TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2021 (in English) Owner's Guide

311-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
4RUNNER (U)
The pretensioners help the seat
belts to quickly restrain the occu-
pants by retracting the seat belts
when the vehicle is subjected to
certain types of severe frontal or
side collision or a vehicle rollover.
The pretensioners do not activate
in the event of a minor frontal
impact, a minor side impact or a
rear impact.
■Emergency locking retractor (ELR)
The retractor will lock the belt during a sudden stop or on imp act. It may also
lock if you lean forward too quickly. A slow, easy motion will allow the belt to
extend so that you can move around fully.
■ Automatic locking retractor (ALR)
When a passenger’s shoulder belt is completely extended and then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that position and cannot be extended. This
feature is used to hold the child restraint system (CRS) firmly . To free the belt
again, fully retract the belt and then pull the belt out once m ore. (P. 57)
■ Child seat belt usage
The seat belts of your vehicle were principally designed for persons of adult
size.
●Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child, until the child
becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat belt. ( P. 53)
● When the child becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat
belt, follow the instructions regarding seat belt usage. ( P. 30)
■ Replacing the belt after the pr etensioner has been activated
If the vehicle is involved in multiple collisions, the pretensi oner will activate for
the first collision, but will not activate for the second or su bsequent collisions.
■ Seat belt extender
Seat belt pretensioners (front seats)
If your seat belts cannot be fastened
securely because they are not long
enough, a personalized seat belt extender
is available from your Toyota dealer free
of charge.

321-1. For safe use
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
sudden braking, sudden swerving or an accident.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
■ Wearing a seat belt
● Ensure that all passengers wear a seat belt.
● Always wear a seat belt properly.
● Each seat belt should be used by one person only. Do not use a seat belt
for more than one person at once, including children.
● Toyota recommends that children be seated in the rear seat and always
use a seat belt and/or an appropriate child restraint system.
● To achieve a proper seating position, do not recline the seat m ore than
necessary. The seat belt is most effective when the occupants a re sitting
up straight and well back in the seats.
● Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm.
● Always wear your seat belt low and snug across your hips.
■ Pregnant women
Obtain medical advice and wear the seat
belt in the proper way. ( P. 30)
Women who are pregnant should posi-
tion the lap belt as low as possible over
the hips in the same manner as other
occupants, extending the shoulder belt
completely over the shoulder and avoid-
ing belt contact with the rounding of the
abdominal area.
If the seat belt is not worn properly, not
only the pregnant woman, but also the
fetus could suffer death or serious injury
as a result of sudden braking or a colli-
sion.

331-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■People suffering illness
Obtain medical advice and wear the seat belt in the proper way. (P. 30)
■ When children are in the vehicle
Do not allow children to play with the seat belt. If the seat belt becomes
twisted around a child’s neck, it may lead to choking or other serious injuries
that could result in death.
If this occurs and the buckle cannot be unfastened, scissors sh ould be used
to cut the belt.
■ Seat belt pretensioners
● Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenge r's seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger's weight, which prevents t he sensor
from detecting the passenger's weight properly. As a result, th e seat belt
pretensioner for the front passenger's seat may not activate in the event of
a collision.
● If the pretensioner has activated, the SRS warning light will c ome on. In
that case, the seat belt cannot be used again and must be replaced at
your Toyota dealer.
■ Adjustable shoulder anchor
Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the cen ter of your
shoulder. The belt should be kept away from your neck, but not falling off
your shoulder. Failure to do so could reduce the amount of prot ection in an
accident and cause death or serious injuries in the event of a sudden stop,
sudden swerve or accident. ( P. 30)

341-1. For safe use
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■Seat belt damage and wear
● Do not damage the seat belts by allowing the belt, plate, or bu ckle to be
jammed in the door.
● Inspect the seat belt system periodically. Check for cuts, fray ing, and loose
parts. Do not use a damaged seat belt until it is replaced. Dam aged seat
belts cannot protect an occupant from death or serious injury.
● Ensure that the belt and plate are locked and the belt is not twisted.
If the seat belt does not function correctly, immediately conta ct your Toyota
dealer.
● Replace the seat assembly, including the belts, if your vehicle has been
involved in a serious accident, even if there is no obvious dam age.
● Do not attempt to install, remove, modify, disassemble or dispo se of the
seat belts. Have any necessary repairs carried out by your Toyota dealer.
Inappropriate handling may lead to incorrect operation.
■ Using a seat belt extender
● Do not wear the seat belt extender if you can fasten the seat belt without
the extender.
● Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restr aint system
because the belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, increas-
ing the risk of death or serious injury in the event of an acci dent.
● The personalized extender may not be safe on another vehicle, when
used by another person, or at a different seating position othe r than the
one originally intended.
NOTICE
■ When using a seat belt extender
When releasing the seat belt, press on the buckle release butto n on the
extender, not on the seat belt.
This helps prevent damage to the vehicle interior and the extender itself.

351-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
4RUNNER (U)
◆SRS front airbagsSRS driver airbag/front passenger airbag
Can help protect the head and c hest of the driver and front pas-
senger from impact with interior components
SRS knee airbags
Can help provide driver and front passenger protection
◆SRS side and curta in shield airbags
SRS side airbags
Can help protect the torso o f the front seat occupants
SRS curtain sh ield airbags
● Can help protect primarily the head of occupants in the outer
seats
● Can help prevent the occupants from being thrown from the
vehicle in the event of vehicle rollover
SRS airbags
The SRS airbags inflate when th e vehicle is subjected to certain
types of severe impacts that may cause significant injury to th e
occupants. They work together wit h the seat belts to help reduce
the risk of death or serious injury.
1
2
3
4

361-1. For safe use
4RUNNER (U)
SRS airbag system components
Side airbags
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG
OFF” indicator lights
Curtain shield airbags
Front passenger airbag
Knee airbags
Side impact sensors (front
door)
Seat belt pretensioners and
force limiters
Front impact sensors
Airbag sensor assemblyFront passenger’s seat belt
buckle switch
Front passenger occupant
classification system (ECU
and sensors)
Side impact sensors (rear)
SRS warning light
Safing sensor (rear)
Driver airbag
Driver’s seat belt buckle
switch1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

371-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
4RUNNER (U)
Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed based
on the US motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS208). The airbag
sensor assembly (ECU) controls airbag deployment based on infor-
mation obtained from the sensors etc. shown in the system compo -
nents diagram above. This informat ion includes crash severity and
occupant information. As the airbags deploy, a chemical reactio n in
the inflators quickly fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to h elp restrain
the motion of t he occupants.
WARNING
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the SRS airbags.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
● The driver and all passengers in the vehicle must wear their se at belts
properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the se at belts.
● The SRS driver airbag deploys with considerable force, and can cause
death or serious injury especially if the driver is very close to the airbag.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advi ses:
Since the risk zone for the driver’s airbag is the first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm)
of inflation, placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag pro-
vides you with a clear margin of safety. This distance is measured from
the center of the steering wheel to your breastbone. If you sit less than 10
in. (250 mm) away now, you can change your driving position in several
ways:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reach ing the ped-
als comfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat.
Although vehicle designs vary, many drivers can achieve the 10 in. (250
mm) distance, even with the driver seat all the way forward, si mply by
reclining the back of the seat somewhat. If reclining the back of your
seat makes it hard to see the road, raise yourself by using a f irm, non-
slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle has that feature.
• If your steering wheel is adjustable, tilt it downward. This points the air-
bag toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, whil e
still maintaining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view
of the instrument panel controls.

381-1. For safe use
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■SRS airbag precautions
● The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with considerable f orce, and
can cause death or serious injury especially if the front passe nger is very
close to the airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the air-
bag as possible with the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits
upright.
● Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or
seriously injured by a deploying airbag. An infant or child who is too small
to use a seat belt should be properly secured using a child restraint sys-
tem. Toyota strongly recommends that all infants and children b e placed in
the rear seats of the vehicle and properly restrained. The rear seats are
safer for infants and children than the front passenger seat. ( P. 53)
●If the seat belt extender has been con-
nected to the front seat belt buckles but
the seat belt extender has not also been
fastened to the latch plate of the seat
belt, the SRS front airbags will judge
that the driver and front passenger are
wearing the seat belt even though the
seat belt has not been connected. In
this case, the SRS front airbags may
not activate correctly in a collision,
resulting in death or serious injury in the
event of a collision. Be sure to wear the
seat belt with the seat belt extender.
●Do not sit on the edge of the seat or
lean against the dashboard.

391-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■SRS airbag precautions
● Do not allow a child to stand in front of
the SRS front passenger airbag unit or
sit on the knees of a front passenger.
● Do not allow the front seat occupants to
hold items on their knees.
● Do not lean against the door, the roof
side rail or the front, side and rear pil-
lars.
● Do not allow anyone to kneel on the
passenger seats toward the door or put
their head or hands outside the vehicle.
● Do not attach anything to or lean any-
thing against areas such as the dash-
board, steering wheel pad and lower
portion of the instrument panel.
These items can become projectiles
when the SRS driver, front passenger
and knee airbags deploy.
● Do not attach anything to areas such as
a door, windshield glass, side door
glass, front or rear pillar, roof side rail
and assist grip.

401-1. For safe use
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■SRS airbag precautions
● Do not hang coat hangers or other hard objects on the coat hook s. All of
these items could become projectiles and may cause death or ser ious
injury, should the SRS curtain shield airbags deploy.
● If a vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbag w ill deploy,
be sure to remove it.
● Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side
airbags inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the air bags. Such
accessories may prevent the side airbags from activating correc tly, disable
the system or cause the side airbags to inflate accidentally, r esulting in
death or serious injury.
● Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS air-
bag components.
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
● Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the S RS air-
bags have deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
● If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbags have deplo yed, open a
door or window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if i t is safe to do
so. Wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent skin ir ritation.
● If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel
pad and front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked , have
them replaced by your Toyota dealer.
● Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenge r's seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger's weight, which prevents t he sensor
from detecting the passenger's weight properly. As a result, th e SRS front
airbags for the front passenger may not deploy in the event of a collision.
●Vehicles without a smart key system:
Do not attach any heavy, sharp or hard
objects such as keys and accessories
to the key. The objects may restrict the
SRS knee airbag inflation or be thrust
into the driver's seat area by the force of
the deploying airbag, thus causing a
danger.