TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

3114-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
■The Parking Support Brake
function (rear-crossing vehi-
cles) will operate when
The function will operate when the
PKSB OFF indicator is not illumi-
nated or flashing ( P.77, 78) and all
of the following conditions are met:
●Engine output restriction control
• The Parking Support Brake is
enabled.
• The vehicle speed is 9 mph (15 km/h) or less.
• Vehicles which are approaching from the right or left at the rear of
the vehicle at a traveling speed of
less than approximately 5 mph (8
km/h)
• The shift lever is in R.
• The Parking Support Brake deter-
mines that a stronger than normal
brake operation is necessary to
avoid a collision with an approach-
ing vehicle.
●Brake control
• Engine output restriction control is operating. • The Parking Support Brake deter-
mines that an emergency brake
operation is necessary to avoid a
collision with an approaching vehi-
cle.
■The Parking Support Brake
function (rear-crossing vehi-
cles) will stop operating when
The function will st op operating if
any of the following conditions are
met:
●Engine output restriction control
• The Parking Support Brake is dis- abled.
• The collision becomes avoidable with normal brake operation.
• A vehicle is no longer approaching
from the right or le ft at the rear of
the vehicle.
●Brake control
• The Parking Support Brake is dis- abled.
• Approximately 2 seconds have elapsed since the vehicle was
stopped by brake control.
• The brake pedal is depressed after the vehicle is stopped by
brake control.
• A vehicle is no longer approaching from the right or le ft at the rear of
the vehicle.
■Re-enabling the Parking Sup-
port Brake function (rear-cross-
ing vehicles)
 P.302
■Detection area of the Parking
Support Brake function
(rear-crossing vehicles)
The detection area of the Parking
Support Brake function (rear-cross-
ing vehicles) differs from the detec-
tion area of the RCTA function
(  P.295). Therefore, even if the
RCTA function detects a vehicle and
provides an alert, the Parking Sup-
port Brake function (rear-crossing
vehicles) may not start operating.
WARNING
●Do not modify, disassemble or
paint the sensors.
●Do not replace a rear radar sen-
sor with a part other than a gen-
uine part.
●Do not damage the rear radar
sensors, and always keep the
radar sensors and their sur-
rounding area on the bumper
clean.
●If the area around a rear radar
sensor is subjected to an
impact, the system may not
operate properly due to a sen-
sor malfunction. Have the vehi-
cle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
●Observe the rear radar sensor
handling precautions. (
P.280)

3124-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U
■Conditions under which the
Parking Support Brake func-
tion (rear-crossing vehicles)
will not detect a vehicle
The Parking Support Brake function
(rear-crossing vehicles) is not
designed to detect the following
types of vehicles and/or objects:
●Vehicles approaching from directly
behind
●Vehicles backing up in a parking
space next to your vehicle
●Vehicles that the sensors cannot
detect due to obstructions
●Vehicles which suddenly acceler-
ate or decelerate near your vehi-
cle
●Guardrails, walls, signs, parked
vehicles and similar stationary
objects
●Small motorcycles, bicycles,
pedestrians, etc.*
●Vehicles moving away from your
vehicle
●Vehicles approaching from the
parking spaces next to your vehi-
cle
*
●Objects which are extremely close
to a radar sensor*
●Vehicles which are approaching
from the right or left at the rear of
the vehicle at a traveling speed of
less than approximately 5 mph (8
km/h)
●Vehicles which are approaching
from the right or left at the rear of
the vehicle at a traveling speed of
more than approximately 15 mph
(24 km/h)
*: Depending on the conditions, detection of a vehicle and/or
object may occur.
■PKSB buzzer
If the Parking Support Brake is
enabled and brake control is per-
formed, a buzzer will sound to notify
the driver.
■Situations in which the system
may operate even though there
is no possibility of a collision
In some situations such as the fol-
lowing, the Parking Support Brake
function (rear-crossing vehicles)
may operate even though there is
no possibility of a collision.
●When the parking space faces a
street and vehicles are being
driven on the street
●When a detected vehicle turns
while approaching the vehicle
●When a vehicle passes by the
side of your vehicle

3134-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
●When the distance between your
vehicle and metal objects, such as
a guardrail, wall, sign, or parked
vehicle, which may reflect electri-
cal waves toward the rear of the
vehicle, is short
●When there are spinning objects
near your vehicle such as the fan
of an air conditioning unit
●When water is splashed or
sprayed toward the rear bumper,
such as from a sprinkler
■Situations in which the Parking
Support Brake function
(rear-crossing vehicles) may
not operate properly
In some situations, such as the fol-
lowing, the radar sensors may not
detect an object and this function
may not operate properly
●Stationary objects
●When a sensor or the area around
a sensor is extremely hot or cold
●If the rear bumper is covered with
ice, snow, dirt, etc.
●If a sensor has been painted or
covered with a sticker, etc.
●When it is rainin g heavily or water
strikes the vehicle
●If the vehicle is significantly tilted
●When equipment that may
obstruct a sensor is installed, such
as a towing eyelet, bumper pro-
tector (an additional trim strip,
etc.), bicycle carrier, or snow plow
●If the suspension has been modi-
fied or tires of a size other than
specified are installed
●If the front of the vehicle is raised or lowered due to the carried load
●If an electronic component, such
as a backlit license plate (espe-
cially fluorescent type), fog lights,
fender pole or wireless antenna is
installed near a radar sensor
●If the orientation of a radar sensor
has been changed
●When multiple vehicles are
approaching with only a small gap
between each vehicle
●If a vehicle is approaching the rear
of your vehicle rapidly
●Situations in which the radar sen-
sor may not detect a vehicle
• When a vehicle approaches from
the right or left at the rear of the
vehicle while you are turning while
backing up
• When turning while backing up
• When backing out of a shallow angle parking spot
• When backing up on a slope with a sharp change in grade

3144-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U• When a vehicle turns into the
detection area
Multi-information display
Driving mode select switch
Operate the driving mode select
switch forward or backward to
select the desired driving mode on
the multi-information display.
1 Normal mode
Provides an optimal balance of fuel
economy, quietness, and dynamic
performance. Suitable for normal
driving.
2Sport mode
Controls the transmission and
engine to provide quick, powerful
acceleration. This mode also
changes the steering feel, making it
suitable for when agile driving
response is desired, such as when
Driving mode select
switch
The driving modes can be
selected to suit the driving
and usage conditions.
Selecting a driving mode

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 accelerate in an
eco-friendly manner and improve
fuel economy through moderate
throttle characteristics 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 selected. (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 unexpected accident.
●Check that the Mud & Sand and
Rock & Dirt indicators are illumi-
nated before driv ing. 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 intended 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.

3164-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U
Control that is suitable for the
following road conditions can be
performed by switching to either
of the two modes. Select a
mode that is appropriate for the
road condition.
■Mud & Sand mode
Suitable for driving on roads
with increased driving resis-
tance such as sandy roads,
muddy roads, etc.
■Rock & Dirt mode
Suitable for driving in bumpy
road conditions, such as on
unpaved forest roads.
■Dynamic Torque Control
AWD vehicles
1 Mud & Sand mode
When the switch is pressed while
not in Mud & Sand mode, the sys-
tem switches to Mud & Sand mode
and the Mud & Sand mode indica-
tor, VSC OFF indicator and PCS
warning light illuminate on the
multi-information display.
2Normal mode
Mode that performs AWD, brake
and drive force control suitable for
driving on general roads. Use nor-
mal mode when not driving
off-road.
The driving mode returns to normal
mode if the switch is pressed while
in Mud & Sand mode or Rock & Dirt
mode.
3Rock & Dirt mode
When the switch is pressed while
not in Rock & Dirt mode, the sys-
tem switches to Rock & Dirt mode
and the Rock & Dirt mode indicator
illuminates on the multi-information
display.
WARNING
●The road conditions listed
(Guidelines for selecting each
mode: P.316) are for reference
only. There is a chance that the
function may not be the most
appropriate in terms of road
conditions such as pitch, slip-
periness, undulation, etc. Thor-
oughly check the road
conditions before driving.
Guidelines for selecting
each mode
Changing the mode

3174-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
■Dynamic Torque Vectoring
AWD vehicles
1 Mud & Sand mode
When the switch is turned to the left
while not in Mud & Sand mode, the
system switches to Mud & Sand
mode and the Mud & Sand mode
indicator, VSC OFF indicator and
PCS warning light illuminate on the
multi-information display.
2Normal mode
Mode that performs AWD, brake
and drive force control suitable for
driving on general roads. Use nor-
mal mode when not driving
off-road.
The driving mode returns to normal
mode if the switch is pressed while
in Mud & Sand mode or Rock & Dirt
mode.
3 Rock & Dirt mode
When the switch is turned to the
right while not in Rock & Dirt mode,
the system switches to Rock & Dirt
mode and the Rock & Dirt mode
indicator illuminates on the
multi-information display.
■Multi-terrain Select
●Multi-terrain Select is intended for
use when driving on rough roads.
Drive in normal mode during nor-
mal driving.
●The Mud & Sand and Rock & Dirt modes control the vehicle so that
it can maximize the drive force
and improve drivability on rough
roads. As a result, fuel efficiency
may diminish when compared to
driving in normal mode.
■If Mud & Sand or Rock & Dirt
mode is selected
●The background of the multi-infor-
mation display will change follow-
ing the Multi-terrain Select mode.
●The AWD operation status display
will automatically switch on the
multi-information display.
■AWD control for Mud & Sand
and Rock & Dirt modes
If the vehicle speed exceeds the
speeds listed below, AWD control is
performed similar to that performed
in Normal mode, even if Mud &
Sand or Rock & Dirt mode is
selected.
●Mud & Sand mode: Vehicle speed
is approximately 25 mph (40
km/h) or more
●Rock & Dirt mode: Vehicle speed
is approximately 16 mph (25
km/h) or more
If the vehicle speed drops below the
above speeds, the system automati-
cally switches to the AWD control
suitable for each mode.
■When Multi-terrain Select brake
control temporarily stops oper-
ating
If Mud & Sand or Rock & Dirt mode
is continuously used for a long
period of time, the brakes may over-
heat, and Multi-terrain Select brake
control may temporarily stop operat-
ing.
●At this time, the buzzer sounds
intermittently and “Traction Con-
trol Turned OFF” is displayed on
the multi-information display.
●If Multi-terrain Select brake control
stops operating, stop the vehicle
in a safe location as soon as pos-
sible
* and wait until the system

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 situations, the sys-
tem may be malfunctioning. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
●When the slip indicator 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-info rmation 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 selected 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

3194-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
*: If equipped
Press the downhill assist control
switch.
The downhill assist control system
indicator will comes on and the sys-
tem will operate.
When the system is in operation,
the slip indicator will flash, and the
stop lights/high mounted stop lights
will be lit. A sound may also occur
during the operation. This does not
indicated a malfunction.
Press the downhill assist control
switch while the system is in
operation.
The downhill assist control system
indicator will flash as the system
gradually ceases operation, and will
turn off when the system is fully off.
Press the downhill assist control
switch while the downhill assist
control system indicator is flashing
to start the system again.
■Operating tips
The system will operate when the
shift lever is in a position other than
P, however to make effective use of
the system it is recommended to
select a lowe r shift range.
■If the downhill assist control
system indicator flashes
●In the following situations, the indi-
cator flashes and the system will
not operate:
• The shift lever is in a position P.
• The vehicle speed exceeds approximately 18 mph (30 km/h).
• The brake system overheats.
●In the following situation, the indi-
cator flashes to alert the driver,
but the system will operate:
• The downhill assist control switch is turned off while the system is
operating.
The system will gradually ceases
Downhill assist con-
trol system*
The downhill assist control
system helps to prevent
excessive speed on steep
downhill slopes.
The system will operate
when the vehicle is traveling
under 18 mph (30 km/h).
WARNING
■When using downhill assist
control system
Do not rely overmuch on the
downhill assist control system.
This function does not extend the
vehicle’s performance limitations.
Always thoroughly check the road
conditions, and drive safely.
System operation
Turning off the system

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 th is 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 downh ill 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 cases, 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