engine TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

3154-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_Udriving on roads with many curves.
When Sport mode is selected,
Sport mode indicator comes on.
3
Eco drive mode
Helps the driver a ccelerate in an
eco-friendly manner and improve
fuel economy through moderate
throttle characteri stics and by con-
trolling the operation of the air con-
ditioning system (heating/cooling).
When Eco drive mode is selected,
Eco drive mode indicator comes
on.
■When changing to a driving
mode other than normal mode
Switches to AWD control suitable for
the selected mode. (for Dynamic
Torque Vectoring AWD vehicles
only)
■Air conditioning system opera-
tion in Eco drive mode
In Eco drive mode, heating/cooling
operations and the fan speed is con-
trolled to improve fuel efficiency.
Perform the following procedures to
increase the air conditioning perfor-
mance.
●Vehicle with a 12.3-inch display:
Turn eco air conditioning mode off
(  P.349)
●Adjust the fan speed ( P.336,
342)
●Cancel Eco drive mode
■Canceling a driving mode
●Sport mode is automatically can-
celed and the driving mode
returns to normal mode when the
engine switch is turned off.
●Normal mode and Eco drive mode
are not canceled until another
driving mode is sel ected. (Even if
the engine switch is turned off,
normal mode and Eco drive mode
will not be automatically can-
celed.)
Multi-terrain Select
(AWD vehicles)
Multi-terrain Select is a sys-
tem that improves drivabil-
ity in off-road situations.
When driving over muddy,
sandy or rough road sur-
faces, the system selects a
suitable driving mode to
switch AWD, brake and
drive force control to per-
form control suitable for the
road condition.
WARNING
■Before using Multi-terrain
Select
Make sure to observe the follow-
ing precautions. Failure to
observe these precautions may
result in an unexp ected accident.
●Check that the Mud & Sand and
Rock & Dirt indicators are illumi-
nated before driving. Multi-ter-
rain Select will not operate
when the indicators are off.
●Do not rely solely upon the
Multi-terrain Select. This func-
tion is not inten ded to expand
the limits of the vehicle. If the
system is continuously used for
a long period of time, the load
on related parts increases and
the system may be unable to
operate normally, which may
lead to an accident. Thoroughly
check the road conditions and
driving route before driving, and
drive with caution.

3184-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_Utemperature decreases. Once the
display message on the
multi-information display turns off,
the brake control returns to nor-
mal. Note that normal driving is
still possible even when Multi-ter-
rain Select brake control is not
operating.
*: After stopping the vehicle, do not
stop the engine until the display
message has turned off.
■When Mud & Sand or Rock &
Dirt mode is canceled
In the following situations, Mud &
Sand mode or Rock & Dirt mode are
automatically canceled even if they
are selected.
●When the driving mode is
changed ( P.314)
●When the engine switch is turned
off
■Driving in Mud & Sand or Rock
& Dirt mode
The following types of situations
may occur, but they are not malfunc-
tions.
●Vibrations may be felt throughout
the vehicle or steering wheel
●Operating noise may be heard
from the engine compartment
■When an inspection at your
Toyota dealer is necessary
In the following si tuations, the sys-
tem may be malfunctioning. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
●When the slip indic ator light illumi-
nates while Mud & Sand or Rock
& Dirt mode is selected
●When the indicator for each mode
does not illuminate even though
Mud & Sand or Rock & Dirt mode
is selected
Press the snow mode switch.
When the switch is pressed, the
system switches to snow mode and
the snow mode indi cator illuminates
on the multi-information display.
When the switch is pressed again,
the snow mode indicator turns off.
■When changing to snow mode
The background of the multi-infor-
mation display changes.
■Canceling the snow mode
Snow mode is automatically can-
celed when the engine switch is
turned OFF or Mud & Sand or Rock
& Dirt mode is selec ted for Multi-ter-
rain Select.
Snow mode switch
Snow mode can be selected
to suit the conditions when
driving on slippery road sur-
faces, such as on snow.
System operation

3204-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_Uoperation. The indicator will flash
during operation, and then go off
when the system is fully off.
■When the downhill assist con-
trol system is operated continu-
ously
This may cause the brake actuator
to overheat. In this case, the down-
hill assist control system will stop
operating, a buzzer will sound and
the downhill assist control system
indicator will start flashing, and
“Traction Control Turned OFF” will
be shown on the multi-information
display. Refrain from using the sys-
tem until the downhill assist control
system indicator stays on and the
message goes off. (The vehicle can
be driven normally during this time.)
■Sounds and vibrations caused
by the downhill assist control
system
●A sound may be heard from the
engine compartment when the
engine is started or just after the
vehicle begins to move. This
sound does not indicate that a
malfunction has occurred in down-
hill assist control system.
●Either of the following conditions
may occur when the downhill
assist control system is operating.
None of these are indicators that a
malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the
vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
■System malfunction
In the following ca ses, have your
vehicle checked by your Toyota
dealer.
●The downhill assist control system
indicator does not come on when
the engine switch is turned to ON.
●The downhill assist control system
indicator does not come on when
the downhill assist control switch
is pressed.
●The slip indicator comes on.
WARNING
■The system may not operate
on the following surfaces,
which may lead to an acci-
dent causing death or serious
injury
●Slippery surfaces such as wet
or muddy roads
●Icy surface
●Unpaved roads

3224-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U
wheel
■Dynamic Torque Control
AWD system (AWD models)
Automatically switches from
front-wheel drive to all-wheel
drive (AWD) according to the
driving conditions, helping to
ensure reliable handling and
stability. Examples of conditions
where the system will switch to
AWD are when cornering, going
uphill, starting off or accelerat-
ing, and when the road surface
is slippery due to snow, rain, etc.
■Dynamic Torque Vectoring
AWD system (AWD models)
Automatically switches from
front-wheel drive to all-wheel
drive (AWD) according to the
driving conditions, helping to
ensure reliable handling and
stability. Examples of conditions
where the system will switch to
AWD are when cornering, going
uphill, starting off or accelerat-
ing, and when the road surface
is slippery due to snow, rain, etc.
Also, when the vehicle is corner-
ing, the drive torque distribution
between the front and rear
wheels and between the rear left
and right wheels is precisely
controlled to improve drivability
and stability.
■The Secondary Collision
Brake
When the SRS airbag sensor
detects a collision and the sys- tem operates, the brakes and
brake lights are automatically
controlled to reduce the vehicle
speed and help reduce the pos-
sibility of further damage due to
a secondary collision.
■When the TRAC/VSC/Trailer
Sway Control systems are oper-
ating
The slip indicator light will flash
while the TRAC/VSC/Trailer Sway
Control systems are operating.
■Disabling the TRAC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in mud, dirt
or snow, the TRAC system may
reduce power from the engine to the
wheels. Pressing the switch to
turn the system off may make it eas-
ier for you to rock the vehicle in
order to free it.
To turn the TRAC system off, quickly
press and release the switch.
The “Traction Cont rol Turned OFF”
will be shown on the multi-informa-
tion display.
Press the switch again to turn
the system back on.

3234-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
■Turning off both TRAC, VSC
and Trailer Sway Control sys-
tems
To turn the TRAC, VSC and Trailer
Sway Control systems off, press
and hold the switch for more
than 3 seconds while the vehicle is
stopped.
The VSC OFF indicator light will
come on and the “Traction Control
Turned OFF” will be shown on the
multi-information display.
*
Press the switch again to turn
the system back on.
*: On vehicles with PCS (Pre-Colli- sion System), PCS will also be
disabled (only Pre-Collision warn-
ing is available). The PCS warning
light will come on and a message
will be display ed on the
multi-informat ion display.
(  P.235)
■When the message is dis-
played on the multi-information
display showing that TRAC has
been disabled even if the
switch has not been pressed
TRAC is temporary deactivated. If
the information continues to show,
contact your Toyota dealer.
■Operating conditions of
hill-start assist control
When the following four conditions
are met, the hill-start assist control
will operate:
●The shift lever is in a position
other than P or N (when starting
off forward/backward on an
upward incline)
●The vehicle is stopped
●The accelerator pedal is not
depressed
●The parking brake is not engaged
■Automatic system cancelation
of hill-start assist control
The hill-start assist control will turn
off in any of the fo llowing situations:
●The shift lever is shifted to P or N
●The accelerator pedal is
depressed
●The parking brake is engaged
●2 seconds at maximum elapsed
after the brake pedal is released
■Sounds and vibrations caused
by the ABS, brake assist, VSC,
Trailer Sway Control, TRAC and
hill-start assist control systems
●A sound may be heard from the
engine compartment when the
brake pedal is depressed repeat-
edly, when the engine is started or
just after the vehicle begins to
move. This sound does not indi-
cate that a malfunction has
occurred in any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions
may occur when the above sys-
tems are operating. None of these
indicates that a malfunction has
occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the
vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard also
after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate
slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
■Active Cornering Assist opera-
tion sounds and vibrations
When the Active Cornering Assist is
operated, operation sounds and
vibrations may be generated from
the brake system, but this is not a
malfunction.
■AWD system operation sounds
and vibrations when switching
between AWD and front wheel
drive
When the vehicle switches from
AWD to front wheel drive and vice
versa, operation s ounds and vibra-

3244-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_Utions may be generated, but this is
not a malfunction.
■EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is oper-
ated, a motor sound (whirring
sound) may be heard. This does not
indicate a malfunction.
■Reduced effectiveness of the
EPS system
The effectiveness of the EPS sys-
tem is reduced to prevent the sys-
tem from overheating when there is
frequent steering input over an
extended period of time. The steer-
ing wheel may feel heavy as a
result. Should this occur, refrain
from excessive steering input or
stop the vehicle and turn the engine
off. The EPS syst em should return
to normal within 10 minutes.
■Automatic reactivation of
TRAC, Trailer Sway Control and
VSC systems
After turning the TRAC, Trailer
Sway Control and VSC systems off,
the systems will be automatically
re-enabled in the following situa-
tions:
●When the engine switch is turned
OFF
●If only the TRAC system is turned
off, the TRAC will turn on when
vehicle speed increases
If both the TRAC and VSC sys-
tems are turned off, automatic
re-enabling will not occur when
vehicle speed increases.
■Operating conditions of Active
Cornering Assist
The system operates when the fol-
lowing occurs.
●TRAC/VSC can operate
●The driver is at tempting to accel-
erate while turning
●The system detects that the vehi-
cle is drifting to the outer side
●The brake pedal is released
■Secondary Collision Brake
operating conditions
The system operates when the SRS
airbag sensor detects a collision
while the vehicle is in motion.
However, the system does not oper-
ate in any of the following situations.
●The vehicle speed is below 6 mph
(10 km/h)
●Components are damaged
■Secondary Collision Brake
automatic cancellation
The system is automatically can-
celed in any of th e following situa-
tions.
●The vehicle speed drops below
approximately 6 mph (10 km/h)
●A certain amount of time elapses
during operation
●The accelerator pedal is
depressed a large amount
WARNING
■The ABS does not operate
effectively when
●The limits of tire gripping perfor-
mance have been exceeded
(such as excessively worn tires
on a snow covered road).
●The vehicle hydroplanes while
driving at high speed on wet or
slick roads.
■Stopping distance when the
ABS is operating may exceed
that of normal conditions
The ABS is not designed to
shorten the vehicle’s stopping dis-
tance. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from the veh icle in front of
you, especially in the following sit-
uations:
●When driving on dirt, gravel or
snow-covered roads
●When driving with tire chains

3274-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
4-6.Driving tips
Use fluids that are appropriate
to the prevailing outside tem-
peratures.
• Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Washer fluid
Have a service technician
inspect the condition of the
battery.
 Have the vehicle fitted with
four snow tires or purchase a
set of tire chains for the front
tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same
size and brand, and that chains
match the size of the tires.
Perform the following according
to the driving conditions:
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary
preparations and inspec-
tions before driving the
vehicle in winter. Always
drive the vehicle in a man-
ner appropriate to the pre-
vailing weather conditions.
Pre-winter preparations
WARNING
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions
to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so m ay result in a
loss of vehicle control and cause
death or serious injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
●Maintain the recommended
level of air pressure.
●Do not drive in excess of 75
mph (120 km/h), regardless of
the type of snow tires being
used.
●Use snow tires on all, not just
some wheels.
■Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions
to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the
vehicle being unable to be driven
safely, and may cause death or
serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the
speed limit specifi ed for the tire
chains being used, or 30 mph
(50 km/h), whichever is lower.
●Avoid driving on bumpy road
surfaces or over potholes.
●Avoid sudden acceleration,
abrupt steering, sudden brak-
ing and shifting operations that
cause sudden engine braking.
●Slow down sufficiently before
entering a curve to ensure that
vehicle control is maintained.
●Do not use the LTA (Lane Trac-
ing Assist) system.
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow
tires
Request repairs or replacement of
snow tires from Toyota dealers or
legitimate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and
attachment of snow tires affects
the operation of the tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters.
Before driving the vehicle

3324-6. Driving tips
HIGHLANDER_U
NOTICE
■To prevent water damage
Take all necessary safety mea-
sures to ensure that water dam-
age to the engine or other
components does not occur.
●Water entering the engine air
intake will cause severe engine
damage.
●Water entering the automatic
transmission will cause deterio-
ration in shift quality, locking up
of your transmission accompa-
nied by vibration, and ultimately
damage.
●Water can wash the grease
from wheel bearings, causing
rusting and premature failure,
and may also enter the differen-
tial, transmission and transfer
case, reducing the gear oil’s
lubricating qualities.
■When you drive through
water
If driving through water, such as
when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the riverbed for
firmness. Drive slowly and avoid
deep water.
■Inspection after off-road driv-
ing
●Sand and mud that has accu-
mulated in bra ke drums and
around brake di scs may affect
braking efficiency and may
damage brake system compo-
nents.
●Always perform a maintenance
inspection aft er each day of
off-road driving that has taken
you through rough terrain, sand,
mud, or water. For scheduled
maintenance information, refer
to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual
Supplement”.

3385-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
HIGHLANDER_Uminates on the rear window
defogger and outside rear view mir-
ror defoggers switch.
The defoggers will
automatically
turn off after a while.
■Windshield wiper de-icer
This feature is used to prevent
ice from building up on the wind-
shield and wiper blades.
Press the windshield wiper
de-icer switch.
When the windshield wiper de-icer
switch is on, the indicator illumi-
nates on the windshield wiper
de-icer switch.
The windshield wip er de-icer will
automatically turn of f after a period
of time.
■For quick cooling
Press the “MAX A/C” switch.
The air conditioning will automati-
cally turn on.
At this time, the fo llowing will occur:
●The recirculated air mode will be
set
●The windshield defogger will turn
off
●The air flow mode will change to
the upper body mode
●The fan speed will be set to high.
■Fogging up of the windows
●The windows will easily fog up
when the humidity in the vehicle is
high. Turning the “A/C” switch on
will dehumidify the air from the
outlets and defog the windshield
effectively.
●If you turn the “A/C” switch off, the
windows may fog up more easily.
●The windows may fog up if the
recirculated air mode is used.
■When driving on dusty roads
Close all windows. If dust thrown up
by the vehicle is still drawn into the
vehicle after closing the windows, it
is recommended that the air intake
mode be set to outside air mode and
the fan speed to a ny setting except
off.
■Outside/recirculated air mode
Setting to the recir culated air mode
temporarily is recommended in pre-
venting dirty air from entering the
vehicle interior and helping to cool
the vehicle when the outside air
temperature is high.
■Operation of the air condition-
ing system in Eco drive mode
In Eco drive mode, the air condition-
ing system is controlled to prioritize
fuel efficiency by regulating the
engine speed and compressor oper-
ation to restrict the heating/cooling
capacity.
To improve air conditioning perfor-
mance, perform the following opera-
tions:
●Adjust the fan speed
●Adjust the temperature setting
●Turn off Eco drive mode ( P.314)
■When the outside temperature
is low
The dehumidification function may
not operate even when the “A/C”
switch is pressed.
■Ventilation and air conditioning
odors
●To let fresh air in, set the air condi-
tioning system to the outside air
mode.
●During use, various odors from
inside and outside the vehicle may
enter into and accumulate in the
air conditioning system. This may
then cause odor to be emitted
from the vents.
●To reduce potential odors from
occurring: It is recommended that
the air conditioning system be set

3395-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
5
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_Uto outside air mode prior to turning
the vehicle off.
●When parking, the system auto-
matically switches to outside air
mode to encourage better air cir-
culation throughout the vehicle,
helping to reduce odors that occur
when starting the vehicle.
■Air conditioning filter
 P. 4 3 4
■Air conditioning system refrig-
erant
●A label regarding the refrigerant of
the air conditioning system is
attached to the ho od at the loca-
tion shown in the f ollowing illustra-
tion.
●The meaning of each symbol on
the label are as follows:
Caution
Air conditioning sys-
tem
Air conditioning sys-
tem lubricant type
Requires registered
technician to service
air conditioning sys-
tem
Flammable refrigerant
WARNING
■To prevent the windshield
from fogging up
Do not use the windshield defog-
ger switch during cool air opera-
tion in extremely humid weather.
The difference between the tem-
perature of the outside air and
that of the windshield can cause
the outer surface of the wind-
shield to fog up, blocking your
vision.
■When the outside rear view
mirror defoggers are operat-
ing
Do not touch the rear view mirror
surfaces when the outside rear
view mirror def oggers are on.
■When the windshield wiper
de-icer is operating
Do not touch the glass at lower
part of the windshield or to the
side of the front p illars when the
windshield wiper de-icer is on.
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the air conditioning
system on longer than necessary
when the engine is off.
■When repairing/replacing
parts of the air conditioning
system
Have repair/replacement per-
formed by your Toyota dealer.
When a part of the air conditioning
system, such as the evaporator, is
to be replaced, it must be
replaced with a new one.