towing TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2023 User Guide

1884-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities. Toyota rec-
ommends the use of Toy ota hitch/bracket for your vehicle. For d etails,
contact your Toyota dealer.
● If you wish to install a trailer hitch, contact your Toyota dea ler.
● Use only a hitch that conforms to the gross trailer weight requ ire-
ment of your vehicle.
● Follow the directions suppli ed by the hitch manufacturer.
● Lubricate the hitch ball with a light coating of grease.
● Remove the hitch ball whenever you are not towing a trailer.
Remove the trailer hitch if you do not need it. After removing the
hitch, seal any mounting hole in the vehicle body to prevent en try of
any substances into the vehicle.
Hitch

1904-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
Weight carrying ball position:
50.1 in. (1272 mm)
Hitch receiver pin hole position:
43.7 in. (1109 mm)
Use the wire harness stored in the
rear end under body.
Please consult your dealer when installing trailer lights, as i ncorrect
installation may cause damage to the vehicle’s lights. Please t ake
care to comply with your state’s laws when installing trailer lights.
■Service connector for towing brake controller
Positions for towing hitch receiver and hitch ball
1
2
Connecting trailer lights
Your vehicle is equipped with a service
connector for the trailer brake controller
as shown.

1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid
an accident, death or serious injury, keep the following in min d when
towing:
● Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not
exceed the posted to wing speed limit.
● Toyota recommends that the vehicl e-trailer speed limit is 65 mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this li mit, the
posted towing speed limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set
forth in your trailer owner’s manu al, whichever is lowest. Instability
of the towing vehicle-trailer combination (trailer sway) increa ses as
speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of contr ol.
● Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-
trailer connections. Recheck af ter driving a short distance.
● Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attac hed in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the fe el
of the vehicle-trailer combination.
● Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires pra ctice.
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 rig ht 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 acci-
dent.
● As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicl e-to
vehicle distance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h)
of speed, allow at least one v ehicle and trailer length.
● Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in the trailer jack-
knifing and a loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or
slippery surfaces.
Trailer towing tips

1944-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)■
Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 532)
● Trailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacture r’s recommen-
dation.
● All trailer lights work as required by law.
● All lights work each time you connect them.
● The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
● The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for imprope r tongue weight,
overloading, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
● The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
● The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or
local regulations. If they do not, install rear view mirrors ap propriate for tow-
ing purposes.
■ When towing a trailer
Disable the following systems, as the systems may not operate p roperly.
● LDA (Lane Departure Alert) ( P. 249)
● Dynamic radar cruise control ( P. 257)
● BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) ( P. 270)
● Intuitive parking assist ( P. 277)
● RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert) function (P. 286)
■ Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train com ponents
(such as an engine, transmission, differential or wheel bearing ), Toyota rec-
ommends that you do not tow a trailer until the vehicle has bee n driven for
over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km), you can start
towing. However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the veh icle at a speed
of less than 45 mph (72 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle
acceleration.
■ Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent m aintenance due
to the additional load. (See “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or “ Owner’s
Manual Supplement”.)
● Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after approximately
600 miles (1000 km) of trailer towing.

1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)■
If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can
adversely affect handling of your vehicle and trailer, causing instability.
● If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer swaying by turning the steering w heel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal immediately but very gra dually to
reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the steering or brakes, your vehicle
and trailer should stabilize. (if enabled, Trailer Sway Control can also help to
stabilize the vehicle and trailer.)
● After the trailer swaying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the speed at which trailer swaying occurred
is beyond the limit of your particular vehicle-trailer combination.
Drive at a lower speed to prevent instability. Remember that sw aying of the
towing vehicle-trailer increases as speed increases.

1964-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care and drive the vehicle in accordance
with the trailer’s characteristics and operating conditions. Failure to do so
could cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury. V ehicle stability
and braking performance are affected by trailer stability, brake setting and
performance, and the hitch. Your vehicle will handle differently when towing
a trailer.
■ To avoid accident or injury
● Do not exceed the TWR, unbraked TWR, GCWR, GVWR or GAWR.
● If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway control device
with sufficient capacity is required.
● Adjust the tongue weight within the appropriate range. Place heavier loads
as close to the trailer axle as possible.
● Do not exceed 65 mph (104 km/h), the posted towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner’s manual,
whichever is lowest. Slow down sufficiently before making a tur n, in cross
winds, on wet or slippery surface, etc. to help avoid an accident. If you
experience a vehicle-trailer instability from reducing a certai n speed, slow
down and make sure you keep your vehicle speed under the speed of
which you experience the instability.
● Do not make jerky, abrupt or sharp turns.
● Do not apply the brakes suddenly as you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or slippery sur-
faces.
● Do not exceed the trailer hitch assembly weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and trailer tongue weight capacities.
● Do not use cruise control when towing.
● Slow down and downshift before descending steep or long downhil l
grades. Do not make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long
downhill grades.
● Vehicle-trailer instability is more likely on steep long downhi lls. Before
descending steep or long downhill grades, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts when descending steep or long downhi ll
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.

1974-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities estab lished by the
hitch manufacturer. Even though the vehicle may be physically capable of
towing a higher weight, the operator must determine the maximum weight
rating of the particular hitch assembly and never exceed the maximum
weight rating specified for the trailer-hitch. Exceeding the maximum weight
rating set by the trailer-hitch manufacturer can cause an accid ent resulting
in death or serious personal injuries.
■ When towing a trailer
Toyota recommends trailers with brakes that conform to any applicable fed-
eral and state/provincial regulations.
● If the gross trailer weight exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer brakes are
required. Toyota recommends trailers with brakes that conform t o all appli-
cable federal and state/provincial regulations.
● Never tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic system, as this will lo wer the vehi-
cle’s braking effectiveness.
● Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain securely attac hed to both
the trailer and the vehicle. If damage occurs to the coupling u nit or hitch
ball, there is danger of the trailer wandering into another lan e.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recommended by your Toyota dealer. Do not install
the trailer hitch on the bumper; this may cause body damage.
■ Do not directly splice trailer lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights. Directly splicing traile r lights may damage
your vehicle’s electrical system and cause a malfunction.

1984-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed to be dinghy towed (with 4 wheels
on the ground) behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to your vehicle
Do not tow your vehicle with the four wheels on the ground.

2414-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■When to disable the pre-collision system
In the following situations, disable the system, as it may not operate prop-
erly, possibly leading to an accident resulting in death or serious injury:
● When the vehicle is being towed
● When your vehicle is towing another vehicle
● When transporting the vehicle via truck, boat, train or similar means of
transportation
● When the vehicle is raised on a lift with the engine running and the tires
are allowed to rotate freely
● When inspecting the vehicle using a drum tester such as a chass is dyna-
mometer or speedometer tester, or when using an on vehicle whee l bal-
ancer
● When a strong impact is applied to the front bumper or front gr ille, due to
an accident or other reasons
● If the vehicle cannot be driven in a stable manner, such as when the vehi-
cle has been in an accident or is malfunctioning
● When the vehicle is driven in a sporty manner or off-road
● When the tires are not properly inflated
● When the tires are very worn
● When tires of a size other than specified are installed
● When tire chains are installed
● When a compact spare tire or an emergency tire puncture repair kit is used
● If equipment (snow plow, etc.) that may obstruct the radar sens or or front
camera is temporarily installed to the vehicle

2604-5. Using the driving support systems
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■Situations unsuitable for dynamic radar cruise control
Do not use dynamic radar cruise control in any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in inappropriate speed control and could ca use an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury.
● Roads where there are pedestrians, cyclers, etc.
● In heavy traffic
● On roads with sharp bends
● On winding roads
● On slippery roads, such as those covered with rain, ice or snow
● On steep downhills, or where there are sudden changes between s harp up
and down gradients
Vehicle speed may exceed the set speed when driving down a stee p hill.
● At entrances to freeways and highways
● When weather conditions are bad enough that they may prevent the sen-
sors from detecting correctly (fog, snow, sandstorm, heavy rain, etc.)
● When there is rain, snow, etc. on the front surface of the rada r sensor or
camera sensor
● In traffic conditions that require frequent repeated acceleration and decel-
eration
● When your vehicle is towing a trailer or during emergency towin g
● When an approach warning buzzer is heard often