check oil 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

14Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER_UPrecautions for winter season....
.......................................... P.327
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer) ............. P.338, 343
Precautions for car wash
*.................................................... P.397
Fuel filler door .................................................................... P.227
Refueling method ................................................................. P.227
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity ................................................. P.501
Tires..................................................................................... P.419
Tire size/inflation pressure ........................................... P.419, 505
Winter tires/tire chains ......................................................... P.327
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system .................. P.419
Coping with flat tires............................................................. P.472
Hood .................................................................................... P.410
Opening ............................................................................... P.410
Engine oil ............................................................................. P.502
Coping with overheating ...................................................... P.495
Warning messages .............................................................. P.468
Front turn signal lights/parking lights
*................... P.210P.216
Parking lights
*.................................................................... P.216
Headlights/daytime running lights
*.................................. P.216
Headlights........................................................................... P.216
Daytime running lights ............... ....................................... P.216
Front side marker lights .................................................... P.216
Parking lights
*/daytime running lights*........................... P.216
Front fog lights
*.................................................................. P.222
Stop/tail lights .................................................................... P.216
Tail lights............................................................................. P.216
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R ................................................... P.206
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P.441, Watts: P.507)

832-1. Instrument cluster
2
Vehicle status information and indicators
HIGHLANDER_U
■Display items
 Odometer
Displays the total distance the vehi-
cle has been driven.
Trip meter A/trip meter B
Displays the distance the vehicle
has been driven since the meter
was last reset. Trip meters A and B
can be used to record and display
different distances independently.
Distance until next engine oil
change
Displays the distance the vehicle
can be driven until an oil change is
necessary.
■Changing the display
Each time the “ODO TRIP”
switch is pressed, the displayed
item will be changed. When the
trip meter is displayed, pressing
and holding the switch will reset
the trip meter.
■Pop-up display
In some situations the following
will be temporarily displayed:
Distance until next engine oil
change
Displays the distance until the next
engine oil change. This display will
be displayed in the following situa-
tions:
 When the engine switch is
turned to ON.
 When a warning message
indicating that oil mainte-
nance should be performed
soon or is required is dis-
played.
The brightness of the instrument
panel lights can be adjusted.
NOTICE
●The engine may be overheating
if the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge is in the red zone
(H). In this case, immediately
stop the vehicle in a safe place,
and check the engine after it
has cooled completely.
(  P.495)
Odometer and trip meter
display
Changing the instrument
panel light brightness

1854-1. Before driving
4
Driving
HIGHLANDER_U
NOTICE
●When driving over bumps on
the road, drive as slowly as pos-
sible to avoid damaging the
wheels, underside of the vehi-
cle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driv-
ing
A flat or damaged tire may cause
the following situations. Hold the
steering wheel firmly and gradu-
ally depress the brake pedal to
slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your
vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal
sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnor-
mally.
Information on what to do in case
of a flat tire (
P.472)
■When encountering flooded
roads
Do not drive on a road that has
flooded after heavy rain etc.
Doing so may cause the following
serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by
water immersion
In the event that you drive on a
flooded road and the vehicle is
flooded, be sure to have your Toy-
ota dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality
of oil and fluid used for the
engine, transaxle, transfer
(AWD models), rear differential
(AWD models), etc.
●Lubricant condition for the pro-
peller shaft (AWD models),
bearings and suspension joints
(where possible), and the func-
tion of all joints, bearings, etc.

2504-5. Using the driving support systems
HIGHLANDER_U
■Lane departure alert func-
tion
When the system determines
that the vehicle might depart
from its lane or course
*, a warn-
ing is displayed on the
multi-information display, and a
warning buzzer will sound to
alert the driver.
When the warning buzzer sounds,
check the area around your vehicle
and carefully operate the steering
wheel to move the vehicle back to
the center of the lane.
Vehicle with BSM: When the sys-
tem determines that the vehicle
might depart from its lane and that
the possibility of a collision with an
overtaking vehicle in the adjacent
lane is high, the lane departure
alert will operate ev en if the turn
signals are operating.
*: Boundary between asphalt and the side of the road, such as
grass, soil, or a curb
■Steering assist function
When the system determines
that the vehicle might depart
from its lane or course
*, the sys-
tem provides assistance as nec-
essary by operating the steering
wheel in small amounts for a
short period of time to keep the
vehicle in its lane.
Vehicle with BSM: When the sys-
tem determines that the vehicle
might depart from its lane and that
the possibility of a collision with an
overtaking vehicle in the adjacent
lane is high, the steering assist
function will operate even if the turn
signals are operating.
*: Boundary between asphalt and the side of the road, such as
grass, soil, or a curb
Functions included in LTA
system

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”.

4026-2. Maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
6-2.Maintenance
■Repair and replacement
It is recommended that genuine
Toyota parts be used for repairs to
ensure performance of each sys-
tem. If non-Toyota parts are used in
replacement or if a repair shop other
than a Toyota dealer performs
repairs, confirm the warranty cover-
age.
■Allow inspection and repairs to
be performed by a Toyota
dealer
●Toyota technicians are
well-trained specialists and are
kept up to date with the latest ser-
vice information. They are well
informed about the operation of all
systems on your vehicle.
●Keep a copy of the repair order. It
proves that the maintenance that
has been performed is under war-
ranty coverage. If any problem
should arise while your vehicle is
under warranty, your Toyota
dealer will promptly take care of it.
General maintenance should be
performed on a daily basis. This
can be done by yourself or by a
Toyota dealer.
Scheduled maintenance should
be performed at specified inter-
vals according to the mainte-
nance schedule.
For details about maintenance
items and schedules, refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Maintenance require-
ments
To ensure safe and econom-
ical driving, day-to-day care
and regular maintenance
are essential. It is the
owner’s responsibility to
perform regular checks.
Toyota recommends the fol-
lowing maintenance:
WARNING
■If your vehicle is not properly
maintained
Improper maintenance could
result in serious damage to the
vehicle and possible death or seri-
ous injury.
■Handling of the battery
●Engine exhaust, some of its
constituents, and a wide variety
of automobile components con-
tain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects and
other reproductive harm. Work
in a well ventilated area.
●Oils, fuels and fluids contained
in vehicles as well as waste pro-
duced by component wear con-
tain or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Avoid
exposure and wash any
affected area immediately.
●Battery posts, terminals and
related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds which are
known to cause brain damage.
Wash your hands after han-
dling. ( P.416)
General maintenance
Scheduled maintenance

4046-2. Maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
General maintenance
Listed below are the general
maintenance items that
should be performed at the
intervals specified in the
“Owner’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner’s
Manual Supplement/Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide”. It
is recommended that any
problem you notice should
be brought to the attention
of your Toyota dealer or
qualified service shop for
advice.
WARNING
■If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure
that there is adequate ventilation
before performing maintenance
checks.
Engine compartment
ItemsCheck points
BatteryCheck the connec-
tions. ( P.416)
Brake fluid
Is the brake fluid at
the correct level?
( P.416)
Engine coolant
Is the engine cool-
ant at the correct
level? ( P.415)
Engine oil
Is the engine oil at
the correct level?
( P.412)
Exhaust sys-
temThere should not
be any fumes or
strange sounds.
Radiator/con-
denser
The radiator and
condenser should
be free from for-
eign objects.
( P.416)
Washer fluid
Is there sufficient
washer fluid?
( P.418)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator
pedal
• The accelerator
pedal should
move smoothly
(without uneven
pedal effort or
catching).
Automatic
transmission
“Park” mecha-
nism
• When parked on a slope and the
shift lever is in P,
is the vehicle
securely
stopped?
ItemsCheck points

4126-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HIGHLANDER_U
Engine coolant reservoir (P.415)
Fuse boxes ( P.438)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.413)
Engine oil level dipstick ( P.412)
Battery ( P.416)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.416)
Washer fluid tank ( P.418)
Electric cooling fan
Condenser ( P.416)
Radiator ( P.416)
With the engine at operating
temperature and turned off,
check the oil level on the dip- stick.
■Checking the engine oil
1 Park the vehicle on level
ground. After warming up the
engine and turning it off, wait
Engine compar tment
Components
Checking and adding the
engine oil

4136-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
HIGHLANDER_U
more than 5 minutes for the
oil to drain back into the bot-
tom of the engine.
2 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out.
3 Wipe the dipstick clean.
4 Reinsert the dipstick fully.
5 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out and
check the oil level.
Low
Normal
Excessive
The shape of the dipstick may differ
depending on the type of vehicle or
engine.
6Wipe the dipstick and reinsert
it fully.
■Checking the oil type and
preparing the item needed
Make sure to check the oil type
and prepare the items needed
before adding oil.
 Engine oil selection
P.502
 Oil quantity (Low  Full)
1.9 qt. (1.8 L, 1.6 Imp. qt.)
 Item
Clean funnel
■Adding engine oil
If the oil level is below or near
the low level mark, add engine
oil of the same type as that
already in the engine.
1 Remove the oil filler cap by
turning it counterclockwise.
2 Add engine oil slowly, check-
ing the dipstick.
3 Install the oil filler cap by
turning it clockwise.
■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount of engine oil will
be consumed while driving. In the
following situations, oil consump-
tion may increase, and engine oil
may need to be re filled in between
oil maintenance intervals.