LEXUS RX450h 2021 Owners Manual

1613-5. Opening, closing the windows and moon roof
3
Before driving
WARNING
●The jam protection function may not
work if something gets caught just
before the panoramic moon roof or
electronic sunshade is fully closed.
Also, the jam protection function is not
designed to operate while the switch is
being pressed. Take care so that your
fingers, etc. do not get caught.
■To prevent burns or injuries
Do not touch the area between the
underside of the panoramic moon roof
and the electronic sunshade. Your hand
may get caught and you could injure
yourself. Also, if the vehi cle is left in direct
sunlight for a long time, the underside of
the panoramic moon roof could become
very hot and could cause burns.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the panoramic
moon roof
●Before opening the panoramic moon
roof, make sure that there are no for-
eign objects, such as stones or ice,
around the opening.
●Do not hit the surface or edge of the
panoramic moon roof with hard
objects.
●Do not continuously press the
switch after the panoramic moon roof
has been fully opened or closed.
■After the vehicle has been washed or
rained on
Before opening the panoramic moon
roof, wipe any water off the panoramic
moon roof. Otherwise, water may enter
the cabin when the panoramic moon roof
is opened.

1623-5. Opening, closing the windows and moon roof

163
4
4
Driving
Driving
.4-1. Before drivingDriving the vehicle ..................... 164
Cargo and luggage ................... 169
Vehicle load limits ...................... 172
Trailer towing (vehicles without towing package) ...................... 173
Trailer towing (vehicles with tow- ing package).............................. 173
Dinghy towing ............................. 183
4-2. Driving procedures Power (ignition) switch ............ 184
EV drive mode ............................ 189
Hybrid transmission ................... 191
Turn signal lever.......................... 194
Parking brake .............................. 195
Brake Hold.................................... 198
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers Headlight switch ........................ 200
AHB (Automatic High Beam) ........................................................ 203
Fog light switch .......................... 206
Windshield wipers and washer ........................................................ 206
Rear window wiper and washer ......................................................... 210
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap....... 211
4-5. Using the driving support sys- tems
Lexus Safety System + 2.0 ..... 214PCS (Pre-Collision System)
....................................................... 220
LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) ..... 227
RSA (Road Sign Assist).......... 236
Dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range...................... 238
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) .... 247
PKSA (Parking Support Alert) ....................................................... 253
Intuitive parking assist ............. 255
RCTA (Rear cross traffic alert) function........................................ 261
PKSB (Parking Support Brake) ....................................................... 266
Parking Support Brake function (static objects) ........................... 271
Parking Support Brake function (rear-crossing vehicles) ...... 277
Driving mode select switch ... 281
Driving assist systems.............. 283
4-6. Driving tips Hybrid vehicle driving tips .... 289
Winter driving tips ..................... 291
Utility vehicle precautions..... 293

1644-1. Before driving
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the hybrid system
 P.184
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D. ( P.191)
2 Release the parking brake.
(P.195)
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.196)
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.195)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the shift lever
to P or N. ( P.191)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D, depress the
brake pedal.
2 Set the parking brake ( P.195),
and shift the shift lever to P
( P.191).
3 Press the power switch to stop the
hybrid system. 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.191)
2 Pull the parking brake switch and
parking brake is set manually.
(P.195)
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.284)
■For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybr id vehicles are similar
to conventional vehicles, and it is necessary
to refrain from activi ties such as sudden
acceleration. ( P.289)
■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.
■Restraining the hybrid system output
(Brake Override System)
●When the accelerato r and brake pedals
are depressed at the same time, the
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be
observed to ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

1654-1. Before driving
4
Driving
hybrid system 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 hybrid system 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 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.285)
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.462)
■Eco-friendly driving
 P.85
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 “READY”
indicator is illuminated. 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.
●The driver should pay extra attention
to pedestrians when the vehicle is
powered only by the electric motor
(traction motor). As there is no engine
noise, the pedestrians may misjudge
the vehicle’s movement. Even though
the vehicle is equipped with the
Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System,
drive with care as pedestrians in the
vicinity may still not notice the vehicle if
the surrounding area is noisy.

1664-1. Before driving
WARNING
●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 hybrid system. Turning the hybrid
system 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 diffi-
cult to steer smoothly, so you should
pull over and stop the vehicle as soon
as it is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if
it becomes impossible to stop the vehi-
cle in the normal way:
P.410
●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.191)
●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.
●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 hybrid system or cause other seri-
ous 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 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 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.
●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 con-
trol may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward
while a forward driving position is
selected, or roll forw ard while the shift
lever is in R.
Doing so may result 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.

1674-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●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
hybrid system. Engine braking is not
available 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 unex-
pected rapid acceleration of the vehi-
cle that may cause an accident and
result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping
noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
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.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal
unnecessarily.
If the shift lever is in any position other
than P or N, the vehicle may acceler-
ate suddenly and unexpectedly, caus-
ing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to
the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while
stopped with the “READY” indicator is
illuminated, and apply the parking
brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline,
in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or back-
ward, always depress the brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake
as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing 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,
spray 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 cause the plastic lenses and plas-
tic material 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 circuit in the vehicle’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the
vehicle. If a cigare tte 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
windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on
the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act
as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if
the curved glass is coated with a met-
allized film such as a silver-colored
one. Reflected sunlight may cause the
glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.

1684-1. Before driving
WARNING
●Always apply the parking brake, shift
the shift lever to P, stop the hybrid sys-
tem and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
while the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated.
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 “READY” indicator is illuminated
or immediately after turning the hybrid
system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Other-
wise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal,
this could cause an accident or fire due
to hybrid system overheating. Addition-
ally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may col-
lect and enter the ve hicle, 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 electronically controlled brake
function does not operate, do not fol-
low other vehicles closely and avoid
hills or sharp turns that require brak-
ing.
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.
●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 distance will
increase. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
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 hybrid
system 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.

1694-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Cargo capacity depends on the total
weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load capac-
ity) — (Total weight of occupants)
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-
NOTICE
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged ti re 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.432)
■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 vehi-
cle:
●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 fol-
lowing:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil
and fluid used for the engine, hybrid
transmission, rear differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for bearings and
suspension joints (where possible),
and the function of all joints, bearings,
etc.
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following infor-
mation about storage precautions,
cargo capacity and load.
Capacity and distribution

1704-1. Before 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)
Vehicles without towing package: 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.460)
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
luggage compartment
The following things may cause a fire if
loaded in the luggage compartment:
●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 lug-
gage compartment whenever possi-
ble.