Hazardous driving conditions

When hazardous driving conditions are encountered such as water, snow, ice, mud, sand, etc. follow these suggestions:

• Drive cautiously and allow extra distance for braking.

• Avoid sudden braking or steering.

• When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with a light up-and-down motion until the vehicle is stoppeds.

• Do not pump the brake pedal on a vehicle equipped with ABS.

• If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use the second gear. Accelerate slowly to avoid spinning the drive wheels.

• Place sand, rock salt, or other nonslip material under the drive wheels to provide traction when stalled in ice, snow, or mud.

Reducing the risk of a rollover

This multi-purpose passenger vehicle is defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. SUVs has higher ground clearance and a narrower track to make them capable of performing in a variety of offroad applications.

Specific design characteristics give them a higher center of gravity than ordinary vehicles. An advantage of the higher ground clearance is a better view of the road, which allows you to anticipate problems.

They are not designed for cornering at the same speeds as other types of vehicles, any more than other types of vehicles are not designed to perform satisfactorily in off-road conditions. All occupants must be seat belteds.

In a rollover, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. There are steps that a driver can make to reduce the risk of a rollover.

Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers, do not load your roof rack with heavy cargo, and never modify your vehicle in any way.

WARNING

Rollover

As with other Sports Utility Vehicle SUVs, failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control, an accident or vehicle rollover.

• SUVs have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles.

• Specific design characteristics (higher ground clearance, narrower track, etc.) give this vehicle a higher center of gravity than ordinary vehicles.

• A SUV is not designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional vehicles.

• Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.

• In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. Make sure everyone in the vehicle is properly buckled up.

WARNING

Your vehicle is equipped with tires designed to provide safe riding and handling capability. Do not use different size and type of tires and wheels from the ones that wereis originally installed on your vehicle. This can affect the safety and performance of your vehicle, which could lead to steering failure or rollover and serious injury. When replacing the tires, be sure to equip all four tires with tires and wheels of the same size, type, tread, brand and load-carrying capacity.

Rocking the vehicle

If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn the steering wheel right and left to clear the area around your front wheels. Then, shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and any forward gear.

Do not race the engine, and spin the wheels as little as possible. If you are still stuck after a few tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid vehicle overheating and possible damage to the gear.

WARNING

Sudden Vehicle Movement

Do not attempt to rock the vehicle if people or objects are nearby. The vehicle may suddenly move forward or backwards as it becomes unstuck.

WARNING

Vehicle Rocking

Prolonged rocking may cause vehicle overheating, gear damage or failure, and tire damage.

WARNING

Spinning Tires

Do not spin the wheels, especially at speeds more than 56 km/h (35 mph). Spinning the wheels at high speeds when the vehicle is stationary could cause tires to overheat, which could result in tire damage that may injure bystanders.

The ESC system should be turned OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.

Smooth cornering

Avoid braking or gear changing in corners, especially when roads are wet. Corners should always be taken with gentle acceleration. If you follow these suggestions, tire wear will be minimized.

Driving at night

Night driving presents more hazards than driving in the daylight. important tips to remember followr:

• Slow down and keep more distance between you and other vehicles, as it may be more difficult to see at night, especially in areas where there may not be any streetlights.

• Adjust your mirrors to reduce glare from other driver's headlights.

• Keep your headlights clean and properly aimed. (on vehicles not equipped with the automatic headlight aiming feature.) Dirty or improperly aimed headlights will make it much more difficult to see at night.

• Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be temporarily blinded, and it will take several seconds for your eyes to readjust to the darkness.

Driving in the rain

Rain and wet roads can make driving dangerous, especially if you're not prepared for slick pavement.

Consider when driving in the rain:

• A heavy rainfall will make it harder to see and will increase the distance needed to stop your vehicle, so slow down.

• Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace your windshield wiper blades when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield.

• If your tires are not in good condition, hard turns and quick stops on wet pavement can cause a skid and possibly lead to an accident. Be sure your tires are in good shape and have plenty of tread. Do not wait to replace your tires until the tread is so low that the tires will not pass state inspection.

• Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.

• Driving too fast through large puddles can affect your brakes. If you must go through puddles, drive through them slowly.

• If you believe your brakes are wet, gently apply them several times driving until normal braking operation returns.

Driving in flooded areas

Avoid driving through flooded areas unless you are sure the water is no higher than the underside of the vehicle. Drive through any water slowly. Allow adequate stopping distance because brake performance may be affected.

After driving through water, dry the brakes by gently applying them several times while the vehicle is moving slowly.

If the brake system is wet and has reduced braking effect or makes frequent sounds when braking, adjust the setting for the regenerative braking to '0' speed with the paddle shifter and gently apply the brake pedal several times. Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles whento drying the brake system.

Setting the regenerative braking to '0' may reduce efficiency. This is normal and the regenerative braking ystem will return to normally operation afterwards.

Driving off-road

Drive carefully off-road because your vehicle may be damaged by rocks or roots of trees. Become familiar with the off-road conditions where you are planning to drive.

Highway driving

Tires

Adjust the tire inflation pressure to its specifications. Low tire inflation pressures will result in overheating and possible failure of the tires.

Avoid using worn or damaged tires which may result in reduced traction or tire failure.

Never exceed the maximum tire inflation pressure shown on the tires.

WARNING

Under/Overinflated Tires

Always check the tires for proper inflation before driving. Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling, loss of vehicle control, and sudden tire failure leading to serious, injuryi or, death. For proper tire pressures, refer to More Details.

WARNING

Tire Tread

Always check the tire tread before driving your vehicle. Work tires can result in loss of vehicle control. Worn-out tires should be replaced as soon as possible. For further information and tread limits, refer to More Details.