailer
towing or for the use of tow hitch
mounted carriers.
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 vehi-
cle
Do not tow your vehicle with the four
wheels on the ground.

1744-2. Driving procedures
4-2.Driving procedures
1Press the parking brake switch to
check that the parking brake is set.
(P.186)
The parking brake indicator will come on.
2 Firmly depress the brake pedal.
and a message will be displayed on
the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the engine cannot be
started.
3 Press the engine switch shortly and
firmly.
When operating the engine switch, one
short, firm press is enough. It is not neces-
sary to press and hold the switch.
The engine will crank until it starts or for up
to 30 seconds, whichever is less.
Continue depressing the brake pedal until
the engine is completely started.
The engine can be started from any engine
switch mode.
■Engine switch illumination
According to the situation, the engine
switch illumination operates as follows.
●When a door is opened, or the engine
switch mode is changed from ACCES-
SORY or IGNITION ON mode to off,
the engine switch illumination slowly
blinks.
●When depressing the brake pedal with
carrying the electronic key on your per-
son, the engine switch illumination rapidly
blinks.
●When the engine sw itch is in ACCES-
SORY or IGNITION ON mode, the
engine switch illumination illuminates.
■If the engine does not start
●The engine immobilizer system may not
have been deactivated. ( P.64)
Contact your Lexus dealer.
●If a message related to start-up is shown
on the multi-information display, read the
message and follow the instructions.
■If the battery is discharged
The engine cannot be started using the
smart access system with push-button start.
Refer to P.444 to restart the engine.
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P.98
■Conditions affecting operation
 P.115
■Notes for the entry function
 P.115
■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.
Press the engine switch shortly and firmly
Engine (ignition) switch
Performing the following opera-
tions when carrying the electronic
key on your person starts the
engine or changes engine switch
modes.
Starting the engine

1754-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
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.
■When “Check Fuel Cap” is displayed on
the multi-inform ation display
 P.201
■Electronic key battery
 P.410
■Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is not 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 the engine switch off,
the engine may not start in some cases.
After turning the engine switch off, please
wait a few seconds before restarting the
engine.
■Customization
If the smart access sy stem with push-button
start has been deactivated in a customized
setting, refer to P.442.
1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, set the parking brake.
(P.186)
3 Shift the shift position to P.
(P.180)
Check that the shift position indicator
shows P and the parking brake indicator is
illuminated.
4 Press the engine switch.
The engine will stop, and the meter display
will be extinguished (the shift position indi-
cator will be extinguished a few seconds
after the meter display).
5Release the brake pedal and check
that “ACCESSORY” or “IGNI-
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 immedi-
ately.
■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

1764-2. Driving procedures
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 position 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 position is in P.
●The timer for the automatic engine shut
off feature will reset if the brake pedal is
depressed or if the shift position is in a
position other than P.
●After the vehicle is parked, if the door is
locked with the door lock switch
(  P.104) from the insi de 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 handle and insert the
mechanical key.
2 Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise. 3
Pull out the mechanical key and close
the door.
■Automatic P position selection function
 P.181
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.418)
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, 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.
●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.
●When restarting the engine after an
emergency shutdown, press the
engine switch.
■When parking
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and
odorless. Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may cause exhaust gases
to enter the vehicle and may lead to an
accident caused by light-headedness, or
may lead to death or a serious health
hazard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated
area or a closed area, such as a
garage, stop the engine.

1774-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Modes can be changed by pressing
the engine switch with the brake pedal
released. (The mode changes each
time the switch is pressed.)
1Off
The emergency flashers can be used.
2ACCESSORY mode
Some electrical components such as the
audio system can be used. “ACCESSORY” will be displayed on the
meter.
3
IGNITION ON mode
All electrical components can be used.
“IGNITION ON” will be displayed on the
meter.
■Auto power off function
If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY mode
for more than 20 minutes or IGNITION
ON mode (with the engine not running) for
more than an hour with the shift position in
P, the engine switch will automatically turn
off. However, this function cannot entirely
prevent the battery discharge. Do not leave
the vehicle with the engine switch in
ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON mode
for long periods of time when the engine is
not running.
■When the shift control system malfunc-
tions
When attempting to turn the engine switch
off while there is a ma lfunction in the shift
control system, the engine switch mode
may change to ACCESSO RY mode. In this
case, ACCESSORY mode may be turned
off by applying the parking brake and press-
ing the engine switch ag ain. If there is a mal-
function in the system, have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
WARNING
●Do not leave the vehicle with the
engine running for a long time. If such
a situation cannot be avoided, park the
vehicle in an open space and ensure
that exhaust fumes do not enter the
vehicle interior.
●Do not leave the engine running in an
area with snow build-up, or where it is
snowing. If snowbanks build up around
the vehicle while the engine is running,
exhaust gases may collect and enter
the vehicle.
Changing engine switch modes
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
●Do not leave the engine switch in
ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON
mode for long periods of time without
the engine running.
●If “ACCESSORY” or “IGNITION
ON” is displayed on the meter, the
engine switch is not off.
Exit the vehicle after turning the
engine switch off.

1784-2. Driving procedures
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise, set the shift position in D for nor-
mal driving. You can choose gear range
suitable for your driving situation by
operating the paddle shift switches.
*2: Any gear range can be fixed when driv-
ing in M mode.
■For the shift positions
●When the engine switch is off or in
ACCESSORY mode, the shift position
cannot be changed.
●When the engine swit ch is in IGNITION
ON mode, the shift position can only be
changed to N.
●When the engine is running, the shift
position can be changed from P to D, N
or R.
●The shift position can only be changed to
M directly from D.
In addition, if an atte mpt is made to change the shift position by mo
ving the shift lever or
by pressing the P position switch in any of
the following situations, the buzzer will
sound and the shifting operation will be dis-
abled or the shift posi tion will automatically
change to N. When this happens, select an
appropriate shift position.
●Situations where the shifting operation
will be disabled:
• When an attempt is made to change the shift position from P to another position
by moving the shift lever without depress-
ing the brake pedal.
• When an attempt is made to change the
shift position from P or N to M by moving
the shift lever.
• When the P position switch is pressed
while the vehicle is running.
*1
• When the shift lever is moved to attempt to change the shift position from P or N
with the accelerator pedal depressed and
the vehicle stopped
●Situations where the shift position will
automatically change to N:
• When an attempt is made to select the R position by moving the shift lever when
the vehicle is moving forward.
*2
• When an attempt is made to select the D
position by moving the shift lever when
the vehicle is moving in reverse.
*3
• When the shift position is changed from R to M
●If N is selected while driving at a certain
speed, even if the shift lever is not held in
the N position, the shift position changes
to N. In this situation, the buzzer sounds
and a confirmation message is displayed
on the multi-information display to inform
the driver that the shift position has
changed to N.
*1: Shift position may be changed to P
when driving at extremely low speeds.
*2: Shift position may be changed to R
when driving at low speeds.
*3: Shift position may be changed to D when driving at low speeds.
■Reverse warning buzzer
When shifting into R, a buzzer will sound to
inform the driver that the shift position is in
Automatic transmission
Select the shift position depending
on your purpose and situation.
Shift position purpose and func-
tions
Shift posi- tionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the engine
RReversing
N
Neutral
(Condition in which the
power is not transmitted)
DNormal driving*1
MM mode driving*2 (  P.183)

1794-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
R.
■To protect the automatic transmission
If the automatic transmission fluid tempera-
ture is high, “Transmission Fluid Temp High
See Owner’s Manual” will be displayed on
the multi-information display and the vehi-
cle will go into transmission protection
mode automatically. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer.
■When driving with dynamic radar cruise
control with full-speed range activated
Even when performing the following
actions with the intent of enabling engine
braking, engine braking will not be acti-
vated because dynamic radar cruise con-
trol with full-speed range will not be
canceled.
●While driving in the D position, down-
shifting to 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 or 4.
●When switching the driving mode to
sport mode while driving in the D position
(  P.299)
■Sudden start restraint control
(Drive-Start Control [DSC])
 P.170
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatica lly selects the suit-
able gear according to driver performance
and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates when
the shift position is in D. (Shifting the shift
position to the M position cancels the func-
tion.)
■If a message about a shift operation is
shown
To prevent the shift position from being
selected incorrectly or the vehicle from
moving unexpectedly, the shift position may
be changed automatically or operating the
shift lever may be required. In this case,
change the shift positi on following the mes-
sages on the multi-information display.
■After recharging/reconnecting the bat-
tery
 P.391
■Customization
Some functions can be customized. (
 P.476)
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
Do not accelerate or shift the shift posi-
tion suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine braking may
cause the vehicle to sp in or skid, resulting
in an accident.
NOTICE
■Situations where sh ift control system
malfunctions are possible
If any of the following situations occurs,
shift control system malfunctions are
possible.
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place on level ground, apply the parking
brake, and then contact your Lexus
dealer.
●When the warning message indicating
the shift control system appears on the
multi-information display. ( P.436)
●The display indicates that no shift posi-
tion is selected for more than a few
seconds.

1804-2. Driving procedures
Shift lever
Operate the shift lever gently and securely
in the direction of the arrow on the shift
position indicator.
To shift to N, slide the shift lever in the
direction of the arrow and hold it.
Release the shift lever after each shifting
operation to allow it to return to its regular
position ( ).
Shifting to M is only possible when the shift
position is in D.
When shifting from P to N, D or R, from N,
D, M or R to P, from D or M to R, or from R
to D, ensure that the brake pedal is being
depressed and the vehicle is stationary.
Shift position indicator
Meter display:
The current shift position is highlighted.
When any shift position other than D or M
is selected, the arrow toward M and the M
position indicator are displayed in gray. Shift lever display:
The current shift posi
tion is illuminated.
When selecting the sh ift position, make
sure that the shift position has been
changed to the desired position by check-
ing the shift position indicator provided on
the instrument cluster.
P position switch
■When shifting the shift position to P
Fully stop the vehicle and set the park-
ing brake, and then press the P position
switch.
When the shift position is changed to P, the
switch illuminates.
Check that the shift position indicator
shows P.
Shifting the shift lever
A
B
WARNING
■For the shift lever
●Do not remove the shift lever knob or
use anything but a genuine Lexus shift
lever knob. Also, do not hang anything
on the shift lever.
Doing so could prevent the shift lever
from returning to position, causing
unexpected accidents to occur when
the vehicle is in motion.
●In order to prevent the shift position
from accidentally being changed, do
not touch the shift lever when not using
them.
P position switch
C