TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

1313-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
3-2.Opening, closing and locking the doors
■Smart key system
Carry the electronic key to
enable this function.
1 Grip the driver’s door handle
to unlock the door. Holding
the driver’s door handle for
approximately 2 seconds
unlocks all the doors. Grip
the front passenger’s door
handle to unlock all the
doors.
*
Make sure to touch the sensor on
the back of the handle.
The doors cannot be unlocked for 3
seconds after the doors are locked.
*: The door unlock settings can be
changed. ( P.131, 530)
2 Touch the lock sensor (the
indentation on the upper part of the front door handle) to
lock all the doors.
Check that the do
or is securely
locked.
■Wireless remote control
1 Locks all the doors
Check that the do or is securely
locked.
2 Unlocks all the doors
Pressing the button unlocks the
driver’s door. Pressing the button
again within 5 seconds unlocks the
other doors.
Press and hold to open the win-
dows
*1 and moon roof*1, 2
*1
: This setting must be customized at your Toyota dealer.
*2: If equipped
■Switching the door unlock func-
tion
It is possible to set which doors the
entry function unlocks using the
wireless remote control.
1 Turn the power switch off.
2 When the indicator light on the
key surface is not on, press and
hold , or for
approximately 5 seconds while
pressing and holding .
The setting changes each time an
operation is performed, as shown
below. (When changing the setting
Side doors
The vehicle can be locked
and unlocked using the
entry function, wireless
remote control or door lock
switches.
Unlocking and locking the
doors from the outside

1323-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER HV_Ucontinuously, release the buttons,
wait for at least 5 seconds, and
repeat step 2
.)
For vehicles with an alarm: To pre-
vent unintended triggering of the
alarm, unlock the doors using the
wireless remote control and open
and close a door once after the set-
tings have been changed. (If a door
is not opened within 60 seconds
after is press ed, the doors will
be locked again and the alarm will
automatically be set.)
In case that the alarm is triggered,
immediately stop the alarm. ( P. 8 1 )
■Impact detection door lock
release system
In the event that the vehicle is sub-
ject to a strong impact, all the doors
are unlocked. Depending on the
force of the impact or the type of
accident, however, the system may
not operate.
■Operation signals
A buzzer sounds and the emer-
gency flashers flash to indicate that
the doors have been
locked/unlocked. (Locked: Once;
Unlocked: Twice)
A buzzer sounds to indicate that the
windows and the moon roof
* or pan-
oramic moon roof* are operating.
*: If equipped
■Security feature
If a door is not opened within
approximately 60 seconds after the
vehicle is unlocked, the security fea-
ture automatically locks the vehicle
again.
■When the door cannot be
locked by the lock sensor on
the surface of the front door
handle
If the door will not lock even when
the topside sensor area is touched,
try touching both the topside and
underside sensor areas at the same
time.
When gloves are being worn,
remove the gloves.
■Door lock buzzer
If an attempt to lock the doors using
the smart key system is made when
a door is not fully closed, a buzzer
will sound continuously for 5 sec-
onds. Fully close the door to stop
the buzzer, and lock the doors
again.
■Setting the alarm (if equipped)
Locking the doors will set the alarm
system. ( P. 8 1 )
Multi-informa-
tion display/BeepUnlocking func- tion
Exterior: Beeps 3 times
Interior: Pings once
Holding the
driver’s door
handle unlocks
only the driver’s
door.
Holding the front
passenger’s
door handle
unlocks all the
doors.
Exterior: Beeps twice
Interior: Pings once
Holding either
front door handle
unlocks all the
doors.

1333-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Conditions affecting the opera-
tion of the smart key system or
wireless remote control
 P. 1 4 7
■If the smart key system or the
wireless remote control does
not operate properly
Use the mechanical key to lock and
unlock the doors. ( P.496)
Replace the key battery with a new
one if it is depleted. ( P.444)
■If the 12-volt battery is dis-
charged
The doors cannot be locked and
unlocked using the smart key sys-
tem or wireless remote control. Lock
or unlock the doors using the
mechanical key. ( P.496)
■Rear seat reminder function
In order to remind you not to forget
luggage, etc. in the rear seat, when
the power switch is turned off after
any of the following conditions are
met, a buzzer will sound and a mes-
sage will be displayed on the
multi-information display for approx-
imately 6 seconds.
●The hybrid system is started
within 10 minutes after opening
and closing a rear door.
●A rear door has been opened and
closed after the hybrid system
was started.
However, if a rear door is opened
and then closed within approxi-
mately 2 seconds, the rear seat
reminder function may not operate.
The rear seat reminder function
determines that luggage, etc. has
been placed in a rear seat based on
opening and closing of a rear door.
Therefore, depending on the situa-
tion, the rear seat reminder function
may not operate and you may still
forget luggage, etc. in the rear seat,
or it may operate unnecessarily.
The rear seat reminder function can
be enabled/disabled. ( P.530)
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(  P.530)
WARNING
■To prevent an accident
Observe the following precautions
while driving the vehicle. Failure
to do so may result in a door
opening and an occupant falling
out, resulting in death or serious
injury.
●Ensure that all doors are prop-
erly closed and locked.
●Do not pull the inside handle of
the doors while driving.
Be especially care ful for the front
doors, as the doors may be
opened even if the inside lock but-
tons are in locked position.
●Set the rear door child-protector
locks when children are seated
in the rear seats.
■When opening or closing a
door
Check the surroundings of the
vehicle such as whether the vehi-
cle is on an incline, whether there
is enough space for a door to
open and whether a strong wind
is blowing. When opening or clos-
ing the door, hold the door handle
tightly to prepare for any unpre-
dictable movement.

1343-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Door lock switches
1 Locks all the doors
2 Unlocks all the doors
■Inside lock buttons
1 Locks the door
2 Unlocks the door
The front doors can be opened by
pulling the inside ha ndle even if the
lock buttons are in the lock position.
■Locking the front doors from
the outside without a key
1 Move the inside lock button to
the lock position.
2 Close the door.
The door cannot be locked if the
power switch is in ACC or ON, or
the electronic key is left inside the
vehicle.
The key may not be detected cor-
rectly and the door may be locked.
■Open door warning buzzer
If a door or the hood is not fully
closed, a buzzer will sound when
the vehicle speed reaches 3 mph (5
km/h).
The open door(s) or hood is dis-
played on the multi-information dis-
play.
The door cannot be opened
from inside the vehicle when the
lock is set.
1 Unlock
2 Lock
These locks can be set to prevent
children from opening the rear
doors. Push down on each rear
door switch to lock both rear doors.
The following functions can be
set or canceled:
For instructions on customizing,
refer to P.530.
Unlocking and locking the
doors from the inside
Rear door child-protector
lock
Automatic door locking
and unlocking systems

1353-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
FunctionOperation
Speed linked
door locking
function
All doors are auto-
matically locked
when vehicle
speed is approxi-
mately 12 mph (20
km/h) or higher.
Shift position
linked door
locking func-
tionAll doors are auto-
matically locked
when shifting the
shift lever out of P.
Shift position
linked door
unlocking
functionAll doors are auto-
matically unlocked
when shifting the
shift lever to P.
Driver’s door
linked door
unlocking
functionAll doors are auto-
matically unlocked
when driver’s door
is opened.
Back door
The back door can be
locked/unlocked and
opened/closed by the fol-
lowing procedures.
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or serious injury.
■Before driving the vehicle
Before driving the vehicle, make
sure that the back door is fully
closed. If the back door is not fully
closed, it may open unexpectedly
while driving, causing an acci-
dent.
■Caution while driving
●Keep the back door closed
while driving.
If the back door is left open, it may
hit near-by objects while driving or
luggage may be unexpectedly
thrown out, causing an accident.
In addition, exhaust gases may
enter the vehicle, causing death
or a serious health hazard. Make
sure to close the back door before
driving.
●Never let anyone sit in the lug-
gage compartment. In the event
of sudden braking, sudden
swerving or a co llision, they are
susceptible to death or serious
injury.
■When children are in the vehi-
cle
●Do not allow children to play in
the luggage compartment.
If a child is accidentally locked in
the luggage compartment, they
could have heat exhaustion or
other injuries.

1363-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Smart key system
Carry the electronic key to
enable this function.
WARNING
●Do not allow a child to open or
close the back door.
Doing so may cause the back
door to move unexpectedly, or
cause the child’s hands, arms,
head, or neck to be caught by the
closing back door.
■Operating the back door
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may cause
parts of the body to be caught,
resulting in death or serious injury.
●Remove any heavy loads, such
as snow and ice, from the back
door before opening it. Failure
to do so may cause the back
door to suddenly shut again
after it is opened.
●When opening or closing the
back door, thoroughly check to
make sure the surrounding area
is safe.
●If anyone is in the vicinity, make
sure they are safe and let them
know that the back door is
about to open or close.
●Use caution when opening or
closing the back door in windy
weather as it may move
abruptly in strong wind.
●The back door may suddenly
shut if it is not opened fully while
on a steep incline. Make sure
that the back door is secured
before using the luggage com-
partment.
●When closing the back door,
take extra care to prevent your
fingers, etc., from being caught.
●When closing the back door,
make sure to press it lightly on
its outer surface. If the back
door handle is used to fully
close the back door, it may
result in hands or arms being
caught.
●Do not pull on the back door
spindle (
P.143) to close the
power back door, and do not
hang on the back door spindle.
Doing so may cause hands to be
caught or the back door spindle to
break, causing an accident.
●If a heavy object is attached to
the back door, it may suddenly
shut again after being opened,
causing someone’s hands,
arms, head or neck to be caught
and injured. Do not attach any
accessories other than genuine
Toyota parts to the back door.
Unlocking and locking the
back door from the out-
side

1373-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1Unlocks all the doors
The doors cannot be unlocked for 3
seconds after the doors are locked.
2Locks all the doors
Check that the door is securely
locked.
■Wireless remote control
 P. 1 3 1
■Operation signals
 P. 1 3 2
■Door lock switches
 P. 1 3 4
■Opening/closing the back
door using the wireless
remote control
Press and hold the switch.
Pressing the switch while the back
door is opening/clos ing will stop the
operation. Pressing and holding the
switch again will operate the back
door in the opposite direction.
■Opening/closing the back
door using the power back
door switch on the instru-
ment panel
Press and hold the switch.
Unlock the back door before oper-
ating.
Pressing the switch while the back
door is opening/cl osing will stop the
operation. Pressing and holding the
switch again will operate the back
door in the opposite direction.
■Opening the back door
using the back door opener
switch
When the back door is
unlocked: Press the back door
opener switch.
When the back door is locked:
While carrying the electronic key
on your person, press the back
door opener switch.
Unlocking and locking the
back door from the inside
Opening/closing the back
door

1383-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER HV_UPressing the switch while the back
door is opening/clos
ing will stop the
operation. Pressing the switch
again will open the back door.
■Opening/closing the back
door using the power back
door switch on the back
door
Press the switch.
Pressing the switch while the back
door is opening/clos ing will stop the
operation. Pressing the switch
again will operate the back door in
the opposite direction.
■Closing the back door
using the back door handle
Lower the back door using the
back door handle, then a buzzer
sounds and the back door auto-
matically closes.
■Opening/closing the back
door using the kick sensor
(vehicles with a Hands Free
Power Back Door)
Vehicles without tow hitch
The Hands Free Power Back
Door enables automatic opening
and closing of the power back
door by putting your foot near
the lower center part of the rear
bumper and moving it away
from the rear bumper.
Vehicles with tow hitch
The Hands Free Power Back
Door enables automatic opening
and closing of the power back
door by putting your foot near
the lower left side of the rear
bumper and moving it away
from the rear bumper.
The center of the Hands Free
Power Back Door sensor is indi-
cated by the mark.
1 While carrying an electronic
key, stand within the smart
key system operation range,
approximately 13.8 to 21.7 in.
(35 to 55 cm) from the rear
bumper.

1393-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
3
Before driving
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Vehicles without tow hitchKick sensor
Hands Free Power Back
Door operation detection
area
Smart key system operation
detection area ( P.146)
Vehicles with tow hitch
Kick sensor
Hands Free Power Back
Door operation detection
area
Smart key system operation
detection area ( P.146)
2 Perform a kick operation by
moving your foot to within
approximately 3.9 in. (10 cm)
of the rear bumper and then
pulling it back.
• Perform the entire kick opera- tion within 1 second. • The back door will not start
operating while a foot is
detected under the rear
bumper.
• Operate the Hands Free Power Back Door without
contacting the rear bumper
with your foot.
• If another electronic key is in the cabin or luggage compart-
ment, it may take slightly lon-
ger than normal for the
operation to occur.
Kick sensor
Hands Free Power Back
Door operation detection
area
3 When the kick sensor detects
that your foot is pulled back,
a buzzer will sound and the
back door will automatically
fully open/close.
If kick operation is performed while
the back door is opening/closing,
the back door will stop the opera-
tion. Perform a kick operation again
will operate the back door in the
opposite direction.
■Back door closer
In the event that the back door is left
slightly open, the back door closer

1403-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors
HIGHLANDER HV_Uwill automatically close it to the fully
closed position.
●The back door closer can function
when the power switch is in any
mode.
●The back door can be opened
using the back door opener switch
even if the back door closer is
operating.
■Power back door operating con-
ditions
If the following conditions are met,
the power back door can be opened
and closed automatically.
●When the power back door sys-
tem is enabled. ( P.530)
●When the power switch is in ON,
one of the following conditions
must be met in addition to the
above conditions:
• The parking brake is engaged.
• The brake pedal is depressed.
• The shift lever is in P.
■Operation of the power back
door
●When the power back door begins
to operate, the emergency flash-
ers will flash twice and a buzzer
will sound.
●When the power back door is dis-
abled, the powe r back door will
not operate but can be opened
and closed manually.
●When the power back door is
opening/closing, if the power back
door becomes obstructed, opera-
tion will stop.
■Jam protection function
Sensors are installed on the right
and left sides of the power back
door. When the door is automati-
cally closing and the sensors are
pushed due to an object being
clamped, etc., the jam protection
function operates.
From that position the door auto-
matically moves a little in the oppo-
site direction and then the function stops.
■Back door reserve lock function
This function reserves the locking of
the power back door when the
power back door is open. If the fol-
lowing operations are performed, all
of the doors except the power back
door will lock and then the power
back door will lock when it is com-
pletely closed.
1 Close all of the doors, except the
back door.
2 Perform an automatic closing
operation of the power back door
and lock the doors using the
wireless remote control
( P.131) or smart key system
(  P.131) while the power back
door is closing.
A buzzer sounds and the emer-
gency flashers flash to indicate that
all the doors have been closed and
locked.
●If the electronic key is placed
inside the vehicle after starting a
close operation via the door
reserve lock function, the elec-
tronic key may become locked
inside the vehicle.
●If the back door does not fully
close due to the operation of the
jam protection function, etc., while
the back door is automatically
closing after a door reserve lock
operation is performed, the door
reserve lock function is canceled
and all the doors will unlock.
●Before leaving the vehicle, make
sure that all the doors are closed
and locked.