stop start LEXUS RX350 2021 Owner's Manual

1503-5. Opening, closing the windows and moon roof
Closes the panoramic moon roof
Slide and hold the switch forward.
The panoramic moon roof will fully
close automatically.
■The panoramic moon roof can be oper-
ated when
The engine switch is in IGNITION ON
mode.
■Operating the panoramic moon roof
after turning the engine off
The panoramic moon roof and electronic
sunshade can be operated for approxi-
mately 45 seconds afte r the engine switch
is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned
off. They cannot, ho wever, be operated
once the driver’s door is opened.
■Jam protection function
If an object is detected between the pan-
oramic moon roof and the frame in the fol-
lowing situations, travel is stopped and the
panoramic moon roof opens slightly:
●The panoramic moon roof is closing or
tilting down.
●The electronic sunshade is closing.
■Door lock linked panoramic moon roof
operation
●The panoramic moon roof can be
opened and closed using the mechanical
key.
* (  P.432)
●The panoramic moon roof can be
opened using the wireless remote con-
trol.
*( P.99)
*: These settings must be customized at
your Lexus dealer.
■Closing both the panoramic moon roof
and electronic sunshade
Slide the switch forward.
The electronic sunshade will close to the
half-open position and pause. The pan-
oramic moon roof will then fully close. Then
the electronic sunshade will fully close.
■When the panoramic moon roof or elec-
tronic sunshade does not close normally
Perform the following procedure:
1 Stop the vehicle.
2 Turn the engine switch to IGNITION
ON mode.
3 Slide and hold the switch or
switch forward. Continue pressing the
switch for approximately 10 seconds
after the panoramic moon roof or elec-
tronic sunshade closes and reopens.
The panoramic moon roof and elec-
tronic sunshade will start to close.
*
4Check that the panoramic moon roof
and electronic sunshade are fully closed
and release the switch.
*: If the switch is released at the incorrect
time, the procedure will have to be per-
formed again from the beginning.
If the panoramic moon roof or electronic
sunshade does not fully close even after
performing the above procedure correctly,
have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus
dealer.
■Alarm
The alarm may be triggered if the alarm is
set and the panoramic moon roof is closed
using the door lock linked panoramic moon
roof operation function. ( P.69)
■Panoramic moon roof open warning
buzzer
A buzzer sounds and a message is shown
on the multi-informat ion display in the
instrument cluster when the engine switch
is turned off and the driver’s door is opened
with the panoramic moon roof open.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(  P.461)

1544-1. Before driving
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the engine
 P.174
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D. ( P.178)
2 Release the parking brake.
(P.183)
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.184)
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.
(P.183)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the shift lever
to P or N. ( P.178)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D, depress the
brake pedal.
2 Set the parking brake ( P.183),
and shift the shift lever to P
( P.178).
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 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D. ( P.179)
2 Pull the parking brake switch and
parking brake is set manually.
(P.183)
3 Release the brake pedal and gently
depress the accelerator pedal to
accelerate the vehicle.
4 Press the parking brake switch and
parking brake is released manually.
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate.
(  P.275)
■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 prop-
erly.
■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
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be
observed to ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

1554-1. Before driving
4
Driving
●When the accelerator 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
multi-information display and head-up
display (if equipped) while the system is
operating.
■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) with the accelerator pedal
depressed, a warning message appears
on the multi-information display and
head-up display (if equipped). If a warn-
ing message is shown on the multi-infor-
mation display and head-up display (if
equipped), 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.276) 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 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 registra-
tion laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P.444)
■Eco-friendly driving
 P.83
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 the 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 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.

1584-1. Before driving
WARNING
●Always apply the parking brake, shift
the shift lever to P, stop the engine and
lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift
lever in P but the parking brake is not
set, the vehicle may start to move, pos-
sibly leading to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while
the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■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 differently
than the other side. Also, the parking
brake may not securely hold the vehi-
cle.
●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 individ-
ual hydraulic systems; if one of the sys-
tems fails, the other w ill still operate. In
this case, the brak e pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual and
the braking distance 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 the same time during
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.
■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 accelera-
tor pedal is accidentally 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.

1614-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●Do not stack cargo and luggage in the
luggage compartment higher than the
seatbacks.
●When you fold down the rear seats,
long items should not be placed
directly behind the front seats.
●Never allow anyone to ride in the lug-
gage compartment. It is not designed
for passengers. They should ride in
their seats with their seat belts prop-
erly fastened.
●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 luggage cover
• On the instrument panel
•On the dashboard
●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.
■Roof luggage carrier precautions
Observe the following precautions:
●Place the cargo so that its weight is dis-
tributed evenly between the front and
rear axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo, never
exceed the vehicle overall length or
width. (
P.442)
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is
securely fastened on the roof luggage
carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of gravity
of the vehicle higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneuvers,
otherwise it may result in loss of con-
trol or vehicle rollover due to failure to
operate this vehicle correctly and
result in death or serious injury.
●If driving for a long distance, on rough
roads, or at high sp eeds, stop the vehi-
cle now and then during the trip to
make sure the cargo remains in its
place.
●Do not exceed 165 lb. (75 kg) cargo
weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo (vehicles with a
moon roof or panoramic moon roof)
Be careful not to scratch the surface of
the moon roof or panoramic moon roof.

1714-1. Before driving
4
Driving
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
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 vehi-
cle-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 vehicle-trailer combination
(trailer sway) increases as speed
increases. Exceed ing 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
vehicle 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 destabilize 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-
Trailer towing tips

1724-1. Before driving
mance when using engine braking,
do not put the transmission in D. If in
the M mode, the transmission shift
range position must be in 6 or lower.
( P.178)
 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.437)
 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 engine.
 When restarting after parking on a
slope:
1 With the transmission in P, start the
engine. 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.183)
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.

1754-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
released, “Steering Wheel Lock Press
Engine Switch while Turning Wheel” will
be displayed on the multi-information dis-
play.
Check that the shift lever is in P. Press the
engine switch shortly 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.
■When “Access System with Elec. Key
Malfunction See Owner’s Manual” is
displayed on the mu lti-information dis-
play
The system may be malfunctioning. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
■Electronic key battery
 P.379
■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.431.
1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 Set the parking brake ( P.183),
and shift the shift lever to P.
3 Press the engine switch.
4 Release the brake pedal and check
that the display on the meters is off.
■Automatic engine shut off feature
●The vehicle is equipped with a feature
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

1784-2. Driving procedures
*1: Shifting to the D position allows the sys-tem to select a gear suitable for the
driving conditions. Setting the shift lever
to the D position is recommended for
normal driving.
*2: Selecting gears using M mode fixes the gear step, controls engine braking
force, and prevents unnecessary
upshifting.
■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 occur
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not stop the engine when the shift
lever is in a position other than P. If the
engine is stopped in another shift lever
position, the engine switch will not be
turned off but instead be turned to
ACCESSORY mode. If the vehicle is left
in ACCESSORY mode, battery dis-
charge may occur.
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
NCondition in which the
power is not transmission
DNormal driving*1
MM mode driving*2 (  P.181)

1794-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
because dynamic radar cruise control with
full-speed range will not be canceled.
●While driving in D position, downshifting
to 7, 6, 5 or 4. ( P.227)
●When switching the driving mode to
sport mode while driving in the D position
( P.271)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
 P.155
■AI-SHIFT
●The AI-SHIFT automatically selects the
suitable gear accordin g to driver perfor-
mance and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates
when the shift lever is in D. (Shifting the
shift lever to the M position cancels the
function.)
●G AI-SHIFT automatically selects a suit-
able gear for sporty driving according to
driver’s input and driving conditions. G
AI-SHIFT operates automatically when
the shift lever is in D and sport mode is
selected for the driving mode. (Selecting
normal mode with the driving mode
select switch or shifti ng the shift lever to
the M position cancels this function.)
While the engine switch is in IGNI-
TION ON mode, move the shift lever
with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P
and D, make sure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to prevent
accidental operation of the shift lever in
starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P only
when the engine swit ch is in IGNITION
ON mode and the brake pedal is being
depressed.
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal is
being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted with your
foot on the brake pedal, there may be a
problem with the shift lock system. Have the
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
The following steps may be used as an
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
Be careful of downshifting and sudden
acceleration, as this could result in the
vehicle skidding to th e side or spinning.
Shifting the shift lever