TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

4617-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
■Low fuel level warning light
■Driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt reminder light (warn-
ing buzzer)*
*: Driver’s seat belt warning buzzer:
The driver’s seat belt warning buzzer sounds to alert the driver that his or
her seat belt is not fastened. O nce the engine switch is turned to ON, the
buzzer sounds. If the seat belt is still un fastened, the buzzer sounds inter-
mittently for a certain period of time after the vehicle reache s a certain
speed.
Front passenger’s seat belt warning buzzer:
The front passenger’s seat belt w arning buzzer sounds to alert the front
passenger that his or her seat belt is not fastened. If the seat belt is unfas-
tened, the buzzer sounds intermittently for a certain period of time after the
vehicle reaches a certain speed.
■Rear passengers’ seat belt reminder light*1 (warning buzzer)*2
*1: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
*2: Rear passengers’ seat belt warning buzzer:
The rear passengers’ seat belt warning buzzer sounds to alert t he rear pas-
senger that his or he r seat belt is not fastened. If the seat b elt is unfas-
tened, the buzzer sounds intermittently for a certain period of time, after the
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that remaining fuel is approximately 2.7 gal. (10.2
L, 2.2 Imp. gal.) or less
 Refuel the vehicle.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Warns the driver and/or front passenger to fasten their seat
belts
Fasten the seat belt.
If the front passenger’s se at is occupied, the front
passenger’s seat belt also needs to be fastened to
make the warning light (w arning buzzer) turn off.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Warns the second and/or thir d seat passengers to fasten
their seat belts. An indicato r corresponding to an unfas-
tened second or third seat seat b elt will illuminate.
 Fasten the seat belt.

4627-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_Useat belt is fastened and unfast
ened and the vehicle reaches a certain
speed.
■Tire pressure warning light
■LTA indicator* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminat es on the multi-information display.
■Stop & Start cancel indicator*
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
When the light comes on after blinking for approximately 1
minute:
Malfunction in the tire pressure warning system
Have the system checked by your Toyota dealer.
When the light comes on:
Low tire inflation pressure such as
 Natural causes
 Flat tire
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Handling method ( P.466)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(orange)
Indicates a malfunction in the LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
 Follow the instructions di splayed on the multi-infor-
mation display. ( P.256)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(flashes)
(if equipped)
Indicates a malfunction in the Stop & Start system
(The Stop & Start cancel ind icator will come on when the
system is canceled: P.273)
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.

4637-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
■Intuitive parking assist OFF indicator (warning buzzer)
■RCTA OFF indicator* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminat es on the multi-information display.
■PKSB OFF indicator (warning buzzer)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(flashes)
(if equipped)
Indicates a malfunction in the intuitive parking assist func-
tion
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
Indicates that the system is te mporarily unavailable, possi-
bly due to a sensor being dirty or covered with ice, etc.
 Follow the instructions di splayed on the multi-infor-
mation display. ( P.287)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(flashes)
(if equipped)
When a buzzer sounds:
Indicates a malfunction in the RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic
Alert) function
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
When a buzzer does not sound:
Indicates that the re ar bumper around the radar sensor is
covered with dirt, etc. ( P.280)
 Follow the instructions di splayed on the multi-infor-
mation display. ( P.293)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(flashes)
(if equipped)
When a buzzer sounds:
Indicates a malfunction in the PKSB (Parking Support
Brake) system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
When a buzzer does not sound:
Indicates that the system is te mporarily unavailable, possi-
bly due to a sensor being dirty or covered with ice, etc.
 Follow the instructions di splayed on the multi-infor-
mation display. ( P.302, 468)

4647-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
■PCS warning light
■Slip indicator
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(flashes or illu-
minates)
When a buzzer sounds simultaneously:
Indicates a malfunction has occurred in the PCS (Pre-Colli-
sion System).
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
When a buzzer does not sound:
The PCS (Pre-Collision System) has become temporarily
unavailable, corrective action may be necessary.
 Follow the instructions di splayed on the multi-infor-
mation display. ( P.229, 470)
If the PCS (Pre-Collision Syst em) or VSC (Vehicle Stability
Control) system is disabled, the PCS warning light will illu-
minate.
 P. 2 4 5
Warning lightDetails/Actions
When the warning light is illuminated:
Indicates a malfunction in:
The VSC system;
 The TRAC system;
 The Trailer Sway Control; or
 The hill-start assist control system;
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
When the warning light flashes:
Indicates that the VSC, TRAC or Trailer Sway Control sys-
tem is operating

4657-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
■Parking brake indicator (warning buzzer)*
*: A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is driven at a speed of app roximately 3
mph (5 km/h) or more.
■Brake hold operated indicator
■Warning buzzer
In some cases, the buzzer may not
be heard due to being in a noisy
location or audio sound.
■Front passenger detection sen-
sor, seat belt reminder and
warning buzzer
●If luggage is placed on the front
passenger seat, the front passen-
ger detection sensor may cause
the warning light to flash and the
warning buzzer to sound even if a
passenger is not sitting in the
seat.
●If a cushion is placed on the seat,
the sensor may n ot detect a pas-
senger, and the warning light may
not operate properly.
■SRS warning light
This warning light system monitors
the airbag sensor assembly, front
impact sensors, side impact sensors
(front), side impact sensors (front door), side impact sensors (rear),
driver’s seat position sensor,
driver’s seat belt buckle switch, front
passenger occupan
t classification
system (ECU and s ensors), “PASS
AIR BAG ON” indicator light, “PASS
AIR BAG OFF” indicator light, front
passenger’s seat belt buckle switch,
driver’s seat belt pretensioner, front
passenger’s seat b elt pretensioner
and force limiter, airbags, intercon-
necting wiring and power sources.
(  P. 3 4 )
■If the malfunction indicator
lamp comes on while driving
First check the following:
●Is the fuel tank empty?
If it is, fill the fuel tank immediately.
●Is the fuel ta nk cap loose?
If it is, tighten it securely.
The light will go off after several
driving trips.
If the light does not go off even after
several trips, con tact your Toyota
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(flashes)
(U.S.A.)
or
(flashes)
(Canada)
It is possible that the parking brake is not fully engaged or
released
 Operate the parking brake switch once again.
This light comes on when the parking brake is not released.
If the light turns of f after the parking brake is fully release d,
the system is operating normally.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(flashes)
Indicates a malfunction in the brake hold system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.

4667-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_Udealer as soon as possible.
■Electric power steering system
warning light (warning buzzer)
When the battery charge becomes
insufficient or the voltage temporar-
ily drops, the electric power steering
system warning light may come on
and the warning buzzer may sound.
■When the tire pressure warning
light comes on
Inspect the tires to check if a tire is
punctured.
If a tire is punctured: P.472
If none of the tires are punctured:
Turn the engine switch off then turn
it to ON. Check if the tire pressure
warning light comes on or blinks.
If the tire pressure warning light
blinks for 1 minute then stays on
There may be a malfunction in the
tire pressure warning system. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
If the tire pressure warning light
comes on
1 After the temperature of the tires
has lowered sufficiently, check
the inflation pressure of each tire
and adjust them to the specified
level.
2 If the warning light does not turn
off even after several minutes
have elapsed, check that the
inflation pressure of each tire is
at the specified level and perform
initialization. ( P.426)
If the warning light does not turn off
several minutes afte r the initializa-
tion has been performed, have the
vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
■The tire pressure warning light
may come on due to natural
causes
The tire pressure warning light may
come on due to natural causes such
as natural air leaks and tire inflation
pressure changes caused by tem- perature. In this ca
se, adjusting the
tire inflation pressure will turn off the
warning ligh t (after a few minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with a
spare tire
Vehicles with a co mpact spare tire:
The compact spare tire is not
equipped with a tire pressure warn-
ing valve and tran smitter. If a tire
goes flat, the tire pressure warning
light will not turn off even though the
flat tire has been replaced with the
spare tire. Replace the spare tire
with the repaired tire and adjust the
tire inflation pressure. The tire pres-
sure warning light will go off after a
few minutes.
Vehicles with a full-size spare tire:
The spare tire is also equipped with
a tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter. The tire pressure warn-
ing light will turn on if the tire infla-
tion pressure of the spare tire is low.
If a tire goes flat, the tire pressure
warning light will no t turn off even
though the flat tire has been
replaced with the spare tire.
Replace the spare tire with the
repaired tire and adjust the tire infla-
tion pressure. The tire pressure
warning light will go off after a few
minutes.
■Conditions that the tire pres-
sure warning system may not
function properly
 P.422
WARNING
■If both the ABS and the brake
system warning lights remain
on
Stop your vehicle in a safe place
immediately and contact your Toy-
ota dealer.
The vehicle will become
extremely unstable during brak-
ing, and the ABS system may fail,
which could cause an accident
resulting in death o r serious injury.

4677-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
■When the electric power
steering system warning light
comes on
When the light comes on yellow,
the assist to the power steering is
restricted. When the light comes
on red, the assist to the power
steering is lost and handling oper-
ations of the steering wheel
become extremely heavy.
When steering wheel operations
are heavier than usual, grip the
steering wheel firmly and operate
it using more force than usual.
■If the tire pressure warning
light comes on
Be sure to observe the following
precautions.
Failure to do so could cause a
loss of vehicle control and result
in death or serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place
as soon as possible. Adjust the
tire inflation pressure immedi-
ately.
●Vehicles with a compact spare
tire: If the tire pr essure warning
light comes on ev en after tire
inflation pressure adjustment, it
is probable that you have a flat
tire. Check the tires. If a tire is
flat, change it with the spare tire
and have the flat tire repaired by
the nearest Toy ota dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and
braking.
If the vehicle tires deteriorate,
you could lose control of the
steering wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air
leakage should occur
The tire pressure warning system
may not activate immediately.
■Maintenance of the tires
Each tire, includi ng the spare (if
provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufac-
turer on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label (tire and
load information label). (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size indicated on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label [tire and load infor-
mation label], you should deter-
mine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a
tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS-tire pressure warning sys-
tem) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale (tire pressure
warning light) w hen one or more
of your tires is significantly
under-inflated. Accordingly, when
the low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light) illumi-
nates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible,
and inflate them to the proper
pressure. Driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overhea t and can lead
to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehi-
cle’s handling and stopping ability.
WARNING
Please note that the TPMS (tire
pressure warning system) is not a
substitute for proper tire mainte-
nance, and it is the driver’s
responsibility to m aintain correct
tire pressure, even if under-infla-
tion has not reached the level to
trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure te lltale (tire pres-
sure warning light).

4687-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_UYour vehicle has also been
equipped with a TPMS (tire pres-
sure warning system) malfunc-
tion indicator to indicate when the
system is not opera
ting properly.
The TPMS (tire pressure warning
system) malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pres-
sure telltale (tire pressure warning
light). When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash
for approximately one minute and
then remain continuously illumi-
nated. This sequence will con-
tinue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunc-
tion exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as
intended.
TPMS (tire pressure warning sys-
tem) malfunctions may occur for a
variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS
(tire pressure warning system)
from functioning properly. Always
check the TPMS (tire pressure
warning system) malfunction tell-
tale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the r eplacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS (tire pressure warning
system) to continue to function
properly.
NOTICE
■To ensure the tire pressure
warning system operates
properly
Do not install tires with different
specifications or makers, as the
tire pressure warning system may
not operate properly.
If a war ning message
is displayed
The multi-information dis-
play shows warnings of sys-
tem malfunctions,
incorrectly performed oper-
ations, and messages that
indicate a need for mainte-
nance. When a message is
shown, perform the correc-
tion procedure appropriate
to the message.
Additionally, if a warning
light comes on or flashes at
the same time that a warn-
ing message is displayed,
take the appropriate correc-
tive action for the warning
light. ( P.458)
If a warning message is dis-
played again after the
appropriate actions have
been performed, contact
your Toyota dealer.

4697-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
The warning lights and warning buzzers operate as follows depend-
ing on the content of the message. If a message indicates the need
for inspection by a dealer, have the vehicle inspected by your To y o t a
dealer immediately.
*: A buzzer sounds the first time a message is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display.
■Warning messages
The warning messages explained
below may differ from the actual
messages according to operation
conditions and vehicle specifica-
tions.
■Warning buzzer
In some cases, the buzzer may not
be heard due to being in a noisy
location or audio sound.
■If “Engine Oil Level Low Add or
Replace” is displayed
The engine oil level is low. Check
the level of the engine oil, and add if
necessary.
This message may appear if the
vehicle is stopped on a slope. Move
the vehicle to a l evel surface and
check to see if the message disap-
pears.
Messages and warnings
Warning lightWarning
buzzer
*Warning
-Sounds
 Indicates an important situation, such as
when a system relate d to driving is mal-
functioning or that danger may result if
the correction procedure is not per-
formed
 Indicates a situation, such as when dam-
age to the vehicle or danger may result
Comes on or
flashesSounds
Indicates an importan t situation, such as
when the systems shown on the
multi-information display may be malfunc-
tioning
-Does not sound
 Indicates a condition, such as malfunc-
tion of electrical components, their condi-
tion, or indicates the need for
maintenance
 Indicates a situatio n, such as when an
operation has been performed incor-
rectly, or indicates how to perform an
operation correctly

4707-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
■If “Engine Stopped Steering
Power Low” is displayed
This message is displayed if the
engine is stopped while driving.
When steering wheel operations are
heavier than usual, grip the steering
wheel firmly and operate it using
more force th an usual.
■If “Shift to P when Parked” is
displayed
This message is displayed when the
driver’s door is opened without turn-
ing the engine switch off with the
shift lever in any position other than
P. Change the shift lever to P.
■If “Auto Power OFF to Conserve
Battery” is displayed
Power was cut off due to the auto-
matic power off function. Next time
when starting the engine, increase
the engine speed slightly and main-
tain that level for approximately 5
minutes to recha rge the battery.
■If “Headlight System Malfunc-
tion Visit Your Dealer” is dis-
played
The following systems may be mal-
functioning. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
●The LED headlight system (if AFS
[Adaptive Front-lighting System]
equipped)
●AFS (Adaptive Fr ont-lighting Sys-
tem) (if equipped)
●The automatic headlight leveling
system (if equipped)
●Automatic High Beam
■If “Radar Cruise Control
Unavailable” is displayed
The dynamic radar cruise control
with full-speed range system cannot
be used temporarily. Use the system
when it becomes available again.
■If a message that indicates the
malfunction of front camera is
displayed
The following systems may be sus-
pended until the problem shown in
the message is resolved. (P.233,
464)
●PCS (Pre-Collision system)
●LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
●Automatic High Beam
●RSA (Road Sign Assist) (if
equipped)
●Dynamic radar cruise control with
full-speed range
■If a message that indicates the
malfunction of radar sensor is
displayed
The following systems may be sus-
pended until the problem shown in
the message is resolved. (P.233,
464)
●PCS (Pre-Collision system)
●LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
●Dynamic radar cruise control with
full-speed range
■If “AWD System Overheated
Switching to 2WD Mode” or
“AWD System Overheated 2WD
Mode Engaged” is displayed
(AWD models)
This message may be displayed
when driving under extremely high
load conditions.
Drive the vehicle at low speeds or
stop the vehicle in a safe place with
the engine running until the mes-
sage is cleared.
If the message is not cleared, have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
■If “Check Fuel Cap” is dis-
played
The fuel tank cap is not properly
installed. Correctly install the fuel
tank cap.