emergency towing TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

2
HIGHLANDER_UTABLE OF CONTENTS
For your information ........................
6
Reading this manual ...................... 11
How to search ................................ 12
Pictorial index ................................ 13
1-1. For safe use Before driving ........................ 24
For safe driving ..................... 25
Seat belts .............................. 27
SRS airbags .......................... 34
Front passenger occupant clas- sification system.................. 43
Exhaust gas precautions....... 48
1-2. Child safety Riding with children ............... 49
Child restraint systems .......... 50
1-3. Emergency assistance Safety Connect ..................... 65
1-4. Theft deterrent system Engine immobilizer system ... 71
Alarm ..................................... 73
2-1. Instrument cluster Warning lights and indicators............................................ 76
Gauges and meters .............. 81
Multi-information display (4.2-inch display)................. 84
Multi-information display (7-inch display)................................ 93
Head-up display ................. 103
Fuel consumption information ......................................... 1083-1. Key information
Keys ................................... 114
3-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
Side doors .......................... 117
Back door ........................... 121
Smart key system .............. 133
3-3. Adjusting the seats Front seats ......................... 141
Rear seats.......................... 142
Driving position memory .... 147
Head restraints................... 150
3-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
Steering wheel ................... 153
Inside rear view mirror ....... 154
Digital Rearview Mirror....... 155
Outside rear view mirrors ... 165
3-5. Opening, closing the win- dows and moon roof
Power windows .................. 167
Moon roof ........................... 170
Panoramic moon roof......... 173
4-1. Before driving Driving the vehicle.............. 179
Cargo and luggage ............ 186
Vehicle load limits .............. 189
Trailer towing...................... 190
Dinghy towing .................... 201
4-2. Driving procedures Engine

(ignition) switch ...... 202
Automatic transmission ...... 206
Turn signal lever................. 210
Parking brake ..................... 211
1For safety and security
2Vehicle status information
and indicators
3Before driving
4Driving

16Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER_U
■Instrument panel
Engine switch ..................................................................... P.202
Starting the engine/changing the modes ......................... .... P.202
Emergency stop of the engin e ............................................. P.450
When the engine will not start ................................. ............. P.486
Warning messages ............................................... ............... P.468
Shift lever.................................................... ........................ P.206
Changing the shift position.................................... ............... P.207
Precautions for towing .. ....................................... ................ P.453
When the shift lever does not move............................. ........ P.208
Meters ......................................................... .......................... P.81
Reading the meters/adjusting the instrument panel light . P.81, 8 3
Warning lights/indicator lights ................................ ................ P.76
When a warning light turns on .................................. ........... P.458
Multi-information display . ............................................. P.84, 93
Display ........................................................ ..................... P.84, 93
When the warning messages are displayed ........................ P. 4 6 8

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

1984-1. Before driving
HIGHLANDER_UThis function is activated when the
rated current of any of the following
trailer light circuit components is
exceeded:
●Tail lights: maximum 4.5 A
●Stop/turn signal light (right): maxi-
mum 7.8 A
●Stop/turn signal light (left): maxi-
mum 4.5 A
■When the auto current cut func-
tion is activated
If a trailer light d oes not come on
due to the activation of the auto cur-
rent cut function , the light system
will need to be reset.
Follow the reset procedure shown
below.
●If a tail light doe s not come on,
turn off the headlight switch.
●If the right-side stop/turn signal
light does not com e on, put the
turn signal in the off position or
remove foot from t he brake pedal.
●If the left-side stop/turn signal light
does not come on, put the turn
signal in the off position or remove
foot from the brake pedal.
If the emergency flashers do not
operate, press the emergency
flasher switch to turn them off.
After the light syst em is reset, oper-
ate the light switches again to see if
the lights operate normally.
If the lights do not operate normally,
have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
Your vehicle will handle differ-
ently when towing a trailer. Help
to avoid an accident, death or
serious injury, keep the following
in mind when towing:
 Speed limits for towing a
trailer vary by state or prov-
ince. Do not exceed the
posted towing speed limit.
 Toyota recommends that the
vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65
mph (104 km/h) on a flat,
straight, dry road. Do not
exceed this limit, the posted
towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as
set forth in your trailer owner’s
manual, whichever is lowest.
Instability of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer combination (trailer
sway) increases as speed
increases. Exceeding speed
limits may cause loss of con-
trol.
 Before starting out, check the
trailer lights, tires and the
vehicle-trailer connections.
Recheck after driving a short
distance.
 Practice turning, stopping and
reversing with the trailer
attached in an area away
from traffic until you become
accustomed to the feel of the
vehicle-trailer combination.
 Reversing with a trailer
attached is difficult and
NOTICE
■Do not directly splice trailer
lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights.
Directly splicing trailer lights may
damage your vehicle’s electrical
system and cause a malfunction.
Trailer towing tips

2474-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■Before using LTA system
●Do not rely solely upon the LTA
system. The LTA system does
not automatically drive the vehi-
cle or reduce the amount of
attention that must be paid to
the area in front of the vehicle.
The driver must always assume
full responsibility for driving
safely by paying careful atten-
tion to the surrounding condi-
tions and operating the steering
wheel to correct the path of the
vehicle. Also, the driver must
take adequate breaks when
fatigued, such as from driving
for a long period of time.
●Failure to perform appropriate
driving operations and pay care-
ful attention may lead to an
accident, resulting in death or
serious injury.
■Situations unsuitable for LTA
system
In the following situations, use the
LTA switch to turn the system off.
Failure to do so may lead to an
accident, resulting in death or
serious injury.
●Vehicle is driven on a road sur-
face which is slippery due to
rainy weather, fallen snow,
freezing, etc.
●Vehicle is driven on a snow-cov-
ered road.
●White (yellow) lines are difficult
to see due to rain, snow, fog,
dust, etc.
●Vehicle is driven in a temporary
lane or restricted lane due to
construction work.
●Vehicle is driven in a construc-
tion zone.
●A spare tire, tire chains, etc. are
equipped.
●When the tires have been
excessively worn, or when the
tire inflation p ressure is low.
●When your vehicle is towing a
trailer or during emergency tow-
ing.
■Preventing LTA system mal-
functions and operations per-
formed by mistake
●Do not modify the headlights or
place stickers, etc. on the sur-
face of the lights.
●Do not modify the suspension
etc. If the suspension etc. needs
to be replaced, contact your
Toyota dealer.
●Do not install or place anything
on the hood or grille. Also, do
not install a gr ille guard (bull
bars, kangaroo bar, etc.).
●If your windshield needs
repairs, contact your Toyota
dealer.
■Conditions in which functions
may not operate properly
In the following situations, the
functions may not operate prop-
erly and the vehicle may depart
from its lane. Drive safely by
always paying careful attention to
your surroundings and operate
the steering wheel to correct the
path of the vehicle without relying
solely on the functions.

2594-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■Situations unsuitable for
dynamic radar cruise control
with full-speed range
Do not use dynamic radar cruise
control with full-speed range in
any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in inappropri-
ate speed control and could
cause an accident resulting in
death or serious injury.
●Roads where there are pedes-
trians, cyclists, 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 sharp up and down
gradients
Vehicle speed may exceed the
set speed when driving down a
steep hill.
●At entrances to freeways and
highways
●When weather conditions are
bad enough that they may pre-
vent the sensors from detecting
correctly (fog, snow, sand-
storm, heavy rain, etc.)
●When there is rain, snow, etc.
on the front surface of the radar
or front camera
●In traffic conditions that require
frequent repeated acceleration
and deceleration
●When your vehicle is towing a
trailer or during emergency tow-
ing
●When an approach warning
buzzer is heard often

4537-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
7-2.Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle needs
to be towed
If towing is necessary, we
recommend having your
vehicle towed by your Toy-
ota dealer or commercial
towing service, using a
wheel-lift type truck or flat-
bed truck.
Use a safety chain system
for all towing, and abide by
all state/provincial and local
laws.
If towing your vehicle with a
wheel-lift type truck from
the front, the vehicle’s rear
wheels and axles must be in
good conditions. ( P.455)
If they are damaged, use a
towing dolly or flatbed
truck.
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so m ay result in
death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
2WD models
Be sure to transp ort the vehicle
with the front wheels raised or
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the front wheels contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and
related parts may be damaged.
AWD models
Be sure to transp ort the vehicle
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the tires co ntacting the
ground, the drivetrain or related
parts may be damaged, the vehi-
cle may fly off the truck.

4547-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
The following may indicate a
problem with your transmission.
Contact your Toyota dealer or
commercial towing service
before towing.
The engine is running but the
vehicle does not move.
 The vehicle makes an abnor-
mal sound.
WARNING
■While towing
●When towing using cables or
chains, avoid sudden starts, etc.
which place excessive stress on
the towing eyelets, cables or
chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become
damaged, broken debris may hit
people, and cause serious dam-
age.
●Do not turn the engine switch
off.
There is a possibility that the
steering wheel is locked and
cannot be operated.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when towing using a
wheel-lift type truck
●Do not tow the vehicle from the
rear when the engine switch is
off. The steering lock mecha-
nism is not strong enough to
hold the front wheels straight.
●When raising the vehicle,
ensure adequate ground clear-
ance for towing at the opposite
end of the raised vehicle. With-
out adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while
being towed.
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when towing with a
sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck,
either from the front or rear.
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle during emergency
towing
Do not secure cables or chains to
the suspension components.
■When towing a vehicle
equipped with a Stop & Start
system (if equipped)
If it is necessary to tow the vehicle
with all 4 wheels on the ground,
perform the following procedure
before towing the vehicle, in order
to protect the system.
Turn the engine switch off and
then start the engine or turn the
engine switch to ON.
■Recreational towing (behind
motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to
prevent causing serious damage
to the Dynamic Torque Control
AWD system (AWD models) or
Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD
system (AWD models) and trans-
mission. ( P.201)
Situations when it is nec-
essary to contact dealers
before towing

4557-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
From the front (2WD models)
Release the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off. ( P.212)
From the front (AWD models)
Use a towing dolly under the
rear wheels.
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the
front wheels. When using a flat-bed truck to
transport the vehicle, use tire
strapping belts. Refer to the
owner's manual of the flat-bed
truck for the tire strapping
method.
In order to suppress vehicle
movement during transporta-
tion, set the parking brake and
turn the engine switch off.
A driver must be in the vehicle to
steer and operate the brakes.
The vehicle’s wheels, drive train,
axles, steering and brakes must
Towing with a wheel-lift
type truckNOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck
to prevent body damage.
2WD models
AWD models
Using a flatbed truck
Emergency towing

4817-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_Umotion, causing the tire to come off.
2
Install the spare tire and
loosely tighten each wheel
nut by hand by approximately
the same amount.
When replacing an aluminum wheel
with an aluminum wheel, turn the
wheel nuts until the washers
come into contact with the disc
wheel .
When replacing an aluminum wheel
with a steel wheel, tighten the
wheel nuts until the tapered portion
comes into loose contact with
the disc wheel seat .
3 Lower the vehicle.
4 Firmly tighten each wheel nut
two or three times in the
order shown in the illustra-
tion.
Vehicles with wheel locks: Tighten
the wheel lock using the wheel lock
key after tightening the other wheel
nuts.
Tightening torque:
76 ft•lbf (103 N•m, 10.5 kgf•m)
1Remove the center wheel
ornament by pushing from
the reverse side.
WARNING
■Stowing the flat tire
Failure to follow steps listed under
stowing the tire may result in
damage to the spare tire carrier
and loss of the tire, which could
result in serious injury or death.
Stowing the flat tire, jack
and all tools