TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

3314-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
When driving your vehicle
off-road, please observe the fol-
lowing precautions to ensure
your driving enjoyment and to
help prevent the closure of
areas to off-road vehicles:
Drive your vehicle only in
areas where off-road vehicles
are permitted to travel.
 Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before
entering private property.
 Do not enter areas that are
closed. Honor gates, barriers
and signs that restrict travel.
 Stay on established roads.
When conditions are wet,
driving techniques should be
changed or travel delayed to
prevent damage to roads.
■Additional information for
off-road driving
For owners in U.S. mainland,
Hawaii and Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information per-
taining to driving your vehicle
off-road, consult the following orga-
nizations.
●State and Local Parks and Recre-
ation Departments
●State Motor Vehicle Bureau
●Recreational Vehicle Clubs
●U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management
Off-road drivingWARNING
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following pre-
cautions to minimize the risk of
death, serious injury or damage to
your vehicle:
●Drive carefully when off the
road. Do not take unnecessary
risks by driving in dangerous
places.
●Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off-road. A
bad bump could jerk the wheel
and injure your hands. Keep
both hands and especially your
thumbs on the outside of the
rim.
●Always check your brakes for
effectiveness immediately after
driving in sand, mud, water or
snow.
●After driving through tall grass,
mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc.,
check that there is no grass,
bush, paper, rags, stone, sand,
etc. adhering or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such
matter from the underbody. If
the vehicle is used with these
materials trapped or adhering to
the underbody, a breakdown or
fire could occur.
●When driving off-road or in rug-
ged terrain, do not drive at
excessive speeds, jump, make
sharp turns, strike objects, etc.
This may cause loss of control
or vehicle rollover causing
death or serious injury. You are
also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension
and chassis.

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 transm ission 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 t he 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 brake drums and
around brake discs may affect
braking efficiency and may
damage brake system compo-
nents.
●Always perform a maintenance
inspection after 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”.

333
5
5
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_U
Interior features
.5-1. Toyota multi-operation touch
Toyota multi-operation touch .................................. 334
5-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
Front manual air condition- ing system ................. 336
Front automatic air condi- tioning system ........... 341
Rear manual air condition- ing system ................. 354
Rear automatic air condi- tioning system ........... 356
Heated steering wheel/seat heaters/seat ventilators
.................................. 360
5-3. Using the interior lights Interior lights list .......... 363
5-4. Using the storage features List of storage features.................................. 366
Luggage compartment fea- tures .......................... 371
5-5. Using the other interior features
Other interior features . 375
Garage door opener.... 387

3345-1. Toyota multi-operation touch
HIGHLANDER_U
5-1.Toyota multi-operation touch
*: Vehicle with the 12.3-inch display
The following functions can be
displayed and operated on the
toyota multi-operation touch.
Operate a switch to change the dis-
played function screen.
The displayed function can also be
changed by performing an up or
down flick operation on the Toyota
multi-operation touch.
Select to display the air con-
ditioning control screen.
(P.348, 358) Select to display the seats cli-
mate screen. (
P.361, 362)
Select to display the audio
control screen.
*
Select to display the fuel con-
sumption screen. ( P.108)
2WD models: Select to dis-
play the setting screen.
( P.335)
AWD models: Select to dis-
play the vehicle information
screen. ( P. 8 8 )
*: Refer to the “NAVIGATION AND
MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM
OWNER’S MANUAL”.
■Moving screens on the Toy-
ota multi-operation touch
Selecting or to change
its displayed position on the Toy-
ota multi-operation touch.
The screen position can also be
changed by perform a left or right
flick operation on a screen.
■Displaying a screen in full
screen
Selecting or on the
energy monitor/consumption
screen or vehicle information
screen will display that screen in
full screen.
Select or to return to the
split-screen display.
Toyota multi-opera-
tion touch*
The Toyota multi-operation
touch allows a screen, such
as the air conditioning con-
trol screen, and the naviga-
tion screen to be displayed
and operated simultane-
ously.
Toyota multi-operation
touch overview
Toyota multi-operation
touch operation

3355-1. Toyota multi-operation touch
5
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_U
AWD models: Select “Setting”
on the vehicle information
screen to display the setting
screen.Select slide operation on/off
Display the software informa-
tion
©1982-2013, QNX Software
Systems Limited. All rights
reserved.
Toyota multi-operation
touch settings
Copyright

3365-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
HIGHLANDER_U
5-2.Using the air conditioning system and defogger
*: If equipped
Fan speed control switch
On/off switch
Windshield defogger switch
“A/C” switch
Outside/recirculated air mode switch
Temperature control switch
“MAX A/C” switch
“REAR” switch
Press the switch to turn the rear air conditioning system on/off. (P.354)
When the rear air conditioning system is on, the indicator illuminates on the
“REAR” switch.
Airflow mode control switch
Rear window defogger and outside rear view mirror defoggers
switch
Windshield wiper de-icer switch
■Adjusting the temperature
setting
To adjust the temperature set-
ting, turn the temperature con-
trol switch clockwise (warm) or
counterclockwise (cool).
If “A/C” switch is not pressed, the system will blow ambient tempera-
ture air or heated air.
■Fan speed setting
To adjust the fan speed, turn the
fan speed control switch clock-
wise (increase) or counterclock-
wise (decrease).
Front manual air c onditioning system*
Air conditioning controls

3375-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
5
Interior features
HIGHLANDER_UPressing the on/off switch turns off
the fan.
When the fan is off, pressing the
on/off switch or turning the fan
speed control switch will turn on the
fan.
■Change the airflow mode
Press the airflow mode control
switch.
1 Upper body
2 Upper body and feet
3 Feet
4 Feet and the windshield
defogger operates
■Switching between outside
air and recirculated air
modes
Press the outside/recirculated
air mode switch.
The mode switches between
outside air mode and recircu-
lated air mode each time the
switch is operated.
When recirculated air mode is
selected, the indicator illuminates
on the outside/recirculated air
mode switch.
■Set cooling and dehumidifi-
cation function
Press the “A/C” switch.
When the function is on, the indica-
tor illuminates on the “A/C” switch.
■Defogging the windshield
Defoggers are used to defog the
windshield and front side win-
dows.
Press the windshield defogger
switch.
Set the outside/recirculated air
mode switch to outside air mode if
the recirculated air mode is used.
To defog the windshield and the
side windows quickly, turn the air
flow and temperature up.
To return to the previous mode,
press the windshield defogger
switch again when the windshield is
defogged.
When the windshield defogger
switch is on, the indicator illumi-
nates on the windshield defogger
switch.
■Defogging the rear window
and outside rear view mir-
rors
Defoggers are used to defog the
rear window, and to remove
raindrops, dew and frost from
the outside rear view mirrors.
Press the rear window defogger
and outside rear view mirror
defoggers switch.
When the rear window defogger
and outside rear view mirror defog-
gers switch is on, the indicator illu-

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 wiper de-icer will
automatically turn off 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 following 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 any setting except
off.
■Outside/recirculated air mode
Setting to the recirculated 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 contro lled 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 following 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 defoggers 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 pillars 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.

3405-2. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
HIGHLANDER_U
■Location of air outlets
The air outlets and air volume
change according to the
selected airflow mode.
■Adjusting the air flow direc-
tion and opening/closing
the air outlets
Front center outlets
Direct air flow to the left or right, up
or down
Front side outlets
1 Direct air flow to the left or
right, up or down
2 Open the vent
3 Close the ventAir outlet layout and oper-
ations
WARNING
■To not interrupt the wind-
shield defogger from operat-
ing
Do not place anything on the
instrument panel which may cover
the air outlets. Otherwise, air flow
may be obstructed, preventing the
windshield defoggers from defog-
ging.