Off-Highway Driving

Your vehicle is designed, built and equipped with systems and features to provide you with exceptional driving performance off-highway. However, due to the risks to both you and other road users, including the risk of injury or death from loss of control or crash, if you engage in off-highway driving, it is important to take precautions before doing so.

When driving off-highway, you should always obey the posted speed limits and other traffic laws, reduce speed as needed for traffic and environmental conditions, and not engage in driving behaviors that may create heightened risks for yourself and any other off-highway users who may be present (even if you are unaware of them).

Your vehicle’s TRAIL or SAND mode and other systems are designed for increased performance off-highway. Use of these systems may delay the intervention of vehicle safety systems designed to minimize the risk of a loss of traction or steering control, and can cause your vehicle to handle differently than you might expect or would experience under normal driving conditions on pavement. Use of these systems will not make up for a lack of appropriate driver experience and skill, and will not allow the driver to overcome risks created by:

• A lack of proper vehicle maintenance
• Less than ideal road conditions and/or unfamiliarity with the driving environment
• Other traffic or off-highway users

Off-highway driving requires special skills, knowledge and experience, as the safety risks are greatly increased when the your vehicle is operated at its upper performance abilities. As a responsible driver, you should not drive above your skill limits or training, even if your vehicle’s performance levels would otherwise allow you to do so. If you intend to engage in off-highway driving, Honda strongly recommends that:

• You first obtain appropriate, professional training
• Turn off any devices or systems that may distract you from the driving task

Off-highway driving in general, results in greater wear and tear on the vehicle. If your vehicle is not in top condition or if certain components, such as the brakes or tires, have undue wear, those components could experience a loss of performance, or fail, when engaging in off-highway driving. Therefore, Honda highly recommends that you undertake more proactive and frequent maintenance than that required under normal use and have your vehicle inspected at an authorized dealer (and all necessary repairs or adjustments made) before you engage in any off-highway driving. In addition to any required maintenance, there are specific items and protocols that you should pay special attention to before, during and after engaging in any off-highway driving. Ultimately, the decision whether to engage in off-highway driving is yours, and depending on your vehicle’s condition and prior usage, the items and protocols listed below may or may not be sufficient to ensure a safe driving experience.

• Before off-highway driving, fill the engine oil up to the upper level.
• Recommend starting with full fuel tank and not allowing fuel to drop below ¼ tank while driving off-highway.

• Driving off-highway can be hard on a vehicle. Before you leave the pavement, be sure all scheduled maintenance and service has been carried out, and that you have inspected your vehicle and each of its relevant components to make sure that it still is in a safe operating condition (example: wheel lug bolt torque, skid plate* and/or under body component damage, tire pressure, etc.). We recommend repeating the BEFORE DRIVING protocol, and if any item shows excessive wear or appears to be in an unusual condition, have it replaced, or exercise appropriate caution when driving and see your authorized dealer.

For more information, please contact your authorized dealer, and/or Honda Customer Service.

Customer Service Information

• After off-highway driving, it is critical to allow your vehicle to properly cool down.
• Check underneath your vehicle and each of its relevant components, including the skid plates*, to make sure that it still is in a safe operating condition (example: wheel lug bolt torque, tire pressure, skid plate* damage, dirt and debris accumulation on skids, and suspension components, etc.). We recommend repeating the BEFORE DRIVING protocol, and if any item shows excessive wear or appears to be in an unusual condition, have it replaced, or exercise appropriate caution when driving and see your authorized dealer
• If operated in dirty conditions, clean brakes of abrasion materials to prevent excessive wear or/and unpredictable braking.

* Not available on all models