Get Driving -> Driving tips Guide for Toyota 4 Runner SUV Sixth Generation (2025-2026)

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4-6. Driving tips

WARNING

4-6.Driving tips

Off-road precautions

■Off-road vehicle precautions

This vehicle belongs to the

utility vehicle class, which

has higher ground clear-

ance and narrower tread in

relation to the height of its

center of gravity to make it

capable of performing in a

wide variety of off-road

applications.

Always observe the following pre-

cautions to minimize the risk of

death, serious injury or damage to

your vehicle:

●In a rollover crash, an unbelted

person is significantly more

likely to die than a person wear-

ing a seat belt. Therefore, the

driver and all passengers

should always fasten their seat

belts.

●Avoid sharp turns or abrupt

maneuvers, if at all possible.

Failure to operate this vehicle

correctly may result in loss of

control or vehicle rollover caus-

ing death or serious injury.

Off-road vehicle features

 Specific design characteris-

tics give it a higher center of

gravity than ordinary passen-

ger cars. This vehicle design

feature causes this type of

vehicle to be more likely to

rollover. And, Utility vehicles

have a significantly higher

rollover rate than other types

of vehicles.

4

●Loading cargo on the roof lug-

gage carrier (if equipped) will

make the center of the vehicle

gravity higher. Avoid high

speeds, sudden starts, sharp

turns, sudden braking or abrupt

maneuvers, otherwise it may

result in loss of control or vehi-

cle rollover due to failure to

operate this vehicle correctly.

 An advantage of the higher

ground clearance is a better

view of the road allowing you

to anticipate problems.

●Always slow down in gusty

crosswinds. Because of its pro-

file and higher center of gravity,

your vehicle is more sensitive to

side winds than an ordinary

passenger car.

 It is not designed for corner-

ing at the same speeds as

ordinary passenger cars any

more than low-slung sports

cars are designed to perform

satisfactorily under off-road

conditions. Therefore, sharp

turns at excessive speeds

may cause the vehicle to roll-

over.

Slowing down will allow you to

have better control.

●Do not drive horizontally across

steep slopes. Driving straight up

or straight down is preferred.

Your vehicle (or any similar off-

road vehicle) can tip over side-

ways much more easily than

forward or backward.

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4-6. Driving tips

Off-road driving

WARNING

■Off-road driving precautions

When driving your vehicle off-

road, please observe the follow-

ing precautions to ensure your

driving enjoyment and to help

prevent the closure of areas to

off-road vehicles:

Always observe the following pre-

cautions to minimize the risk of

death, serious injury or damage to

your vehicle:

●Drive carefully when off the

road. Do not take unnecessary

risks by driving in dangerous

places.

 Drive your vehicle only in

areas where off-road vehicles

are permitted to travel.

●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 especially your

thumbs on the outside of the

rim.

 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.

●Always check your brakes for

effectiveness immediately after

driving in sand, mud, water or

snow.

 Stay on established roads.

When conditions are wet,

driving techniques should be

changed or travel delayed to

prevent damage to roads.

●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.

■ Additional information for

off-road driving

 For owners in U.S. mainland,

Hawaii and Puerto Rico:

●In a rollover crash, an unbelted

person is significantly more

likely to die than a person wear-

ing a seat belt. Therefore, the

driver and all passengers

should fasten their seat belts

whenever the vehicle is moving.

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

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4-6. Driving tips

■Inspection after off-road driv-

ing

WARNING

●When driving off-road or in rug-

ged 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.

●Sand and mud that has accu-

mulated around brake discs

may affect braking efficiency

and may damage brake system

components.

●Always perform a maintenance

inspection after each day of off-

road driving 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”.

NOTICE

■To prevent water damage

Take all necessary safety mea-

sures to ensure that water dam-

age to the engine or other

4

components does not occur.

●Water entering the engine air

intake will cause severe engine

damage.

●Water entering the automatic

transmission will cause deterio-

ration in shift quality, locking up

of your transmission accompa-

nied by vibration, and ultimately

damage.

●Water can wash the grease

from wheel bearings, causing

rusting and premature failure,

and may also enter the differen-

tials, 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. Press the Stop & Start

cancel switch to disable the Stop

& Start system. (vehicles with

Stop & Start system) Drive slowly

and avoid deep water.

448

4-6. Driving tips

●Maintain the recommended

level of air pressure.

Winter driving tips

●Do not drive in excess of 75

mph (120 km/h), regardless of

the type of snow tires being

used.

Carry out the necessary

preparations and inspec-

tions before driving the

vehicle in winter. Always

drive the vehicle in a man-

ner appropriate to the pre-

vailing weather conditions.

●Use snow tires on all, not just

some wheels.

●4WD models: Do not mix tires of

different makes, models, tread

patterns or treadwear.

■Driving with tire chains (vehi-

cles without 265/70R18 tires)

Preparation for winter

Observe the following precautions

to reduce the risk of accidents.

Failure to do so may result in the

vehicle being unable to be driven

safely, and may cause death or

serious injury.

 Use fluids that are appropriate

to the prevailing outside tem-

peratures.

• Engine oil

• Engine/power control unit coolant

• Washer fluid

●Do not drive in excess of the

speed limit specified for the tire

chains being used, or 30 mph

(50 km/h), whichever is lower.

 Have a service technician

inspect the condition of the

battery.

●Avoid driving on bumpy road

surfaces or over potholes.

 Have the vehicle fitted with

four snow tires or purchase a

set of tire chains for the rear

●Avoid sudden acceleration,

abrupt steering, sudden brak-

ing and shifting operations that

cause sudden engine braking.

tires^*.

●Slow down sufficiently before

entering a curve to ensure that

vehicle control is maintained.

*

: Tire chains cannot be mounted

on 265/70R18 tires.

Ensure that all tires are the same

size and brand, and that chains

match the size of the tires.

●Do not use LTA (Lane Tracing

Assist) system.

WARNING

■Driving with snow tires

Observe the following precautions

to reduce the risk of accidents.

Failure to do so may result in a

loss of vehicle control and cause

death or serious injury.

●Use tires of the specified size.

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4-6. Driving tips

When driving the vehicle

NOTICE

■Repairing or replacing snow

Accelerate the vehicle slowly,

keep a safe distance between

you and the vehicle ahead, and

drive at a reduced speed suit-

able to road conditions.

tires

Request repairs or replacement of

snow tires from Toyota dealers or

legitimate tire retailers.

This is because the removal and

attachment of snow tires affects

the operation of the tire pressure

warning valves and transmitters.

When parking the vehicle

 Turn automatic mode of the

parking brake off.

Before driving the vehicle

Perform the following according

to the driving conditions:

Otherwise, the parking brake

may freeze and not be able to

be released automatically.

Also, avoid using the following

as the parking brake may

operate automatically, even if

automatic mode is off.

 Do not try to forcibly open a

window or move a wiper that

is frozen. Pour warm water

over the frozen area to melt

the ice. Wipe away the water

immediately to prevent it from

freezing.

4

• Brake hold system

 Park the vehicle and move

the shift lever to P without set-

ting the parking brake. The

parking brake may freeze up,

preventing it from being

released. If the vehicle is

parked without setting the

parking brake, make sure to

block the wheels.

 To ensure proper operation of

the climate control system

fan, remove any snow that

has accumulated on the air

inlet vents in front of the wind-

shield.

 Check for and remove any

excess ice or snow that may

have accumulated on the

exterior lights, outside rear

view mirrors, windows, vehi-

cle’s roof, chassis, around the

tires or on the brakes.

Failure to do so may be dan-

gerous because it may cause

the vehicle to move unexpect-

edly, possibly leading to an

accident.

 When the parking brake is in

automatic mode, release the

parking brake after shifting

the shift lever to P. (P.223)

 Remove any snow or mud

from the bottom of your shoes

before getting in the vehicle.

 If the vehicle is parked without

450

4-6. Driving tips

setting the parking brake,

confirm that the shift lever

cannot be moved out of P.

0.25 in. (6.3 mm) in diameter

0.89 in. (22.6 mm) in width

1.50 in. (38.1 mm) in length

 Vehicles with 265/70R18 tires

 If the vehicle is left parked

with the brakes damp in cold

temperatures, there is a pos-

sibility of the brakes freezing.

Tire chains cannot be mounted

as the space between the tire

and body is too narrow.

WARNING

Snow tires should be used

instead.

■When parking the vehicle

When parking the vehicle without

applying the parking brake, make

sure to chock the wheels. If you

do not chock the wheels, the vehi-

cle may move unexpectedly, pos-

sibly resulting in an accident.

Regulations on the use of

tire chains (vehicles with-

out 265/70R18 tires)

Selecting tire chains

Regulations regarding the use

of tire chains vary depending on

location and type of road.

Always check local regulations

before installing chains.

 Vehicles without 265/70R18

tires

Use the correct tire chain size

when mounting the tire chains.

Chain size is regulated for each

tire size.

■Tire chain installation

Observe the following precautions

when installing and removing

chains:

●Install and remove tire chains in a

safe location.

●Install tire chains on the rear tires.

Do not install tire chains on the

front tires.

●Install tire chains on the rear tires

as tightly as possible. Retighten

chains after driving 1/41/2 mile

(0.51.0 km).

●Install tire chains following the

instructions provided with the tire

chains.

Side chain:

0.20 in. (5 mm) in diameter

0.71 in. (18 mm) in width

1.81 in. (46 mm) in length

Cross chain:

451

4-6. Driving tips

NOTICE

■Fitting tire chains

The tire pressure warning valves

and transmitters may not function

correctly when tire chains are fit-

ted.

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4-6. Driving tips

Driving -> Driving tips for Your Toyota 4 Runner SUV Sixth Generation (2025-2026)

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