trailer LEXUS NX300h 2018 User Guide

1634-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving  The gross trailer weight must never
exceed 1500 lb. (685 kg).
 The gross combinat ion weight must
never exceed 6835 lb. (3100 kg).
 The gross vehicle weight must never
exceed the GVWR indicated on the
Certification Label.
 The gross axle weight on each axle
must never exceed the GAWR indi-
cated on the Certification Label.
 If the gross trailer weight is over the
unbraked TWR, trailer service
brakes are required.
Confirm that the gross trailer weight,
gross combination weight, gross vehi- cle weight, gross axle weight and
tongue weight are all within the limits. ■
GCWR *
6835 lb. (3100 kg) ■
TWR *
1500 lb. (685 kg). ■
Unbraked TWR *
1000 lb. (450 kg) *
: These models meet the tow-vehicle trail-
ering requirement of SAE International
per SAE J2807.
 A recommended tongue weight
varies in accordance with the types
of trailers or towing as described
below.
 To ensure the recommended values
shown below, the trailer must be
loaded by referring to the following
instructions. •Tongue Weight
The gross trailer weight should be distrib-
uted so that the tongue weight is 9% to
11%.
(Tongue weight /Gross trailer weight x 100
= 9% to 11%)
The gross trailer weight , gross axle weight
and tongue weight can be measured with
platform scales found at a highway weigh-
ing station, building supply company,
trucking company, junk yard, etc.Weight limits
GCWR, TWR and Unbraked
TWR Trailer Tongue Weight

164 4-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U Gross trailer weight
Tongue weight
Trailer hitch assemblies have different
weight capacities. Lexus recommends
the use of Lexus hitch/bracket for your
vehicle. For details, contact your Lexus
dealer.
 If you wish to install a trailer hitch,
contact your Lexus dealer.
 Use only a hitch that conforms to
the gross trailer weight requirement
of your vehicle.
 Follow the directions supplied by the
hitch manufacturer.
 Lubricate the hitch ball with a light
coating of grease.
 Remove the trailer hitch whenever
you are not towing a trailer. After
removing the hitch, seal any mount-
ing hole in the vehicle body to pre-
vent entry of any substances into the
vehicle. Weight carrying ball position:
42.1 in. (1069.9 mm)
Hitch receiver pin hole position:
33.7 in. (855.6 mm)
Please consult your dealer when
installing trailer lights, as incorrect
installation may cause damage to the
vehicle’s lights. Please take care to
comply with your state’s laws when
installing trailer lights.Hitch A
B WARNING■
Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different
weight capacities established by the hitch
manufacturer. Even though the vehicle
may be physically capable of towing a
higher weight, the operator must deter-
mine the maximum weight rating of the
particular hitch assembly and never
exceed the maximum weight rating
specified for the trailer-hitch. Exceeding
the maximum weight rating set by the
trailer-hitch manufacturer can cause an
accident resulting in death or serious
personal injuries.
Positions for towing hitch
receiver and hitch ball
Connecting trailer lights A
B

1654-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving Your vehicle will handle differently
when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an
accident, death or serious injury, keep
the following in mind when towing:
 Speed limits for towing a trailer vary
by state or province. Do not exceed
the posted towing speed limit.
 Lexus recommends that the vehicle-
trailer speed limit is 65 mph (104
km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road.
Do not exceed this limit, the posted
towing speed limit or the speed limit
for your trailer as set forth in your
trailer owner’s manual, whichever is
lowest. Instability of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer combination (trailer
sway) increases as speed increases.
Exceeding speed limits may cause
loss of control.
 Before starting out, check the trailer
lights, tires and the vehicle-trailer
connections. Recheck after driving
a short distance.
 Practice turning, stopping and
reversing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you
become accustomed to the feel of
the vehicle-trailer combination.
 Reversing with a tr ailer attached is
difficult and requires practice. Grip
the bottom of the steering wheel
and move your hand to the left to
move the trailer to the left. Move
your hand to the right to move the
trailer to right. (This is generally
opposite to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have someone
guide you when reversing to reduce
the risk of an accident.
 As stopping distance is increased
when towing a trailer, vehicle-to
vehicle distance should be
increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/
h) of speed, allow at least one vehi-
cle and trailer length.
 Avoid sudden braking as you may
skid, resulting in the trailer jackknif-
ing and a loss of vehicle control. This
is especially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden accel-
eration.
 Avoid jerky steering and sharp
turns, and slow down before making
turn.
 Note that when making a turn, the
trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Compensate by making a
wider than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a turn, in
cross winds, on wet or slippery sur-
faces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can desta-
bilize the trailer.
 Take care when passing other vehi-
cles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After pass ing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty of room
before changing lanes.
 To maintain engine braking effi-
ciency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking, Trailer towing tips

166 4-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U do not put the transmission in D.
( → P.176)
 Instability happens more frequently
when descending steep or long
downhill grades. Before descend-
ing, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts while
descending steep or long downhill
grades.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal down
too long or applying the brakes too
frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
 Due to the added load of the trailer,
your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
85°F [30°C]) when driving up a
long or steep grade. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates overheating, immediately turn
off the air conditioning (if in use),
pull your vehicle off the road and
stop in a safe spot. ( → P.394)
 Always place wheel blocks under
both the vehicle’s and the trailer’s
wheels when parking. Put the trans-
mission in P and apply the parking
brake. Avoid parking on a slope, but
if unavoidable, do so only after per-
forming the following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep them
applied.
2 Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and trailer’s
wheels. 3 When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
4 Shift into P and apply the parking
brake.
5 Turn off the hybrid system.
 When restarting after parking on a
slope:
1 With the transmission in P, start the
hybrid system. Be sure to keep the
brake pedal depressed.
2 Shift into a forward gear. If revers-
ing, shift into R.
3 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, release the parking brake.
( → P.179)
4 Release the brake pedal, and slowly
pull or back away from the wheel
blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the blocks.

1674-1. Before driving
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving Trailer towing (vehicles with-
out towing package) 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 desi gned 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. ■
To prevent causing serious damage to
the hybrid transmission and AWD
system
Never tow this vehicle with any of the
wheels on the ground. This may cause
serious damage to the hybrid transmis-
sion and AWD system.

1874-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving and tail lights of oncoming and preceding
vehicles
• The movement and direction of oncom-
ing and preceding vehicles
• When a oncoming or preceding vehicle
only has operational lights on one side
• When a oncoming or preceding vehicle
is a two-wheeled vehicle
• The condition of the road (gradient,
curve, condition of th e road surface, etc.)
• The number of passengers and amount of
luggage●
High beam may be turned on or off when
unexpected by the driver.●
In the situations below, the system may
not be able to correctly detect the sur-
rounding brightness levels, and may flash
or expose nearby pedestrians to the high
beam. Therefore, you should consider
turning the high beams on or off manually
rather than relying on the Automatic
High Beam system.
• In bad weather (rain, snow, fog, sand-
storms, etc.)
• The windshield is obscured by fog, mist,
ice, dirt, etc.
• The windshield is cracked or damaged.
• The camera sensor is deformed or dirty.
• The camera sensor temperature is
extremely high.
• Surrounding brightness levels are equal
to those of headlights, tail lights or fog
lights.
• Vehicles ahead have headlights or tail
lights that are either switched off, dirty,
are changing color, or are not aimed
properly.
• When driving through an area of inter-
mittently changing brightness and dark-
ness.
• When frequently and repeatedly driving
ascending/descending roads, or roads
with rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces
(such as stone-paved roads, gravel
tracks, etc.).
• When frequently and repeatedly taking
curves or driving on a winding road.
• There is a highly re flective object ahead
of the vehicle, such as a sign or a mirror.
• The back of a vehicle ahead is highly
reflective, such as a container on a truck.
• The vehicle’s headlights are damaged or
dirty. • The vehicle is listing or titling, due to a flat
tire, a trailer being towed, etc.
• The driver believes that the high beam
may be causing problems or distress to
other drivers or pedestrians nearby.
WARNING■
Limitations of the Automatic High
Beam
Do not rely on the Automatic High
Beam. Always drive safely, taking care to
observe your surroundings and turning
high beam on or off manually if neces-
sary.
NOTICE■
Notes when using the Automatic
High Beam system
Observe the following to ensure that the
Automatic High Beam functions cor-
rectly. ●
Do not touch the camera sensor.
●
Do not subject the camera sensor to a
strong impact.
●
Do not disassemble the camera sen-
sor.
●
Do not spill liquids onto the camera
sensor.
●
Do not apply window tinting or stickers
to the camera sensor or the area of
windshield near the camera sensor.
●
Do not place items on the dashboard.
There is a possibility that the camera
sensor will mistake items reflected in
the windshield for streetlights, the
headlights of other vehicles, etc.

208 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U • When rapidly closing on an electric toll
gate barrier, parking area barrier, or
other barrier that opens and closes
• When using an automatic car wash
• When driving through or under objects
that may contact the vehicle, such as thick
grass, tree branches, or a banner
• When the vehicle is hit by water, snow,
dust, etc. from a vehicle ahead
• When driving through steam or smoke
• When there are patterns or paint on the
road or a wall that may be mistaken for a
vehicle or pedestrian
• When driving near an object that reflects
radio waves, such as a large truck or
guardrail
• When driving near a TV tower, broad-
casting station, electric power plant, or
other location where strong radio waves
or electrical noise may be present
■
Situations in which the system may not
operate properly
●
In some situations such as the following, a
vehicle may not be detected by the radar
sensor and camera sensor, preventing
the system from operating properly:
• If an oncoming vehicle is approaching
your vehicle
• If a vehicle ahead is a motorcycle or bicy-
cle
• When approaching the side or front of a
vehicle
• If a preceding vehicle has a small rear
end, such as an unloaded truck • If a preceding vehicle has a low rear end,
such as a low bed trailer
• If a vehicle ahead is carrying a load which
protrudes past its rear bumper
• If a vehicle ahead has extremely high
ground clearance
• If a vehicle ahead is irregularly shaped,
such as a tractor or side car
• If the sun or other light is shining directly
on a vehicle ahead
• If a vehicle cuts in front of your vehicle or
emerges from beside a vehicle
• If a vehicle ahead makes an abrupt
maneuver (such as sudden swerving,
acceleration or deceleration)
• When suddenly cutting behind a preced-
ing vehicle
• When a vehicle ahead is not directly in
front of your vehicle
• When driving in incl ement weather such
as heavy rain, fog, snow or a sandstorm
• When the vehicle is hit by water, snow,
dust, etc. from a vehicle ahead
• When driving through steam or smoke
• When driving in a place where the sur-

212 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U Press the LDA switch to turn the LDA
system on. The LDA indicator illuminates and a mes-
sage is displayed on the multi-information
display.
Press the LDA switch again to turn the
LDA system off.
When the LDA system is turned on or off,
operation of the LDA system continues in WARNING■
Before using LDA system
Do not rely solely upon the LDA system.
The LDA system does not automatically
drive the vehicle or reduce the amount of
attention that must be paid to the area in
front of the vehicle. The driver must
always assume full responsibility for driv-
ing safely by paying careful attention to
the surrounding conditions and operat-
ing the steering wheel to correct the path
of the vehicle. Also, the driver must take
adequate breaks when fatigued, such as
from driving for a long period of time.
Failure to perform appropriate driving
operations and pay careful attention may
lead to an accident, resulting in death or
serious injury. ■
To avoid operating LDA system by
mistake
When not using the LDA system, use the
LDA switch to turn the system off. ■
Situations unsuitable for LDA system
Do not use the LDA system in the follow-
ing situations.
The system may not operate properly
and lead to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
●
A spare tire, tire chains, etc. are
equipped.
●
When the tires have been excessively
worn, or when the tire inflation pres-
sure is low.
●
Tires which differ by structure, manu-
facturer, brand or tread pattern are
used.
●
Objects or patterns that could be mis-
taken for white (yellow) lines are pres-
ent on the side of th e road (guardrails,
curbs, reflective poles, etc.).
●
Vehicle is driven on a snow-covered
road.
●
White (yellow) lines are difficult to see
due to rain, snow, fog, dust, etc. ●
Asphalt repair marks, white (yellow)
line marks, etc. are present due to road
repair. ●
Vehicle is driven in a temporary lane or
restricted lane due to construction
work. ●
Vehicle is driven on a road surface
which is slippery due to rainy weather,
fallen snow, freezing, etc. ●
Vehicle is driven in traffic lanes other
than on highways and freeways. ●
Vehicle is driven in a construction
zone. ●
Vehicle is towing a trailer or another
vehicle. ■
Preventing LDA system malfunctions
and operations performed by mistake ●
Do not modify the headlights or place
stickers, etc. on the surface of the
lights. ●
Do not modify the suspension etc. If
the suspension etc. needs to be
replaced, contact your Lexus dealer. ●
Do not install or place anything on the
hood or grille. Also, do not install a
grille guard (bull bars, kangaroo bar,
etc.).
●
If your windshield needs repairs, con-
tact your Lexus dealer.
Turning LDA system on

2194-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving
This mode employs a radar sensor to detect the presence of vehicles up to approx-WARNING■
Situations unsuitable for dynamic
radar cruise control with full-speed
range
Do not use dynamic radar cruise control
with full-speed range in any of the follow-
ing situations.
Doing so may result in inappropriate
speed control and could cause an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury. ●
Roads where there are pedestrians,
cyclists, etc.●
In heavy traffic●
On roads with sharp bends●
On winding roads●
On slippery roads, such as those cov-
ered with rain, ice or snow●
On steep downhills , or where there
are sudden changes between sharp up
and down gradients
Vehicle speed may exceed the set
speed when driving down a steep hill.●
At entrances to freeways and highways●
When weather conditions are bad
enough that they may prevent the sen-
sors from detectin g correctly (fog,
snow, sandstorm, heavy rain, etc.)
●
When there is rain, snow, etc. on the
front surface of the radar sensor or
camera sensor
●
In traffic conditions that require fre-
quent repeated acceleration and
deceleration
●
When your vehicle is towing a trailer
or during emergency towing
●
When an approach warning buzzer is
heard often
Driving in vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode

226 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U cient or operate the accelerator pedal
when acceleration is required.
As the sensor may not be able to correctly
detect these types of vehicles, the approach
warning ( → P.223) may not be activated.●
Vehicles that cut in suddenly●
Vehicles traveling at low speeds●
Vehicles that are not moving in the same
lane●
Vehicles with small rear ends (trailers
with no load on board, etc.)
●
Motorcycles travelin g in the same lane●
When water or snow thrown up by the
surrounding vehicles hinders the detect-
ing of the sensor●
When your vehicle is pointing upwards
(caused by a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, etc.)
●
Preceding vehicle has an extremely high
ground clearance ■
Conditions under which the vehicle-to-
vehicle distance control mode may not
function correctly
In the case of the following conditions,
operate the brake pedal (or accelerator
pedal, depending on the situation) as nec-
essary.
As the sensor may not be able to correctly
detect vehicles ahead, the system may not
operate properly. ●
When the road curves or when the lanes
are narrow
●
When steering wheel operation or your
position in the lane is unstable
●
When the vehicle ahead of you deceler-
ates suddenly