engine TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

4TABLE OF CONTENTS
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Hood ..................................414
Positioning a floor jack ....... 415
Engine compartment .......... 416
12-volt battery .................... 421
Tires ................................... 424
Tire inflation pressure......... 436
Wheels ............................... 438
Air conditioning filter ........... 439
Cleaning the hybrid battery (trac- tion battery) air intake vents
and filter ........................... 441
Electronic key battery ......... 444
Checking and replacing fuses ......................................... 446
Headlight aim ..................... 448
Light bulbs .......................... 449
7-1. Essential information Emergency flashers ........... 458
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency .............. 458
If the vehicle is trapped in rising water ................................ 459
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed......................................... 461
If you think something is wrong ......................................... 464
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds .... 466
If a warning message is dis- played .............................. 476
If you have a flat tire ........... 481
If the hybrid system will not start ......................................... 493
If you lose your keys .......... 495
If the fuel filler door cannot be opened ............................. 495
If the electronic key does not operate properly ............... 496If the 12-volt battery is dis-
charged ............................ 498
If your vehicle overheats .... 504
If the vehicle becomes stuck ......................................... 507
8-1. Specifications Maintenance data (fuel, oil level, etc.) .................................. 510
Fuel information ................. 518
Tire information .................. 520
8-2. Customization Customizable features ....... 530
8-3. Initialization Items to initialize ................ 542
9-1. For owners Reporting safety defects for U.S. owners ............................. 544
Seat belt instructions for Cana- dian owners (in French) ... 544
SRS airbag instructions for Canadian owners (in French)......................................... 546
Headlight aim instructions for Canadian owners (in French)......................................... 553
What to do if... (Troubleshooting) ......................................... 55
6
Alphabetical Index.............. 559
7When trouble arises
8Vehicle specifications
9For owners
Index

6
HIGHLANDER HV_U
The installation of a mobile
two-way radio system in your
vehicle could affect electronic
systems such as:
Hybrid system
 Multiport fuel injection sys-
tem/sequential multiport fuel
injection system
 Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 +
 Anti-lock brake system
 SRS airbag system
 Seat belt pretensioner system
Be sure to check with your Toy-
ota dealer for precautionary
measures or special instructions
regarding installation of a mobile
two-way radio system.
High voltage parts and cables
on the hybrid vehicles emit
approximately the same amount
of electromagnetic waves as the
conventional gasoline powered
vehicles or home electronic
appliances despite of their elec-
tromagnetic shielding.
Unwanted noise may occur in
the reception of the mobile
two-way radio.
The vehicle is equipped with
sophisticated computers that will
record certain data, such as: • Engine speed/Electric motor
speed (traction motor speed)
• Accelerator status
• Brake status
• Vehicle speed
• Operation status of the driving assist systems
• Images from the cameras
Your vehicle is equipped with cam-
eras. Contact your Toyota dealer for
the location of recording cameras.
The recorded data varies
according to the vehicle grade
level and options with which it is
equipped.
These computers do not record
conversations or sounds, and
only record images outside of
the vehicle in certain situations.
 Data Transmission
Your vehicle may transmit the data
recorded in these computers to
Toyota without notification to you.
Data usage
Toyota may use the data recorded
in this computer to diagnose mal-
functions, conduct research and
development, and improve quality.
Toyota will not disclose the
recorded data to a third party
except:
• With the consent of the vehicle
owner or with the consent of the
lessee if the vehicle is leased
• In response to an official request by the police, a court of law or a
government agency
• For use by Toyota in a lawsuit
• For research purposes where the
Installation of a mobile
two-way radio system
Vehicle data recording

13Pictorial index
HIGHLANDER HV_UPrecautions for winter season....
.......................................... P.333
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer) ..................... P.344
Precautions for car wash
*.................................................... P.401
Fuel filler door .................................................................... P.240
Refueling method ................................................................. P.240
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity ................................................. P.511
Tires..................................................................................... P.424
Tire size/inflation pressure ........................................... P.424, 515
Winter tires/tire chains ......................................................... P.333
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system .................. P.424
Coping with flat tires............................................................. P.481
Hood .................................................................................... P.414
Opening ............................................................................... P.414
Engine oil ............................................................................. P.512
Coping with overheating ...................................................... P.504
Warning messages .............................................................. P.476
Front turn signal lights/parking lights
*................... P.223P.229
Parking lights
*.................................................................... P.229
Headlights/daytime running lights
*.................................. P.229
Headlights........................................................................... P.229
Daytime running lights ............... ....................................... P.229
Front side marker lights .................................................... P.229
Parking lights
*/daytime running lights*........................... P.229
Front fog lights ................................................................... P.235
Stop/tail lights .................................................................... P.229
Tail lights............................................................................. P.229
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R ................................................... P.220
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P.449, Watts: P.516)

361-1. For safe use
HIGHLANDER HV_U
Airbag sensor assembly
Your vehicle is equipped wi th ADVANCED AIRBAGS designed
based on the US motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS208). The
airbag sensor assembly (ECU) controls airbag deployment based on
information obtained from the sensors etc. shown in the system
components diagram above. This information includes crash sever-
ity and occupant information. As the airbags deploy, a chemical
reaction in the inflators quickly fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to
help restrain the motion of the occupants.
■If the SRS airbags deploy
(inflate)
●Slight abrasions, burns, bruising
etc., may be sustained from SRS
airbags, due to the extremely high
speed deployment (inflation) by
hot gases.
●A loud noise and white powder will
be emitted.
●Parts of the airbag module (steer-
ing wheel hub, airbag cover and
inflator) as well as the front seats,
parts of the front and rear pillars,
and roof side rails, may be hot for
several minutes. The airbag itself
may also be hot.
●The windshield may crack.
●The hybrid system will be stopped
and fuel supply to the engine will
be stopped. ( P. 7 8 )
●All of the doors will be unlocked.
(  P.132)
●The brakes and st op lights will be
controlled automatically. ( P.326)
●The interior lights will turn on auto-
matically. ( P.364)
●The emergency flashers will turn
on automatically. ( P.458)
●For Safety Connect subscribers, if
any of the following situations
occur, the system is designed to
send an emergency call to the
response center, notifying them of
the vehicle’s location (without
needing to push the “SOS” button)
and an agent will a ttempt to speak with the occupants to ascertain
the level of emergency and assis-
tance required. If the occupants
are unable to communicate, the
agent automatically treats the call
as an emergency and helps to dis-
patch the necessary emergency
services. (
P. 6 5 )
• An SRS airbag is deployed.
• A seat belt pretensioner is acti- vated.
• The vehicle is involved in a severe rear-end collision.
■SRS airbag deployment condi-
tions (SRS front airbags)
●The SRS front airbags will deploy
in the event of an impact that
exceeds the set threshold level
(the level of force corresponding
to an approximately 12 - 18 mph
[20 - 30 km/h] fr ontal collision with
a fixed wall that does not move or
deform).
However, this threshold velocity will
be considerably higher in the follow-
ing situations:
• If the vehicle strikes an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign
pole, which can move or deform
on impact
• If the vehicle is involved in an underride collision, such as a colli-
sion in which the front of the vehi-
cle “underrides”, or goes under,
the bed of a truck
●Depending on the type of collision,
it is possible that only the seat belt
pretensioners and SRS seat cush-

691-3. Emergency assistance
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■Emergency Assistance But-
ton (“SOS”)
In the event of an emergency on
the road, push the “SOS” button
to reach the Safety Connect
response center. The answer-
ing agent will determine your
vehicle’s location, assess the
emergency, and dispatch the
necessary assistance required.
If you accidentally press the “SOS”
button, tell the response-center
agent that you are not experiencing
an emergency.
■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 sa fety 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
Safety information for
Safety Connect

711-4. Hybrid system
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER HV_U
1-4.Hybrid system
■System components
The illustration is an example for explanation and may differ from the actual
item.
Gasoline engine
Front electric motor (traction motor)
Rear electric motor (traction motor)
*
*: AWD models only
■When stopped/during start
off
The gasoline engine stops
*
when the vehicle is stopped. During start off, the electric
motor (traction motor) drives the
vehicle. At slow speeds or when
traveling down a gentle slope,
the engine is stopped
* and the
Hybrid system features
Your vehicle is a hybrid vehicle. It has characteristics different
from conventional vehicles. Be sure you are closely familiar
with the characteristics of your vehicle, and operate it with
care.
The hybrid system combines the use of a gasoline engine and
an electric motor (traction motor) according to driving condi-
tions, improving fuel efficiency and reducing exhaust emis-
sions.
System components

721-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
electric motor (traction motor) is
used.
When the shift lever is in N, the
hybrid battery (traction battery)
is not being charged.
*: When the hybrid battery (traction battery) requires charging or the
engine is warming up, etc., the
gasoline engine will not automati-
cally stop. ( P. 7 2 )
■During normal driving
The gasoline engine is predomi-
nantly used. The electric motor
(traction motor) charges the
hybrid battery (traction battery)
as necessary.
■When accelerating sharply
When the accelerator pedal is
depressed heavily, the power of
the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) is added to that of the gas-
oline engine via the electric
motor (traction motor).
■When braking (regenera-
tive braking)
The wheels operate the electric
motor (traction motor) as a
power generator, and the hybrid
battery (traction battery) is
charged.
■Regenerative braking
In the following situations, kinetic
energy is converted to electric
energy and deceleration force can
be obtained in conjunction with the
recharging of the hybrid battery
(traction battery).
●The accelerator pedal is released
while driving with the shift lever in D or S.
●The brake pedal is depressed
while driving with the shift lever in
D or S.
■EV indicator
The EV indicator comes on when
the vehicle is driven using only the
electric motor (traction motor) or the
gasoline engine is stopped.
■Conditions in which the gaso-
line engine may not stop
The gasoline engine starts and
stops automatically. However, it may
not stop automatically in the follow-
ing conditions:
●During gasoline engine warm-up
●During hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) charging
●When the temperature of the
hybrid battery (traction battery) is
high or low
●When the heater is switched on
Depending on the circumstances,
the gasoline engine may also not
stop automatically in other situa-
tions.
■Charging the hybrid battery
(traction battery)
As the gasoline engine charges the
hybrid battery (traction battery), the
battery does not need to be charged
from an outside source. However, if
the vehicle is left parked for a long
time the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) will slowly discharge. For this
reason, be sure to drive the vehicle
at least once every few months for
at least 30 minutes or 10 miles (16
km). If the hybrid battery (traction
battery) becomes fully discharged

731-4. Hybrid system
1
For safety and security
HIGHLANDER HV_Uand you are unable to start the
hybrid system, contact your Toyota
dealer.
■Charging the 12-volt battery
 P. 4 9 8
■After the 12-volt battery has dis-
charged or when the terminal
has been removed and installed
during exchange, etc.
The gasoline engine may not stop
even if the vehicle is being driven by
the hybrid battery (traction battery).
If this continues for a few days, con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
■Sounds and vibrations specific
to a hybrid vehicle
There may be no engine sound or
vibration even though the vehicle is
able to move with the “READY” indi-
cator is illuminated. For safety, apply
the parking brake and make sure to
shift the shift lever to P when
parked.
The following sounds or vibrations
may occur when the hybrid system
is operating and are not a malfunc-
tion:
●Motor sounds may be heard from
the engine compartment.
●Sounds may be heard from the
hybrid battery (traction battery)
under the rear seats when the
hybrid system starts or stops.
●Relay operating sounds such as a
snap or soft cl ank will be emitted
from the hybrid battery (traction
battery), under the rear seats,
when the hybrid system is started
or stopped.
●Sounds from the hybrid system
may be heard when the back door
is open.
●Sounds may be heard from the
transmission when the gasoline
engine starts or stops, when driv-
ing at low speeds, or during idling.
●Engine sounds may be heard
when accelerating sharply.
●Sounds may be heard due to
regenerative braking when the
brake pedal is depressed or as
the accelerator pedal is released.
●Vibration may be felt when the
gasoline engine starts or stops.
●Cooling fan sounds may be heard
from the air intake vents under the
rear seats.
■Maintenance, repair, recycling,
and disposal
Contact your Toyota dealer regard-
ing maintenance, repair, recycling
and disposal. Do not dispose of the
vehicle yourself.
When driving with the gasoline
engine stopped, a sound, which
changes in accordance with the
driving speed, will be played in
order to warn people nearby of
the vehicle’s approach. The
sound will stop when the vehicle
speed exceeds approximately
22 mph (35 km/h).
■Acoustic vehicle alerting sys-
tem
In the following cases, the acoustic
vehicle alerting system may be diffi-
cult for surrounding people to hear.
●In very noisy areas
●In the wind or the rain
Also, as the acoustic vehicle alerting
system is installed on the front of the
vehicle, it may be more difficult to
hear from the rear of the vehicle
compared to the front.
Acoustic vehicle alerting
system

741-4. Hybrid system
HIGHLANDER HV_U
■If “Proximity Notification Sys-
tem Malfunction Visit Your
Dealer” is displayed on the
multi-information display
The system may be malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
*: This function can only be used in
the mainland U.S.A. It cannot be
used in other states and territo-
ries, including Alaska and Hawaii.
This system operates based on
the driving situation and traffic
information to enhance fuel
economy.
For details about Predictive effi-
cient drive, refer to “NAVIGA-
TION AND MULTIMEDIA
SYSTEM OWNER’S MANUAL”.
■Predictive deceleration support
●When the vehicle approaches to
predictive deceleration support
points registered in the navigation
system, the zone of Eco accelera-
tion ( ) of the ECO Accelerator
Guidance ( P.103) on the
multi-information display will be
turned off to encourage the driver
to reduce excessive acceleration.
Example: 7-inch display
●The engine braking force will be
increased according to the driving
conditions to mo re efficiently
charge the hybrid battery (traction
battery) after the accelerator pedal
is released.
■Predictive SOC control
The following types of control are
performed based on data such as
road and traffic information during
route guidance by the navigation
system to help ensure that the vehi-
cle efficiently uses electricity.
●When there is a long downhill
slope along the r oute, the system
reduces the hybrid battery (trac-
tion battery) level before reaching
the slope to help ensure charging
capacity for regenerative braking
while traveling downhill.
●When traffic congestion is pre-
dicted along the route, the system
helps ensure a certain battery
level before reaching congested
roads to reduce the frequency of
starting the engine to charge the
hybrid battery (traction battery)
due to low battery levels.
Predictive efficient drive
(vehicles with a naviga-
tion system)
*

852-1. Instrument cluster
2
Vehicle status information and indicators
HIGHLANDER HV_U
7-inch display
The units used on the meters and some indicators may differ
depending on the target region.
Warning lights inform the driver
of malfunctions in the indicated
vehicle’s systems.
Warning lights
(U.S.A.)
Brake system warning
light
*1 (  P.466)
(red)
(Canada)
Brake system warning
light
*1 (  P.466)
(yellow)
Brake system warning
light
*1 ( P.466)
High coolant temperature
warning light
*2 (  P.466)
Hybrid system overheat
warning light
*2 (  P.467)
Charging system warning
light
*2 (  P.467)
Low engine oil pressure
warning light
*2 (  P.467)
(U.S.A.)
Malfunction indicator
lamp
*1 ( P.467)
(Canada)
Malfunction indicator
lamp
*1 ( P.467)
SRS warning light
*1
(  P.468)
(U.S.A.)
ABS warning light*1
(  P.468)
(Canada)
ABS warning light*1
(  P.468)
Brake Override System
warning light/Drive-Start
Control warning light
*2
(  P.468)
(red/yel-
low)
Electric power steering
system warning light
( P.469)
Low fuel level warning
light
*1(  P.469)