TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

4517-1. Essential information
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
more, or press it briefly 3
times or more in succession.
5 Stop the vehicle in a safe
place by the road. 
Remove the seat belt first.
 If the door can be opened,
open the door and exit the
vehicle.
 If the door can not be opened,
open the window using the
power window switch and exit
the vehicle through the win-
dow.
 If the window can not be
opened using the power win-
dow switch, remain calm, wait
until the water level inside the
vehicle rises to the point that
the water pressure inside of
the vehicle equals the water
pressure outside of the vehi-
cle, and then open the door
and exit the vehicle.
WARNING
■If the engine has to be turned
off while driving
Power assist for the brakes and
steering wheel will be lost, making
the brake pedal harder to depress
and the steering wheel heavier to
turn. Decelerate as much as pos-
sible before turning off the engine.
If the vehicle is
trapped in rising water
In the event the vehicle is
submerged in water, remain
calm and perform the fol-
lowing.

4527-1. Essential information
HIGHLANDER_U
■How to distinguish laminated
glass
When looking from the cross-sec-
tional view point, laminated glass is
two sheets of glass pasted together.
Laminated glass
Tempered glass
WARNING
■Using an emergency ham-
mer*1 for emergency escape
The rear side windows and rear
window of this vehicle can be
shattered by an emergency ham-
mer
*1 used for emergency
escape, however, since the wind-
shield and front side windows
*2
are laminated glass they can not
be shattered by an emergency
hammer
*1.*1: Contact your Toyota dealer or
aftermarket accessory manu-
facturer for further information
about an emergency hammer.
*2: Vehicles with laminated glass
■Escaping the vehicle from the
window
There are cases where escaping
the vehicle from the window is not
possible due to seating position,
passenger body type, etc.
When using an emergency ham-
mer, consider your seat location
and the size of the window open-
ing to ensure that the opening is
accessible and large enough to
escape.

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 may result in
death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
2WD models
Be sure to transport 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 transport the vehicle
with all four wheels raised off the
ground. If the vehicle is towed
with the tires contacting 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

4567-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
be in good condition.Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air
conditioning after use is nor-
mal.)
 Flat-looking tires or uneven
tire wear
 Engine coolant temperature
gauge needle continually
points higher than normal
 Changes in exhaust sound
 Excessive tire squeal when
cornering
 Strange noises related to the
suspension system
 Pinging or other noises
related to the engine
 Engine missing, stumbling or
running roughly
 Appreciable loss of power
 Vehicle pulls heavily to one If you think something
is wrong
If you notice any of the fol-
lowing symptoms, your
vehicle probably needs
adjustment or repair. Con-
tact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Visible symptoms
Audible symptoms
Operational symptoms

4577-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
side when braking
 Vehicle pulls heavily to one
side when driving on a level
road
 Loss of brake effectiveness,
spongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor
Follow the procedure below to
restart the engine after the sys-
tem is activated.
1Turn the engine switch to
ACC or turn it OFF.
2 Restart the engine.Fuel pump shut off
system
To minimize the risk of fuel
leakage when the engine
stalls or when an airbag
inflates upon collision, the
fuel pump shut off system
stops the supply of fuel to
the engine.
Restarting the engine
NOTICE
■Before starting the engine
Inspect the ground under the
vehicle.
If you find that fuel has leaked
onto the ground, the fuel system
has been damaged and is in need
of repair. Do not restart the
engine.

4587-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
■Brake system warning light
■Brake system warning light
■High coolant temperature warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
If a war ning light tur ns on or a war ning buzzer
sounds
Calmly perform the following actions if any of the warning
lights comes on or flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, but
then goes off, this does not necessarily indicate a malfunction
in the system. However, if this continues to occur, have the
vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer.
Actions to the warning lights or warning buzzers
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
or
(red)
(Canada)
Indicates that:
 The brake fluid level is low; or
 The brake system is malfunctioning
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer. Continuing to drive the vehi-
cle may be dangerous.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(yellow)
Indicates a malfunction in the electric parking brake
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the engine coolant temperature is too high
Immediately stop the ve hicle in a safe place.
Handling method ( P.495)

4597-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
HIGHLANDER_U
■Charging system warning light
■Low engine oil pressure warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
■Malfunction indicator lamp
■SRS warning light
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates a malfunction in the vehicle’s charging system
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the engine oil pressure is too low
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
or
(Canada)
Indicates a malfunction in:
The electronic engine control system;
 The electronic throttle control system; or
 The electronic automatic transmission control system
 Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates a malfunction in:
The SRS airbag system;
 The front passenger occupant classification system; or
 The seat belt pretensioner system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.

4607-2. Steps to take in an emergency
HIGHLANDER_U
■ABS warning light
■Brake Override System warning light/Drive-Start Control
warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
■Electric power steering system warning light (warning
buzzer)
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
or
(Canada)
Indicates a malfunction in:
The ABS; or
 The brake assist system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
When a buzzer sounds:
Brake Override System is malfunctioning;
 Drive-Start Control is operating;
 Drive-Start Control is malfunctioning; or
 Parking Support Brake function (for static objects) (if
equipped) is operating
 Follow the instructions di splayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
When a buzzer does not sound:
Brake Override System is operating
 Release the accelerator pedal and depress the brake
pedal.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(red/yellow)
Indicates a malfunction in th e EPS (Electric Power Steer-
ing) system
 Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.