.Do not drive across steep slopes.
Instead drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. Off-road
vehicles can tip over sideways much
more easily than they can forward or
backward.
. Many hills are too steep for any
vehicle. If you drive up them, you
may stall. If you drive down them,
you may not be able to control your
speed. If you drive across them, you
may roll over.
. Do not shift ranges while driving on
downhill grades as this could cause
loss of control of the vehicle.
. Stay alert when driving to the top of
a hill. At the top there could be a
drop-off or other hazard that could
cause an accident.
. If your engine stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill,
never attempt to turn around. Your
vehicle could tip or roll over. Always
back straight down in R (Reverse)
range. Never back down in N (Neu-
tral) , using only the brake, as this
could cause loss of control. .
Heavy braking going down a hill
could cause your brakes to overheat
and fade, resulting in loss of control
and an accident. Apply brakes
lightly and use a low range to
control your speed.
. Unsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough
terrain. Properly secure all cargo
so it will not be thrown forward
and cause injury to you or your
passengers.
. To avoid raising the center of gravity
excessively, do not exceed the rated
capacity of the roof rack (if so
equipped) and evenly distribute the
load. Secure heavy loads in the
cargo area as far forward and as
low as possible. Do not equip the
vehicle with tires larger than speci-
fied in this manual. This could cause
your vehicle to roll over.
. Do not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-
road. The steering wheel could
move suddenly and injure your
hands. Instead drive with your fin-
gers and thumbs on the outside of
the rim. .
Before operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
. Always drive with the floor mats in
place as the floor may became hot.
. Lower your speed when encounter-
ing strong crosswinds. With a higher
center of gravity, your vehicle is
more affected by strong side winds.
Slower speeds ensure better vehicle
control.
. Do not drive beyond the perfor-
mance capability of the tires, even
with AWD engaged.
. For AWD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with
the engine running. Doing so may
result in drivetrain damage or un-
expected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
. Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dy-
namometer (such as the dynam-
ometers used by some states for
emissions testing) , or similar equip-
ment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. Make sure
you inform test facility personnel
that your vehicle is equipped with
AWD before it is placed on a
dynamometer. Using the wrong test
equipment may result in drivetrain
damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
. When a wheel is off the ground due
to an unlevel surface, do not spin
the wheel excessively (AWD model) .
. Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
. If at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your vehicle has a higher
center of gravity than a conventional
passenger car. The vehicle is not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger
cars. Failure to operate this vehicle
correctly could result in loss of
control and/or a rollover accident.
. Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias, bias- belted or radial) , and tread pattern
on all four wheels. Install traction
devices on the front wheels when
driving on slippery roads and drive
carefully.
. Be sure to check the brakes imme-
diately after driving in mud or water.
See “Brake system” (P.5-35) for wet
brakes.
. Avoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle
and it rolls forward, backward or
sideways, you could be injured.
. Whenever you drive off-road
through sand, mud or water as deep
as the wheel hub, more frequent
maintenance may be required. See
the maintenance schedule shown in
the “9. Maintenance and schedules”
section.
. Spinning the front wheels on slip-
pery surfaces may cause the AWD
warning light to flash and the AWD
system to automatically switch from
the AWD mode to the 2WD mode.
This could reduce traction.
illuminates when the ignition switch is in the
ACC or ON position.
Some indicators and warnings for operation are
displayed on the meter. (See “Warning lights,
indicator lights and audible reminders” (P.2-
15) .)
Continuously Variable Transmission
models
The ignition lock is designed so that the ignition
switch position cannot be switched to LOCK
until the shift lever is moved to the P (Park)
position.
When the ignition switch cannot be pushed
toward the LOCK position, proceed as follows:
1. Move the shift lever into the P (Park)position.
2. Push the ignition switch to the OFF position.
3. Open the door. The ignition switch will change to the LOCK position.
The shift lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position if the ignition switch is in
the ON position and the brake pedal is
depressed.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position)
The ignition switch can only be locked in this
position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when it is
pushed to the ACC position while carrying the
Intelligent Key.
ACC (Accessories)
This position activates electrical accessories
such as the radio, when the engine is not
running.
ON (Normal operating position)
This position turns on the ignition system and
electrical accessories.
OFF
The engine can be turned off in this position.
Continuously Variable Transmission models: The
ignition lock is designed so that the ignition
switch cannot be switched to the LOCK position
until the shift lever is moved to the P (Park)
position.
