key TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

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HIGHLANDER_U
Pictorial indexSearch by illustration
For safety
and securityMake sure to read through them
(Main topics: Child seat, theft deterrent system)
Vehicle status
information and
indicatorsReading driving-related information
(Main topics: Meters, multi-information display)
Before driving
Opening and closing the doors and windows,
adjustment before driving
(Main topics: Keys, doors, seats)
Driving
Operations and advice which are necessary for
driving
(Main topics: Starting engine, refueling)
Interior featuresUsage of the interior features
(Main topics: Air conditioner, storage features)
Maintenance
and careCaring for your vehicle and maintenance
procedures
(Main topics: Interior and exterior, light bulbs)
When trouble
arisesWhat to do in case of malfunction and emergency
(Main topics: Battery discharge, flat tire)
Vehicle
specificationsVehicle specifications, customizable features
(Main topics: Fuel, oil, tire inflation pressure)
For ownersReporting safety defects for U.S. owners, and seat
belt, SRS airbag and headlight aim instructions for
Canadian owners
IndexSearch by symptom
Search alphabetically

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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
th

e 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. Adjust
ing the steering wheel
and mirrors
Ste

ering 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 Engi

ne (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

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

10
HIGHLANDER_U
WARNING
■General precaution regarding
children’s safety
Never leave children unattended
in the vehicle, and never allow
children to have or use the key.
Children may be able to start the
vehicle or shift the vehicle into
neutral. There is also a danger
that children may injure them-
selves by playing with the win-
dows, the moon roof or panoramic
moon roof, or other features of the
vehicle. In addition, heat build-up
or extremely cold temperatures
inside the vehicle can be fatal to
children.

13Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER_U
Pictorial index
■ Exterior
The shape of the lights may differ depending on the grade, etc.
Side doors ......... ................................. ................................ P.117
Locking/unlocking ................................................................ P.117
Opening/closing the side windows ....................................... P.167
Locking/unlocking by using the mechanical key .................. P.489
Warning lights/warning messages ............................... P.458, 468
Back door ........................................................................... P.121
Opening from inside the cabin
*............................................ P.124
Opening from outside........................................................... P.125
Warning lights/warning messages ............................... P.458, 468
Outside rear view mirrors ................................................. P.165
Adjusting the mirror angle .................................................... P.165
Folding the mirrors ............................................................... P.166
Driving position memory
*..................................................... P.147
Defogging the mirrors .................................................. P.337, 343
Windshield wipers.............................................................. P.222

301-1. For safe use
HIGHLANDER_U
1Take the plate out of the
holder, and then pull down
the seat belt.
2 Push plate into buckle
until a click sound is heard.
3 Push plate into buckle
until a click sound is heard. 1
To release plate , press the
release button on buckle
.
2 To release plate , insert the
mechanical key ( P.114) or
plate into the hole on
buckle .
Retract the belt slowly when releas-
Fastening the seat belt
(for the third center seat)WARNING
■When using the third center
seat belt
Do not use the third center seat
belt with either buckle released.
Fastening only one of the buckles
may result in death or serious
injury in case of sudden braking,
sudden swerving or a collision.
Fastening the seat belt
(for the third center seat)

491-2. Child safety
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
1-2.Child safety
Riding with children
Observe the following pre-
cautions when children are
in the vehicle.
Use a child restraint system
appropriate for the child,
until the child becomes
large enough to properly
wear the vehicle’s seat belt.
It is recommended that chil-
dren sit in the rear seats to
avoid accidental contact
with the shift lever, wiper
switch, etc.
 Use the rear door child-pro-
tector lock or the window
lock switch to avoid children
opening the door while driv-
ing or operating the power
window accidentally.
( P.120, 169)
 Do not let small children
operate equipment which
may catch or pinch body
parts, such as the power
window, hood, back door,
seats etc.
WARNING
■When children are in the vehi-
cle
Never leave children unattended
in the vehicle, and never allow
children to have or use the key.
Children may be able to start the
vehicle or shift the vehicle into
neutral. There is also a danger
that children ma y injure them-
selves by playing with the win-
dows, the moon roof or panoramic
moon roof, or other features of the
vehicle. In addition, heat build-up
or extremely cold temperatures
inside the vehicle can be fatal to
children.

711-4. Theft deterrent system
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
1-4.Theft deterrent system
The indicator light flashes after
the engine switch has been
turned off to indicate that the
system is operating.
The indicator light stops flashing
after the engine switch has been
turned to ACC or ON to indicate
that the system has been can-
celed.
■System maintenance
The vehicle has a mainte-
nance-free type e ngine immobilizer
system.
■Conditions that may cause the
system to malfunction
●If the grip portion of the key is in
contact with a metallic object
●If the key is in close proximity to or
touching a key registered to the
security system (key with a built-in
transponder chip) of another vehi-
cle
Engine immobilizer
system
The vehicle’s keys have
built-in transponder chips
that prevent the engine from
starting if a key has not
been previously registered
in the vehicle’s on-board
computer.
Never leave the keys inside
the vehicle when you leave
the vehicle.
This system is designed to
help prevent vehicle theft
but does not guarantee
absolute security against all
vehicle thefts.
Operating the system

731-4. Theft deterrent system
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER_U
*: If equipped
■Items to check before lock-
ing the vehicle
To prevent unexpected trigger-
ing of the alarm and vehicle
theft, make sure of the following:
 Nobody is in the vehicle.
 The windows, moon roof (if
equipped) and panoramic
moon roof (if equipped) are
closed before the alarm is set.
 No valuables or other per-
sonal items are left in the
vehicle.
■Setting
Close the doors and hood, and
lock all the doors. The system will be set automatically after 30
seconds.
The security indicator changes from
being on to flashing when the sys-
tem is set.
■Canceling or stopping
Do one of the following to deac-
tivate or stop the alarms:
 Unlock the doors.
 Turn the engine switch to
ACC or ON, or start the
engine. (The alarm will be
deactivated or stopped after a
few seconds.)
■System maintenance
The vehicle has a mainte-
nance-free type alarm system.
■Triggering of the alarm
The alarm may be triggered in the
following situations:
(Stopping the alarm deactivates the
alarm system.)
●A person inside the vehicle opens
a door or hood, or unlocks the
vehicle.
Alarm*
The alarm uses light and
sound to give an alert when
an intrusion is detected.
The alarm is triggered in the
following situations when
the alarm is set:
 A locked door is unlocked or
opened in any way other
than using the entry func-
tion, wireless remote control
or mechanical key. (The
doors will lock again auto-
matically.)
 The hood is opened.
Setting/canceling/stop-
ping the alarm system

792-1. Instrument cluster
2
Vehicle status information and indicators
HIGHLANDER_U
vehicle’s various systems.
Turn signal indicator
( P.210)
(U.S.A.)
Headlight indicator
( P.216)
(Canada)
Tail light indicator
( P.216)
Headlight high beam indi-
cator ( P.218)
Automatic High Beam indi-
cator
*1 (  P.219)
Front fog light indicator
*1
(if equipped) ( P.222)
PCS warning light
*3, 4
(  P.238)
Cruise control indicator
*2
(  P.265)
Dynamic radar cruise con-
trol indicator
*2 (  P.257)
Cruise control “SET” indi-
cator
*2 (  P.257)
(white)
LTA i n d i c a t o r*2 ( P.252)
(green)
LTA i n d i c a t o r*2 ( P.235,
252)
(orange)
(flashes)LTA i n d i c a t o r*2 (  P.252)
BSM outside rear view
mirror indicators
*5, 6 (if
equipped) ( P.278, 292)
BSM OFF indicator
*2, 3 (if
equipped) ( P.278)
Intuitive parking assist
OFF indicator
*3, 4, 10(if
equipped) ( P.285)
RCTA OFF indicator*2, 3 (if
equipped) ( P.292)
PKSB OFF indicator
*3, 4,
10
(if equipped) ( P.298)
Stop & Start indicator
*1, 9
(if equipped) ( P.272)
Stop & Start cancel indica-
tor
*1, 3, 9 (if equipped)
(  P.273)
(flashes)
Slip indicator*4 ( P.322)
VSC OFF indicator
*3, 4
(  P.323)
Smart key system indica-
tor
*2 (  P.202)
(U.S.A.)
Parking brake indicator*4
(  P. 2 1 1 )
(Canada)
Parking brake indicator*4
(  P. 2 1 1 )
Brake hold standby indica-
tor
*4 (  P.214)
Brake hold operated indi-
cator
*4 (  P.214)
Snow mode indicator
*2
(  P.318)
Downhill assist control
system indicator
*1, 9 (if
equipped) ( P.319)
Eco Driving Indicator
Light
*4 (  P. 8 6 , 9 5 )
Low outside temperature
indicator
*2, 7 (  P. 8 1 )
Security indicator
*8
(  P.71, 73)
“PASS AIR BAG ON/OFF”
indicator
*4, 8 (  P. 4 3 )