engine TOYOTA SEQUOIA HYBRID 2023 Owner's Manual

2184-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatically selects
the suitable gear according to driver
operation and driving conditions.
AI-SHIFT automatically operates
when the shift lever is in D or S.
While the power switch is in
ON and the brake pedal
depressed
*, shift the shift lever
while pushing the shift release
button on the shift knob.
Shift the shift lever while
pushing the shift release button on the shift knob.
Shift the shift lever normally.
When shifting the shift lever
between P and D, make sure that
the vehicle is completely stopped.
*: For the vehicle to be able to be shifted from P, the brake pedal
must be depressed before the
shift release button is pushed. If
the shift release button is pushed
first, the shift lock will not be
released.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to
prevent accidental operation of the
shift lever in starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P
only when the power switch is in
ON, the brake pedal is depressed
and the shift release button is
pushed.
■If the shift lever cannot be
shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal
is being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted
even though the brake pedal is
depressed and the shift release but-
ton is pushed, the re may be a prob-
lem with the shift lock system. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer immediately.
The following steps may be used as
an emergency measure to ensure
that the shift lev er can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1 Set the parking brake.
2 Turn the power switch off.
3 Depress the brake pedal.
4 Pry the cover up with a flathead
screwdriver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover,
cover the tip of the screwdriver
with a rag.
WARNING
■When driving on slippery
road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears
suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine brak-
ing may cause the vehicle to spin
or skid, resulting in an accident.
Shifting the shift lever

2194-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
5 Press and hold the shift lock
override button and then push
the button on the shift knob.
The shift lever can be shifted
while both buttons are pressed.
■Drive mode
 P.366 When the shift lever is in the S
position, the shift lever can be
operated as follows:
1
Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The selected shift range, from S1 to
S10 will be displayed on the multi-
information display.
The initial shift range in S mode is
set automatically to 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8
according to vehicle speed.
However, the initial shift range may
be set to 4 if AI-SHIFT has oper-
ated while the shift lever was in the
D position. ( P.218)
■S mode
●You can choose from 10 levels of
accelerating force and engine
braking force.
●A lower shift range will provide
greater accelerating force and
engine braking force than a higher
shift range, and t he engine revolu-
tions will also increase.
●To prevent the engine from over-
revving, upshifting may automati-
cally occur.
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when
releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock
override button, make sure to set
the parking brake and depress the
brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed instead of the
brake pedal when the shift lock
override button is pressed and the
shift lever is shifted out of P, the
vehicle may suddenly start, possi-
bly leading to an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving
mode
Changing shift ranges in
S mode

2204-2. Driving procedures
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
●To protect the automatic transmis-
sion, a function is adopted that
automatically select s a h i g h e r s h i f t
range when the fluid temperature
is high.
●When the shift range is 9 or lower,
holding the shift lever toward “+”
sets the shift range to 10.
■Downshifting restriction warn-
ing buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving
performance, downshifting opera-
tion may sometimes b e restricted. In
some circumstances, downshifting
may not be possible even when the
shift lever is opera ted. (A buzzer will
sound twice.)
■If the S indicator does not come
on even after shifting the shift
lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in
the automatic tra nsmission system.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer immediately.
Use “TOW HAUL” or “TOW+”
mode when pulling a trailer or
hauling a heavy load. Activating
“TOW HAUL” or “TOW+” mode
is changes engine, transmis-
sion, steering, and suspension
(vehicles with AVS [adaptive
variable suspension system]) to
be more suitable when pulling a
trailer. “TOW HAUL” indicator
“TOW+” indicator
“TOW HAUL” switch
Mode select switch
1 Press the “TOW HAUL”
switch
The “TOW HAUL” indicator will
come on.
Press the switch once more to can-
cel the mode.
2Turn the mode select switch
to change between “TOW
HAUL” or “TOW+” modes.
When more towing power is
needed than is available in “TOW
HAUL” mode, use “TOW+” mode.
( P.221)
The “TOW+” indicator will come on.
■Automatic deactivation of
“TOW HAUL” and “TOW+”
mode
“TOW HAUL” and “TOW+” mode is
deactivated the following conditions:
●When the front-wheel drive control
switch is in “4L”
“TOW HAUL” switch

2404-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
■Reverse-linked function
When the shift lever is shifted to R
when the front wipers are operating,
the rear window wiper will operate
once.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(Customizable features: P.570)
NOTICE
■When the washer fluid tank is
empty
Do not operate the switch continu-
ally as the washer fluid pump may
overheat.
■When a nozzle becomes
blocked
In this case, contact your Toyota
dealer.
Do not try to clear it with a pin or
other object. The nozzle will be
damaged.
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the wiper on longer
than necessary when the engine
is not running.

2974-5. Using the driving support systems
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
●Wires, fences, ropes, etc.
●Cotton, snow and other materials
that absorb sound waves
●Sharply-angled objects
●Low objects
●Tall objects with upper sections
projecting outwards in the direc-
tion of your vehicle
■Situations in which the system
may not operate properly
Certain vehicle conditions and the
surrounding environment may affect
the ability of a sensor to correctly
detect objects. Particular instances
where this may occur are listed
below.
●There is dirt, snow, water drops or
ice on a sensor. (Cleaning the
sensors will resolve this problem.)
●A sensor is frozen. (Thawing the
area will resolve this problem.)
In especially cold weather, if a
sensor is frozen the sensor dis-
play may be displayed abnormally,
or objects, such as a wall, may not
be detected.
●When a sensor or the area around
a sensor is extremely hot or cold.
●On an extremely bumpy road, on
an incline, on gravel, or on grass.
●When vehicle horns, vehicle
detectors, motorcycle engines, air
brakes of large vehicles, the clear-
ance sonar of other vehicles or
other devices which produce ultra-
sonic waves are near the vehicle
●A sensor is coated with a sheet of
spray or heavy rain.
●If objects draw too close to the sensor.
●When a pedestrian is wearing
clothing that does not reflect ultra-
sonic waves (ex. skirts with gath-
ers or frills).
●When objects that are not perpen-
dicular to the ground, not perpen-
dicular to the vehicle traveling
direction, uneven, or waving are in
the detection range.
●Strong wind is blowing
●When driving in inclement weather
such as fog, snow or a sandstorm
●When an object that cannot be
detected is between the vehicle
and a detected object
●If an object such as a vehicle,
motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrian
cuts in front of the
vehicle or runs
out from the side of the vehicle
●If the orientation of a sensor has
been changed due to a collision or
other impact
●When equipment that may
obstruct a sensor is installed, such
as a towing eyelet, bumper pro-
tector (an additional trim strip,
etc.), bicycle car rier, or snow plow
●If the front of the v ehicle is raised
or lowered due to the carried load
●If the vehicle cannot be driven in a
stable manner, such as when the
vehicle has been in an accident or
is malfunctioning
●When a tire chains, compact
spare tire or an emergency tire
puncture repair kit is used
●When the back door is opened
■Situations in which the system
may operate even if there is no
possibility of a collision
In some situations, such as the fol-
lowing, the system may operate
even though there is no possibility of
a collision.
●When driving on a narrow road

2984-5. Using the driving support systems
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
●When driving toward a banner,
flag, low-hanging branch or boom
barrier (such as those used at rail-
road crossings, toll gates and
parking lots)
●When there is a rut or hole in the
surface of the road
●When driving on a metal cover
(grating), such as those used for
drainage ditches
●When driving up or down a steep
slope
●If a sensor is hit by a large amount
of water, such as when driving on
a flooded road
●There is dirt, snow, water drops or
ice on a sensor. (Cleaning the
sensors will resolve this problem.)
●A sensor is coated with a sheet of
spray or heavy rain
●When driving in inclement weather
such as fog, snow or a sandstorm
●When strong winds are blowing
●When vehicle horns, vehicle
detectors, motorcycle engines, air
brakes of large vehicles, the clear-
ance sonar of other vehicles or
other devices which produce ultra-
sonic waves are near the vehicle
●If the front of the vehicle is raised
or lowered due to the carried load
●If the orientation of a sensor has
been changed due to a collision or
other impact
●The vehicle is approaching a tall
or curved curb
●Driving close to columns (H-
shaped steel beams, etc.) in multi-
story parking garages, construc-
tion sites, etc.
●If the vehicle cannot be driven in a
stable manner, such as when the
vehicle has been in an accident or
is malfunctioning
●On an extremely bumpy road, on
an incline, on gravel, or on grass
●When a tire chains, compact
spare tire or an emergency tire
puncture repair kit is used
■When towing a trailer
Rear sensors turn off when the
trailer connection is detected.
When reversing, the rear sensors
turn off, but the front corner sensors
operate.
■Certification
 P.622

3674-5. Using the driving support systems
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
turn on.
2 Select the driving modes on
the multi-information display
while turning the mode select
switch left and right.
Vehicles without Adaptive
Variable Suspension system
Multi-information display
• “NORMAL” mode
Provides an optimal balance of fuel
economy, quietness, and dynamic
performance. Suitable for city driv-
ing.
•“ECO” mode
Helps the driver a ccelerate in an
eco-friendly manner and improve
fuel economy through moderate
throttle characteri stics and by con- trolling the operation of the air con-
ditioning system (heating/cooling).
The “ECO” indicator comes on.
• “SPORT” mode
Assists acceleration response by
controlling the transmission, engine
and steering. Suitable for when pre-
cise handling is desirable, for
example when driving on mountain
roads. The “SPORT” indicator
comes on.
Vehicles with Adaptive Vari-
able Suspension system
Multi-information display
• “NORMAL” mode
Provides an optimal balance of fuel
economy, quietness, and dynamic
performance. Suitable for city driv-
ing.
• “COMFORT” mode
By controlling the suspension, rid-
ing comfort is further enhanced.
Suitable for city driving. The “COM-
FORT” indicator comes on.
• “ECO” mode
Helps the driver accelerate in an
eco-friendly manner and improve

3684-5. Using the driving support systems
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_enfuel economy through moderate
throttle characteri
stics and by con-
trolling the operation of the air con-
ditioning system (heating/cooling).
The “ECO” indicator comes on.
• “SPORT S” mode
Assists accelerati on response by
controlling the transmission, engine
and steering. Suitable for when pre-
cise handling is desirable, for
example when driving on mountain
roads. The “SPORT S” indicator
comes on.
• “SPORT S+” mode
Helps to ensure th e controllability
and stability of the vehicle by inte-
grally controlling the steering wheel
and suspensions as well as the
transmission and engine, making it
suitable for sporty driving. The
“SPORT S+” indicator comes on.
• “CUSTOM” mode
Allows you to drive with the power
train, chassis and air conditioning
system functions set to your pre-
ferred settings. Custom mode set-
tings can only be changed on the
drive mode customization display of
multimedia system. The “CUSTOM”
indicator comes on.
■The driving mode select switch
can be operated when
The front-wheel dri ve control switch
is in “2H” and “4H”.
■Operation of the air condition-
ing system in Eco mode
Eco mode controls the heating/cool-
ing operations and fan speed of the
air conditioning system to enhance
fuel efficiency. To improve air condi-
tioning performance, perform the
following operations:
●Adjust the fan speed ( P.407)
●Turn off Eco drive mode ( P.366)
■Automatic deactivation of driv-
ing modes:
Driving mode is deactivated or the
driving mode will be changed to nor-
mal mode in the following condi-
tions:
●After turning the power switch off
and then turning it to on
●When the front-wheel drive control
switch is in “4L” (4WD models
only)
●When the Multi-terrain Select is
turned on (if equipped)
●When the Downhill assist control
system is turned on (if equipped)
●When the “TOW HAUL” mode or
“TOW+” mode is turned on
■Customization
The Custom mode can be changed.
(Customizable features: P.580)

3854-5. Using the driving support systems
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4
Driving
●The accelerator pedal is
depressed
●The parking brake is engaged
●A maximum of 2 seconds have
elapsed after the brake pedal is
released
●The power switch is turned to OFF
■Sounds and vibrations caused
by the ABS, brake assist, VSC,
Trailer Sway Control, TRAC and
hill-start assist control systems
●A sound may be heard from the
hybrid system compartment when
the brake pedal is depressed
repeatedly, when the hybrid sys-
tem is started or just after the vehi-
cle begins to move. This sound
does not indicate that a malfunc-
tion has occurred in any of these
systems.
●Any of the following conditions
may occur when t he above sys-
tems are operating. None of these
indicates that a malfunction has
occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the
vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard also after the vehicle comes to a stop.
■ECB operating sound
ECB operating sound may be heard
in the following cases, but it does
not indicate that a malfunction has
occurred.
●Operating sound heard from the
engine compartment when the
brake pedal is operated.
●Motor sound of the brake system
heard from the front part of the
vehicle when the driver’ door is
opened.
●Operating sound heard from the
engine compartment when one or
two minutes passed after the stop
of the hybrid system.
■EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is oper-
ated, a motor sou nd (whirring sound) may be heard. This does not
indicate a malfunction.
■Automatic reactivation of
TRAC, Trailer Sway Control and
VSC systems
After turning the TRAC, Trailer
Sway Control and VSC systems off,
the systems will be a utomatically re-
enabled in the following situations:
●When the power switch is turned
off
●If only the TRAC sy stem is turned
off, the TRAC will turn on when
vehicle speed increases
If both the TRAC and VSC sys-
tems are turned of f, automatic re-
enabling will not occur when vehi-
cle speed increases.
■Reduced effectiveness of the
EPS system
The effectiveness of the EPS sys-
tem is reduced to prevent the sys-
tem from overheating when there is
frequent steering input over an
extended period o f time. The steer-
ing wheel may f eel heavy as a
result. Should this occur, refrain
from excessive steering input or
stop the vehicle a nd turn the hybrid
system off. The EPS system should
return to normal within 10 minutes.
■Secondary Collision Brake
operating conditions
The system operates when the SRS
airbag sensor de tects a collision
while the vehicle is in motion. How-
ever, the system does not operate
when the components are dam-
aged.
■Secondary Collision Brake
automatic cancelation
The system is automatically can-
celed in any of th e following situa-
tions.
●The vehicle speed drops to
approximately 0 mph (0 km/h).
●A certain amount of time elapses
during operation

3964-6. Driving tips
Owners Manual_USA_M0C043_en
4-6.Driving tips
When using Eco drive mode, the
torque corresponding to the
accelerator pedal depression
amount can be generated more
smoothly than it is in normal
conditions. In addition, the oper-
ation of the air conditioning sys-
tem (heating/cooling) will be
minimized, improving the fuel
economy. (P.366)
The Eco-friendly driving is pos-
sible by keeping the indicate of
Hybrid System Indicator within
Eco area. ( P.99)
Shift the shift lever to D when
stopped at a traffic light, or driv-
ing in heavy traffic etc. Shift the
shift lever to P when parking.
When using the N, there is no
positive effect on fuel consump-
tion. When using the air condi-
tioning system, etc., the hybrid
battery (traction battery) power
is consumed. 
Drive your vehicle smoothly.
Avoid abrupt acceleration and
deceleration. Gradual accel-
eration and deceleration will
make more effective use of
the electric motor (traction
motor) without having to use
gasoline engine power.
 Avoid repeated acceleration.
Repeated acceleration con-
sumes hybrid battery (trac-
tion battery) power, resulting
in poor fuel consumption. Bat-
tery power can be restored by
driving with the accelerator
pedal slightly released.
Make sure to operate the brakes
gently and in a timely manner. A
greater amount of electrical
energy can be regenerated
when slowing down.
Repeated acceleration and
deceleration, as well as long
waits at traffic lights, will lead to
bad fuel economy. Check traffic
reports before leaving and avoid
delays as much as possible.
When driving in a traffic jam,
gently release the brake pedal
to allow the vehicle to move for-
ward slightly while avoiding
Hybrid Electric Vehi-
cle driving tips
For economical and ecolog-
ical driving, pay attention to
the following points:
Using Eco drive mode
Use of Hybrid System
Indicator
Shift lever operation
Accelerator pedal/brake
pedal operation
When braking
Delays