Toyota Highlander (2018 year). Manual - part 83

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4-6. Driving tips

Your vehicle is not designed to be driven off-road. However, in the
event that off-road driving cannot be avoided, please observe the fol-
lowing precautions to help avoid the areas prohibited to vehicles.
● Drive your vehicle only in areas where off-road vehicles are permit-

ted to travel.

● Respect private property. Get owner’s permission before entering

private property.

● Do not enter areas that are closed. Honor gates, barriers and signs

that restrict travel.

● Stay on established roads. When conditions are wet, driving tech-

niques should be changed or travel delayed to prevent damage to
roads.

● AWD models: Avoid driving on very steep, slippery roads and other

surfaces, such as sand, where the tires are liable to lose traction.
Your vehicle may not perform as well as conventional AWD on-road
vehicles on these surfaces.

■

Additional information for off-road driving



For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Puerto Rico:

To obtain additional information pertaining to driving your vehicle off-road,
consult the following organizations.

●

State and Local Parks and Recreation Departments

●

State Motor Vehicle Bureau

●

Recreational Vehicle Clubs

●

U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management

Off-road driving

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4-6. Driving tips

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WARNING

■

Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precautions to minimize the risk of death, seri-
ous injury or damage to your vehicle:

●

Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving
in dangerous places.

●

Do not grip the steering wheel spokes when driving off-road. A bad bump
could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Keep both hands and espe-
cially your thumbs on the outside of the rim.

●

Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving in
sand, mud, water or snow.

●

After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check that
there is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or trapped
on the underbody. Clear off any such matter from the underbody. If the
vehicle is used with these materials trapped or adhering to the underbody,
a breakdown or fire could occur.

●

When driving off-road or in rugged terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns, strike objects, etc. This may cause loss
of control or vehicle rollover causing death or serious injury. You are also
risking expensive damage to your vehicle’s suspension and chassis.

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4-6. Driving tips

NOTICE

■

To prevent water damage
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the
engine or other components does not occur.

●

Water entering the engine air intake will cause severe engine damage. 

●

Water entering the automatic transmission will cause deterioration in shift
quality, locking up of your transmission accompanied by vibration, and ulti-
mately damage.

●

Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings, causing rusting and pre-
mature failure, and may also enter the differentials, transmission and
transfer case, reducing the gear oil’s lubricating qualities.

■

When you drive through water
If driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams, first check
the depth of the water and the bottom of the riverbed for firmness. Drive
slowly and avoid deep water.

■

Inspection after off-road driving

●

Sand and mud that has accumulated in brake drums and around brake
discs may affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system compo-
nents.

●

Always perform a maintenance inspection after each day of off-road driv-
ing that has taken you through rough terrain, sand, mud, or water. For
scheduled maintenance information, refer to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.

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