Service TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

4TABLE OF CONTENTS
HIGHLANDER_U
Emission inspection and mainte-nance (I/M) programs....... 406
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precau-tions ................................. 408
Hood .................................. 410
Positioning a floor jack ....... 411
Engine compartment .......... 412
Tires ................................... 419
Tire inflation pressure......... 431
Wheels ............................... 433
Air conditioning filter ........... 434
Electronic key battery ......... 436
Checking and replacing fuses ......................................... 438
Headlight aim ..................... 440
Light bulbs .......................... 441
7-1. Essential information Emergency flashers ........... 450
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency .............. 450
If the vehicle is trapped in rising water ................................ 451
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed......................................... 453
If you think something is wrong ......................................... 456
Fuel pump shut off system ......................................... 457
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds .... 458
If a warning message is dis- played .............................. 468
If you have a flat tire ........... 472
If the engine will not start ... 486
If you lose your keys .......... 487If the fuel filler door cannot be
opened ............................. 488
If the electronic key does not operate properly............... 489
If the vehicle battery is dis- charged ............................ 491
If your vehicle overheats .... 495
If the vehicle becomes stuck ......................................... 497
8-1. Specifications Maintenance data (fuel, oil level, etc.) .................................. 500
Fuel information ................. 509
Tire information .................. 511
8-2. Customization Customizable features ....... 521
8-3. Initialization Items to initialize ................ 533
9-1. For owners Reporting safety defects for U.S. owners ............................. 536
Seat belt instructions for Cana- dian owners (in French) ... 536
SRS airbag instructions for Canadian owners (in French)......................................... 538
Headlight aim instructions for Canadian owners (in French)
........ ................................. 545
What

to do if... (Troubleshooting)
......................................... 548
Alphabetical Index.............. 551
7When trouble arises
8Vehicle specifications
9For owners
Index

8
HIGHLANDER_U
www.toyota.com/privacyvts/.
If your Toyota has Safety Con-
nect and if you have subscribed
to those services, please refer to
the Safety Connect Telematics
Subscription Service Agreement
for information on data collected
and its usage.
To learn more about the vehicle
data collected, used and shared
by Toyota, please visit
www.toyota.com/privacyvts/
.
This vehicle is equipped with an
event data recorder (EDR). The
main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an
air bag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a
vehicle’s systems performed.
The EDR is designed to record
data related to vehicle dynamics
and safety systems for a short
period of time, typically 30 sec-
onds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data
as:
• How various systems in your vehicle were operating; • Whether or not the driver and
passenger safety belts were
buckled/fastened;
• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelera-
tor and/or brake pedal; and,
• How fast the vehicle was trav- eling.
These data can help provide a
better understanding of the cir-
cumstances in which crashes
and injuries occur.
NOTE: EDR data are recorded
by your vehicle only if a non-triv-
ial crash situation occurs; no
data are recorded by the EDR
under normal driving conditions
and no personal data (e.g.,
name, gender, age, and crash
location) are recorded. How-
ever, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the
EDR data with the type of per-
sonally identifying data rou-
tinely acquired during a crash
investigation.
To read data recorded by an
EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the
vehicle or the EDR is needed. In
addition to the vehicle manufac-
turer, other parties, such as law
enforcement, that have the spe-
cial equipment, can read the
information if they have access
to the vehicle or the EDR.
 Disclosure of the EDR data
Usage of data collected
through Safety Connect
(U.S. mainland only)
Event data recorder

361-1. For safe use
HIGHLANDER_U
Airbag sensor assembly
Your vehicle is equipped with ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed
based on the US motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS208). The
airbag sensor assembly (ECU) cont rols airbag deployment based on
information obtained from the sensors etc. shown in the system
components diagram above. This in formation includes crash sever-
ity and occupant information. As the airbags deploy, a chemical
reaction in the inflators quickly fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to
help restrain the motion of the occupants.
■If the SRS airbags deploy
(inflate)
●Slight abrasions, burns, bruising
etc., may be sustained from SRS
airbags, due to the extremely high
speed deployment (inflation) by
hot gases.
●A loud noise and white powder will
be emitted.
●Parts of the airbag module (steer-
ing wheel hub, airbag cover and
inflator) as well as the front seats,
parts of the front and rear pillars,
and roof side rails, may be hot for
several minutes. T he airbag itself
may also be hot.
●The windshield may crack.
●All of the doors will be unlocked.
(  P.118)
●The brakes and st op lights will be
controlled automatically. ( P.322)
●The interior lights will turn on auto-
matically. ( P.365)
●The emergency flashers will turn
on automatically. ( P.450)
●Fuel supply to the engine will be
stopped. (P.457)
●For Safety Connect subscribers, if
any of the followin g situations
occur, the system is designed to
send an emergency call to the
response center, notifying them of
the vehicle’s location (without
needing to push the “SOS” button)
and an agent will attempt to speak
with the occupants to ascertain the level of emergency and assis-
tance required. If the occupants
are unable to communicate, the
agent automatically treats the call
as an emergency and helps to dis-
patch the necessary emergency
services. (
P. 6 5 )
• An SRS airbag is deployed.
• A seat belt pretensioner is acti-
vated.
• The vehicle is involved in a severe
rear-end collision.
■SRS airbag deployment condi-
tions (SRS front airbags)
●The SRS front airbags will deploy
in the event of an impact that
exceeds the set threshold level
(the level of forc e corresponding
to an approximately 12 - 18 mph
[20 - 30 km/h] frontal collision with
a fixed wall that does not move or
deform).
However, this threshold velocity will
be considerably higher in the follow-
ing situations:
• If the vehicle strikes an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign
pole, which can move or deform
on impact
• If the vehicle is involved in an underride collision, such as a colli-
sion in which the front of the vehi-
cle “underrides”, or goes under,
the bed of a truck
●Depending on the type of collision,
it is possible that only the seat belt
pretensioners and SRS seat cush-
ion airbag will activate.

651-3. Emergency assistance
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
1-3.Emergency assistance
*: If equipped
“SOS” button
LED light indicators
Microphone
Safety Connect*
Safety Connect is a sub-
scription-based telematics
service that uses Global
Positioning System (GPS)
data and embedded cellular
technology to provide
safety and security features
to subscribers. Safety Con-
nect is supported by Toy-
ota’s designated response
center, which operates 24
hours per day, 7 days per
week.
Safety Connect service is
available by subscription on
select, telematics hard-
ware-equipped vehicles.
By using the Safety Connect
service, you are agreeing to
be bound by the Telematics
Subscription Service Agree-
ment and its Terms and
Conditions, as in effect and
amended from time to time,
a current copy of which is
available at Toyota.com in
the United States, Toy-
otapr.com in Puerto Rico
and Toyota.ca in Canada. All
use of the Safety Connect
service is subject to such
then-applicable Terms and
Conditions.
System components

661-3. Emergency assistance
HIGHLANDER_U
■Certification for Safety Connect
Subscribers have the following
Safety Connect services avail-
able:
Automatic Collision Notifica-
tion
*
Helps drivers receive necessary
response from emergency service
providers. ( P. 6 8 )
Services

671-3. Emergency assistance
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
*: U.S. Patent No. 7,508,298 B2
Stolen Vehicle Location
Helps drivers in the event of vehicle
theft. ( P. 6 8 )
 Emergency Assistance Button
(“SOS”)
Connects drivers to response-cen-
ter support. ( P. 6 9 )
Enhanced Roadside Assis-
tance
Provides drivers various on-road
assistance. ( P. 6 9 )
After you have signed the
Telematics Subscription Service
Agreement and are enrolled,
you can begin receiving ser-
vices.
A variety of subscription terms
are available for purchase. Con-
tact your Toyota dealer, call the
following appropriate Customer
Experience Center or push the
“SOS” button in your vehicle for
further subscription details.
 The United States
1-800-331-4331
Canada
1-888-869-6828
Puerto Rico
1-877-855-8377
■Safety Connect Services Infor-
mation
●Phone calls using the vehicle’s
Bluetooth® technology will not be possible when Safety Connect is
active and in use.
●Safety Connect is available begin-
ning Fall 2009 on select Toyota
models (in the contiguous United
States only). Contact with the
Safety Connect response center
is dependent upon
the telematics
device being in operative condi-
tion, cellular connection availabil-
ity, and GPS satellite signal
reception, which can limit the abil-
ity to reach the response center or
receive emergency service sup-
port. Enrollment and Telematics
Subscription Service Agreement
are required. A variety of subscrip-
tion terms are available; charges
vary by subscription term selected
and location.
●Automatic Collision Notification,
Emergency Assistance and Stolen
Vehicle Location are available in
the United States, including
Hawaii and Alaska , Puerto Rico
and Canada, and Enhanced
Roadside Assist ance are avail-
able in the United States, Puerto
Rico and Canada.
●Automatic Collision Notification,
Emergency Assistance, Stolen
Vehicle and Enhanced Road
Assistance are not available in the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
For vehicles first sold in the U.S.
Virgin Islands, no Safety Connect
services will function in or outside
the U.S. Virgin Islands.
●Safety Connect services are not
subject to section 255 of the Tele-
communications Act and the
device is not TTY compatible.
■Languages
The Safety Connect response cen-
ter will offer suppor t in multiple lan-
guages. The Safety Connect system
will offer voice prom pts in English,
Spanish, and French. Please indi-
cate your language of choice when
enrolling.
Subscription

681-3. Emergency assistance
HIGHLANDER_U
■When contacting the response
center
You may be unable to contact the
response center if the network is
busy.
When the engine switch is
turned to ON, the red indicator
light comes on for 2 seconds
then turns off. Afterward, the
green indicator light comes on,
indicating that the service is
active.
The following indicator light pat-
terns indicate specific system
usage conditions:
 Green indicator light on =
Active service
 Green indicator light flashing
= Safety Connect call in pro-
cess
 Red indicator light (except at
vehicle start-up) = System
malfunction (contact your Toy-
ota dealer)
 No indicator light (off) =
Safety Connect service not
active
■Automatic Collision Notifi-
cation
In case of either airbag deploy-
ment or severe rear-end colli-
sion, the system is designed to automatically call the response
center. The responding agent
receives the vehicle’s location
and attempts to speak with the
vehicle occupants to assess the
level of emergency. If the occu-
pants are unable to communi-
cate, the agent automatically
treats the call as an emergency,
contacts the nearest emer-
gency services provider to
describe the situation, and
requests that assistance be sent
to the location.
■Stolen Vehicle Location
If your vehicle is stolen, Safety
Connect can work with local
authorities to assist them in
locating and recovering the
vehicle. After filing a police
report, call the Customer Experi-
ence Center at 1-800-331-4331
in the United States,
1-877-855-8377 in Puerto Rico
or 1-888-869-6828 in Canada,
and follow the prompts for
Safety Connect to initiate this
service.
In addition to assisting law
enforcement with recovery of a
stolen vehicle, Safety-Con-
nect-equipped vehicle location
data may, under certain circum-
stances, be shared with third
parties to locate your vehicle.
Further information is available
at Toyota.com in the United
States, Toyotapr.com in Puerto
Rico and Toyota.ca in Canada.
Safety Connect LED light
Indicators
Safety Connect services

691-3. Emergency assistance
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
■Emergency Assistance But-
ton (“SOS”)
In the event of an emergency on
the road, push the “SOS” button
to reach the Safety Connect
response center. The answer-
ing agent will determine your
vehicle’s location, assess the
emergency, and dispatch the
necessary assistance required.
If you accidentally press the “SOS”
button, tell the response-center
agent that you are not experiencing
an emergency.
■Enhanced Roadside Assis-
tance
Enhanced Roadside Assistance
adds GPS data to the already
included warranty-based Toyota
roadside service.
Subscribers can press the
“SOS” button to reach a Safety
Connect response-center agent,
who can help with a wide range
of needs, such as: towing, flat
tire, fuel delivery, etc. For a
description of the Enhanced
Roadside Assistance services
and their limitations, please see
the Safety Connect Terms and
Conditions, which are available
at Toyota.com in the United
States, Toyotapr.com in Puerto
Rico and Toyota.ca in Canada.
Important! Read this informa- tion before using Safety Con-
nect.
■Exposure to radio fre-
quency signals
The Safety Connect system
installed in your vehicle is a
low-power radio transmitter and
receiver. It receives and also
sends out radio frequency (RF)
signals.
In August 1996, the Federal
Communications Commission
(FCC) adopted RF exposure
guidelines with safety levels for
mobile wireless phones. Those
guidelines are consistent with
the safety standards previously
set by the following U.S. and
international standards bodies.
 ANSI (American National
Standards Institute) C95.1
[1992]
 NCRP (National Council on
Radiation Protection and
Measurement) Report 86
[1986]
 ICNIRP (International Com-
mission on Non-Ionizing Radi-
ation Protection) [1996]
Those standards were based on
comprehensive and periodic
evaluations of the relevant sci-
entific literature. Over 120 scien-
tists, engineers, and physicians
from universities, and govern-
ment health agencies and
industries reviewed the avail-
able body of research to
Safety information for
Safety Connect

1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
The gross trailer weight must
never exceed 5000 lb. (2200
kg).
 The gross combination weight
must never exceed the follow-
ing:
• 2WD models: 10830 lb. (4845 kg)
• AWD models: 10935 lb. (4890 kg)
The gross vehicle weight
must never exceed the
GVWR indicated on the Certi-
fication Label. ( P.500)
 The gross axle weight on
each axle must never exceed
the GAWR indicated on the
Certification Label. ( P.500)
 If the gross trailer weight is
over the unbraked TWR,
trailer service brakes are
required.
 If the gross trailer weight is
over 2000 lb. (900 kg), a sway
control device with sufficient
capacity is required.
 If the gross trailer weight is
over 5000 lb. (2200 kg), a
weight distributing hitch with
sufficient capacity is required.
Confirm that the gross trailer
weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and tongue weight are all within the limits.
■GCWR*
2WD models: 10830 lb. (4845
kg)
AWD models: 10935 lb. (4890
kg)
■TWR*
5000 lb. (2200 kg)
■Unbraked TWR*
1000 lb. (450 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehi-
cle trailering requirement of SAE
International per SAE J2807.
 A recommended tongue
weight varies in accordance
with the types of trailers or
towing as described below.
 To ensure the recommended
values shown below, the
trailer must be loaded by
referring to the following
instructions.
• Tongue Weight
The gross trailer weight should be
distributed so that the tongue
weight is 9% to 11%.
(Tongue weight/Gross trailer weight
x 100 = 9% to 11%)
Weight limits
GCWR, TWR and
Unbraked TWR
Trailer Tongue Weight

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