towing TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2023 Owners Manual

2TABLE OF CONTENTS
For your information ........................5
Reading this manual ...................... 10
How to search ................................ 11
Pictorial index ................................ 12
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 ... 69
Alarm ..................................... 70
2-1. Instrument cluster Warning lights and indicators............................................ 74
Gauges and meters (7-inch dis- play) .................................... 79
Gauges and meters (12.3-inch display)................................ 82
Multi-information display (7-inch display)................................ 87
Multi-information display (12.3-inch display)............... 96
Head-up display ................. 103
Fuel consumption information ......................................... 1083-1. Key information
Keys ................................... 112
3-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
Side doors .......................... 115
Back door ........................... 119
Smart key system .............. 131
3-3. Adjusting the seats Front seats ......................... 136
Rear seats.......................... 137
Driving position memory .... 142
Head restraints................... 145
3-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
Steering wheel ................... 148
Inside rear view mirror ....... 149
Digital Rearview Mirror....... 150
Outside rear view mirrors ... 160
3-5. Opening, closing the win- dows and moon roof
Power windows .................. 162
Moon roof ........................... 165
Panoramic moon roof......... 168
4-1. Before driving Driving the vehicle.............. 174
Cargo and luggage ............ 181
Vehicle load limits .............. 184
Trailer towing...................... 18
5
Dinghy towing ....................19

6
4-2. Driving procedures Engine (ignition) switch ...... 197
Automatic transmission ...... 201
Turn signal lever................. 204
Parking brake ..................... 205
1For safety and security
2Vehicle status information
and indicators
3Before driving
4Driving

15Pictorial index
■Instrument panel
Engine switch ..................................................................... P.197
Starting the engine/changing the modes ......................... .... P.197
Emergency stop of the engin e ............................................. P.424
When the engine will not start ................................. ............. P.460
Warning messages ............................................... ............... P.442
Shift lever.................................................... ........................ P.201
Changing the shift position.................................... ............... P.202
Precautions for towing .. ....................................... ................ P.427
When the shift lever does not move............................. ........ P.202
Meters ............................................................................. P.79, 82
Reading the meters/adjusting the instrument panel light ............................................................... .............. P.79, 81, 82, 86
Warning lights/indicator lights ................................ ................ P.74
When a warning light turns on .................................. ........... P.431
Multi-information display . ............................................. P.87, 96
Display ........................................................ ..................... P.87, 96
When the warning messages are displayed ........................ P. 4 4 2

311-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
ing and stowing the seat belt.
3Stow the plate and in
the holder on the roof.
In order to securely stow them,
firmly insert them as far as possi-
ble.
1Push the seat belt shoulder
anchor down while pressing
the release button .
2 Push the seat belt shoulder anchor up while pressing the
release button .
Move the height adjuster up and
down as needed until you hear a
click.
If the shoulder belt sits close to
a person’s neck, use the seat
belt comfort guide.
1
Pull the comfort guide from
the pocket.
2 Slide the belt past the slot of
the guide.
The elastic cord must be behind the
Adjusting the seat belt
shoulder anchor height
(front seats)
WARNING
■Adjustable shoulder anchor
Always make sure the shoulder
belt is positioned across the cen-
ter of your shoulder. The belt
should be kept away from your
neck, but not falling off your shoul-
der. Failure to do so could reduce
the amount of protection in an
accident and cause death or seri-
ous injuries in the event of a sud-
den stop, sudden swerve or
accident.
Seat belt comfort guide
(for the third center seat)

591-2. Child safety
1
For safety and security
system.
Since the seat belt automatically
reels itself, slowly return it to the
stowing position.
WARNING
■When installing a child
restraint system
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so m ay result in
death or serious injury.
●Do not allow children to play
with the seat belt. If the seat belt
becomes twisted around a
child’s neck, it may lead to
choking or other serious injuries
that could result in death.
If this occurs and the buckle
cannot be unfastened, scissors
should be used to cut the belt.
●Ensure that the belt and plate
are securely locked and the
seat belt is not twisted.
●Shake the child restraint system
left and right, and forward and
backward to ensure that it has
been securely installed.
●After securing a child restraint
system, never adjust the seat.
●When a booster seat is
installed, always ensure that the
shoulder belt is positioned
across the center of the child’s
shoulder. The belt should be
kept away from the child’s neck,
but not so that it could fall off the
child’s shoulder.
●Follow all installation instruc-
tions provided by the child
restraint system manufacturer.
●When securing some types of
child restraint systems in rear
seats, it may not be possible to
properly use the seat belts in
positions next to the child
restraint without interfering with
it or affecting seat belt effective-
ness. Be sure your seat belt fits
snugly across your shoulder
and low on your hips. If it does
not, or if it interferes with the
child restraint, move to a differ-
ent position. Fa ilure to do so
may result in death or serious
injury.
■When installing a booster
seat
To prevent the belt from going into
ALR lock mode, do not fully
extend the shoulder belt. ALR
mode causes the belt to tighten
only. This could cause injury or
discomfort to the child. ( P. 2 8 )
■Do not use a seat belt
extender
If a seat belt extender is used
when installing a child restraint
system, the seat belt will not
securely hold the child restraint
system, which could cause death
or serious injury to the child or
other passengers in the event of
sudden braking, sudden swerv-
ing or an accident.

681-3. Emergency assistance
■Enhanced Roadside Assis-
tance
Enhanced Roadside Assistance
adds GPS data to the already
included warranty-based Toyota
roadside service.
Subscribers can press the
“SOS” button to reach a Safety
Connect response-center agent,
who can help with a wide range
of needs, such as: towing, flat
tire, fuel delivery, etc. For a
description of the Enhanced
Roadside Assistance services
and their limitations, please see
the Safety Connect Terms and
Conditions, which are available
at Toyota.com in the United
States, Toyotapr.com in Puerto
Rico and Toyota.ca in Canada.
Important! Read this informa-
tion before using Safety Con-
nect.
■Exposure to radio fre-
quency signals
The Safety Connect system
installed in your vehicle is a
low-power radio transmitter and
receiver. It receives and also
sends out radio frequency (RF)
signals.
In August 1996, the Federal
Communications Commission
(FCC) adopted RF exposure
guidelines with safety levels for mobile wireless phones. Those
guidelines are consistent with
the safety standards previously
set by the following U.S. and
international standards bodies.

ANSI (American National
Standards Institute) C95.1
[1992]
 NCRP (National Council on
Radiation Protection and
Measurement) Report 86
[1986]
 ICNIRP (International Com-
mission on Non-Ionizing Radi-
ation Protection) [1996]
Those standards were based on
comprehensive and periodic
evaluations of the relevant sci-
entific literature. Over 120 scien-
tists, engineers, and physicians
from universities, and govern-
ment health agencies and
industries reviewed the avail-
able body of research to
develop the ANSI Standard
(C95.1).
The design of Safety Connect
complies with the FCC guide-
lines in addition to those stan-
dards.
■Free/Open Source Software
Information
This product contains Free/Open
Source Software (FOSS).
The license information and/or the
source code of such FOSS can be
found at the f ollowing URL.
https://opensource.lge.com/osSch/
list?types=ALL&search=TL21BNU
Safety information for
Safety Connect

1613-4. Adjusting the steering wheel and mirrors
3
Before driving
mirror angle at a desired position
with the shift lever in R.
The adjusted angle will be memo-
rized and the mirror will automati-
cally tilt to the memorized angle
whenever the shift lever is shifted to
R from next time.
The memorized downward tilt posi-
tion of the mirror is linked to the nor-
mal position (angle adjusted with
the shift lever in other than R).
Therefore, if the normal position is
changed after adjustment, the tilt
position will also change.
When the normal position is
changed, readjust the angle in
reversing.
Push the mirror back in the
direction of the vehicle’s rear.
Automatic mode allows the fold-
ing or extending of the mirrors to be linked to locking/unlocking of
the doors.
Folds the mirrors
Extends the mirrors
■Using automatic mode in cold
weather
When automatic mode is used in
cold weather, the door mirror could
freeze up and automatic stowing
and return may not be possible. In
this case, remove any ice and snow
from the door mirror, then either
operate the mirror using manual
mode or move the mirror by hand.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(  P.494)
WARNING
■When the mirror defoggers
are operating
Do not touch the rear view mirror
surfaces, as they can become
very hot and burn you.
Folding the mirrors (man-
ual type)
Folding and extending the
mirrors (power type)
WARNING
■When a mirror is moving
To avoid personal injury and mir-
ror malfunction, be careful not to
get your hand caught by the mov-
ing mirror.

173
4
4
Driving
Driving
.4-1. Before drivingDriving the vehicle....... 174
Cargo and luggage ..... 181
Vehicle load limits ....... 184
Trailer towing............... 185
Dinghy towing ............. 196
4-2. Driving procedures Engine (ignition) switch.................................. 197
Automatic transmission .................................. 201
Turn signal lever.......... 204
Parking brake .............. 205
Brake Hold .................. 208
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch .......... 210
Automatic High Beam . 213
Fog light switch ........... 216
Windshield wipers and washer....................... 216
Rear windshield wiper and washer....................... 219
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap.................................. 221
4-5. Using the driving support
systems
Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 + .................................. 223
PCS (Pre-Collision System) .................................. 228LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
.................................. 239
Dynamic radar cruise con- trol with full-speed range.................................. 249
RSA (Road Sign Assist) .................................. 261
Stop & Start system .... 264
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) .................................. 270
Intuitive parking assist . 275
RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert) function ............ 283
PKSB (Parking Support Brake) ........................ 289
Parking Support Brake func- tion (static objects) .... 296
Parking Support Brake func- tion (rear-crossing vehi-
cles) ........................... 299
Driving mode select switch .................................. 300
Multi-terrain Select ...... 301
Snow mode switch ...... 304
Downhill assist control sys- tem ............................ 305
Driving assist systems .................................. 307
4-6. Driving tips Winter driving tips........ 314
Utility vehicle precautions .................................. 317

1814-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Cargo capacity depends on the
total weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load
capacity) — (Total weight of
occupants)
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit —
(1) Locate the statement “The
combined weight of occupants
and cargo should never exceed
XXX kg or XXX lbs.” on your
vehicle’s placard.
(2) Determine the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers that will be riding in your
vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and passen-
gers from XXX kg or XXX lbs.
(4) The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs. and
there will be five 150 lb passen-
gers in your vehicle, the amount
of available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400 − 750 (5 
150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calcu-
lated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi-
cle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the
available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
( P.184)
Cargo capacity
Total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight) ( P.474)
When 2 people with the com-
bined weight of A lb. (kg) are rid-
ing in your vehicle, which has a
total load capacity (vehicle
capacity weight) of B lb. (kg),
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity will
Cargo and luggage
Take notice of the following
information about storage
precautions, cargo capacity
and load.
Capacity and distribution
Calculation formula for
your vehicle

1854-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■Matching trailer ball height to
trailer coupler height
No matter wh ich class of tow hitch
applies, for a m ore safe trailer
hookup, the trailer ball setup must
be the proper height for the coupler
on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
■Before towing
Check that the fo llowing conditions
are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires
are properly inflated. ( P.479)
●Trailer tires are inflated according
to the trailer manufacturer’s rec-
ommendation.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed pri-
marily as a passen-
ger-and-load-carrying
vehicle. Towing a trailer can
have an adverse impact on
handling, performance,
braking, durability, and fuel
consumption. For your
safety and the safety of oth-
ers, you must not overload
your vehicle or trailer. You
must also ensure that you
are using appropriate tow-
ing equipment, that the tow-
ing equipment has been
installed correctly and used
properly, and that you
employ the requisite driv-
ing habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and
braking performance are
affected by trailer stability,
brake performance and set-
ting, trailer brakes, the hitch
and hitch systems (if
equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use
extreme care and drive the
vehicle in accordance with
your trailer’s characteris-
tics and operating condi-
tions.
Toyota warranties do not
apply to damage or mal-
function caused by towing a
trailer for commercial pur-
poses.
Contact your Toyota dealer
for further information
about additional require-
ments such as a towing kit,
etc.

1864-1. Before driving
●All trailer lights work as required
by law.
●All lights work each time you con-
nect them.
●The trailer ball is set at the proper
height for the coupler on the
trailer.
●The trailer is level when it is
hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not
level, and check for improper
tongue weight, overloading, worn
suspension, or other possible
causes.
●The trailer cargo is securely
loaded.
●The rear view mirrors conform to
all applicable federal, state/provin-
cial or local regu lations. If they do
not, install rear view mirrors
appropriate for towing purposes.
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped
with any new power train compo-
nents (such as an engine, transaxle,
transfer [AWD models], rear differ-
ential [AWD models] or wheel bear-
ing), Toyota recommends that you
do not tow a trailer until the vehicle
has been driven for over 500 miles
(800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for
over 500 miles (800 km), you can
start towing. However, for the next
500 miles (800 km), drive the vehi-
cle at a speed of less than 50 mph
(80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and
avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the
towing ball and bracket after
approximately 600 miles (1000
km) of trailer towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds,
passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.)
can adversely affect handling of
your vehicle and trailer, causing
instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to contr ol trailer sway-
ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator
pedal immediately but very gradu-
ally to reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not
apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction
with the steering or brakes, your
vehicle and trailer should stabilize.
(if enabled, Trailer Sway Control can
also help to stabilize the vehicle and
trailer.)
●After the trailer swaying has
stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occu-
pants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer. Make sure the load has not
shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is
appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle.
Make sure the vehicle is not over-
loaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the
speed at which trailer swaying
occurred is beyond the limit of your
particular vehicle-trailer combina-
tion. Drive at a lower speed to pre-
vent instability. Remember that
swaying of the towing vehicle-trailer
increases as speed increases.