LEXUS RX350 2019 Owners Manual

200
RX350/RX350L_U 4-1. Before driving
Driving the vehicle..................... 202
Cargo and luggage.................... 210
Vehicle load limits....................... 213
Trailer towing (vehicles
with towing package) ............. 215
Trailer towing (vehicles
without towing
package)..................................... 229
Dinghy towing .............................230
4-2. Driving procedures
Engine (ignition) switch ............ 231
Automatic transmission
(vehicles without paddle
shift switches)............................ 236
Automatic transmission
(vehicles with paddle
shift switches)............................ 240
Turn signal lever ......................... 246
Parking brake .............................. 247
Brake Hold ...................................2504 Driving

201
4 Driving
RX350/RX350L_U 4-3. Operating the lights and
wipers
Headlight switch .........................252
Automatic High Beam .............256
Fog light switch .......................... 260
Windshield wipers and
washer........................................... 261
Rear window wiper and
washer.......................................... 267
4-4. Refueling
Opening the fuel tank
cap .................................................269 4-5. Using the driving support
systems
Lexus Safety System+ .............. 274
PCS
(Pre-Collision System) .......... 281
LKA
(Lane-Keeping A ssist) ........... 291
Dynamic radar cruise
control  with full-speed
range ........................................... 300
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) ...... 313
• BSM function ...........................317
• RCTA function....................... 321
Intuitive parking assist .............. 326
Intelligent Clearance Sonar
(ICS) ............................................. 336
Lexus parking assist
monitor ........................................ 357
Driving mode select
switch ........................................... 373
All-wheel drive lock
switch ........................................... 377
Driving assist systems .............. 378
4-6. Driving tips
Winter driving tips .....................384
Utility vehicle
precautions............................... 388

202
RX350/RX350L_U 4-1. Before driving
 P. 231
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. (  P. 240)
Release the parking brake. (  P. 248)If the parking brake is in automatic mode, the parking brake is released automatically
when shifting the shift lever to any position other than P. (  P. 247)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal
to accelerate the vehicle.
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake. (  P. 248)If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift lever to P or
N. (  P. 240)
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake (  P. 248), and shift the shift lever to P (  P. 240).
Press the engine switch to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you ha ve the electronic key on your person.If parking on a hill, bloc k the wheels as needed.Driving the vehicle The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving:
Starting the engine
Driving
Stopping
Parking the vehicle 1
2
3
1
2
1
2
3
4

2034-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. (  P. 240)
Pull the parking brake switch and parking brake is set manually. (  P. 248)
Release the brake pedal and gently de press the accelerator pedal to acceler-
ate the vehicle.
Press the parking brake switch and pa rking brake is released manually.
(  P. 248) ■
When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. (  P. 378)■
Driving in the rain ●
Drive carefully when it is ra ining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows may
become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery. ●
Drive carefully when it starts to rain, beca use the road surface will be especially slip-
pery. ●
Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because there may
be a layer of water between the tires and th e road surface, preventing the steering and
brakes from operating properly. ■
Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, th e engine speed may become high while driving. This is due
to automatic up-shifting control or down-shi fting implementation to meet driving condi-
tions. It does not indica te sudden acceleration.●
The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill ●
When the accelerato r pedal is released●
When the brake pedal is depressed while sport mode is selected ■
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. ●
A warning message is displayed on the mult i-information display while the system is
operating. If a warning messa ge is shown on the multi-in formation display, read the
message and follow the instructions. ■
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 M or S) with the accelerator pedal depressed, a warning message appears
on the multi-information display. If a wa rning message is shown on the multi-infor-
mation display, read the messa ge and follow the instructions.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed t oo much while the vehicle is in reverse.●
While Drive-Start Control is being activated, your vehicle may have trouble escaping
from the mud or fresh snow. In such case, deactivate TRAC (  P. 380) to cancel
Drive-Start Control so that the vehicle ma y become able to escape from the mud or
fresh snow.Starting off on a uphill 1
2
3
4

204 4-1. Before driving
RX350/RX350L_U ■
Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observin g the following precautions is recommended:●
For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops. ●
For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer. ●
For the first 1000 miles (1600 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 registration laws and confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel. (  P. 700)■
Eco-friendly driving
 P. 111

2054-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U 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 engine running. This prevents
the vehicle from creeping. ■
When driving the vehicle ●
Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator ped-
als to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator 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 difficulty in operat-
ing the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving po sture even when moving the vehicle only
slightly. This allows you to depress th e brake and accelerator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using
your left foot may delay re sponse in an emergency, 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 flammable material nearby. ●
During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engi ne 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 emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way:  P. 645●
Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a steep
hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause th e brakes to overheat and lose effective-
ness. (  P. 240)●
Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside rear
view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control. ●
Always check that all passengers’ arms, he ads 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 of f-road driving. Proceed with all due cau-
tion if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road. ●
Do not drive across a river or through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/elect ronic components to short ci rcuit, 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 permits 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 failure , 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 no t before driving at such speeds.

206 4-1. Before driving
RX350/RX350L_U WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury. ■
When driving on slippery road surfaces ●
Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce your
ability to control the vehicle. ●
Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine speed
could cause the vehicle to skid. ●
After driving through a puddle , lightly depress the brake pe dal to make sure that the
brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from func-
tioning properly. If the brakes on only on e 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 position, 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 perfor-
mance, resulting in an accide nt or damage to the vehicle.●
Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.●
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 control.●
Do not shift the shift lever to a driving posi tion while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.●
Shifting the shift lever to N while the ve hicle is moving will disengage the engine.
Engine braking is not avai lable when N is selected.●
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to any position other than P or N may lead to unexpected rapid
acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious
injury. ■
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or those
of the brake discs are exceeded.

2074-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury. ■
When the vehicle is stopped ●
Do not race the engine.
If the shift lever is in any position other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate sud-
denly and unexpectedly, causing an accident. ●
In order to prevent accidents due to the ve hicle rolling away, always keep depressing
the brake pedal while the engine is running, and apply the parking brake as neces-
sary. ●
If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the
vehicle rolling forward or backward, alwa ys depress the brake pedal and securely
apply the parking brake as needed. ●
Avoid revving or r acing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause the exhaust
system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible material is nearby.■
When the vehicle is parked ●
Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, sp ray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehicle
when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cau se the plastic lenses and plastic mate-
rial of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of the
vehicle, and may also cause a short circui t in the vehicle’s electrical components.●
Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a place such as
the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when luggage is loaded or the
seat is adjusted, causing a fire. ●
Do not attach adhesive discs to the windsh ield or windows. Do not place containers
such as air fresheners on th e instrument panel or dashbo ard. Adhesive discs or con-
tainers may act as lenses, ca using a fire in the vehicle.●
Do not leave a door or window open if th e curved glass is coated with a metallized
film such as a silver-colored one. Reflecte d sunlight may cause the glass to act as a
lens, causing a fire. ●
Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine and lock the
vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattend ed while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift leve r in P but the parking brake is not set, the
vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an accident. ●
Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately after turn-
ing the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.

208 4-1. Before driving
RX350/RX350L_U WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury. ■
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 over-
heating. Additionally, if the ve hicle 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 differently 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, bu t the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the braking distan ce 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 individual hy draulic systems; if one of the systems fails,
the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual and the bra king distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately. ■
If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels excessive ly when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehicle is
stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel the vehi-
cle forward or backward, causing an accident.

2094-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U NOTICE ■
When driving the vehicle ●
Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving, as
this may restrain driving torque. ●
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depre ss the accelerator and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on a hill. ■
When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so may cause the
vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed. ■
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 on 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 following situations . Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle. ●
It may be difficult to control your vehicle. ●
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. 666)■
When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain, etc. Doing so may cause the
following serious damage to the vehicle: ●
Engine stalling ●
Short in electrical components ●
Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to have
your Lexus dealer check the following: ●
Brake function ●
Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, transaxle, transfer
(AWD models), rear differential (AWD models), etc. ●
Lubricant condition for the propeller shaf t (AWD models), bearings and suspension
joints (where possible), and the func tion of all joints, bearings, etc.