Lost car keys are no reason to panic. Although losing your car key is always inconvenient, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world – and your Toyota dealer can certainly help. Read on for our advice on what to do if your car keys go walkabout.
What should I do if I’ve lost one of my car keys?
Don’t worry. Usually cars come with two sets of keys. If you are in possession of another key and want a replacement for your main key, your Toyota dealer can supply a new one for you relatively simply.
Give them a call (find their details here) and arrange an appointment. They can examine your car and the remaining key, and organise for a new key to be ordered, cut and programmed for you. It usually takes one or two days to arrange lost car keys in this way.
If you do not live within close proximity of a Toyota centre, many police forces recommend contacting a member of the Master Locksmiths Association.
What should I do if I’ve lost all of my car keys?
This is a trickier scenario. If you don’t have any of your car keys and your car has remote locking or other similar features, it will likely have a code that will need to be reprogrammed. It’s also possible that your car will need a new ECU. Toyota has to comply with legal standards when supplying security products, so each process must be carried out by the book.
Due to the security technology within a key and the work involved in replacing lost car keys, losing all your keys can be expensive. The exact costs varies by model but will usually be several hundred pounds or even more. It will also usually take one or two days for the keys to be ordered, cut and programmed.
If you cannot move your car due to lost car keys, you may need to arrange for it to be recovered to your dealer. And if you do not live within close proximity of a Toyota centre, many police forces recommend contacting a member of the Master Locksmiths Association.
What should I do if I’ve locked them in the car?
Locking the keys in a car is a rarer problem than a few years ago, as smart entry or keys with transponders make it much harder to do.
However, if you do manage to lock your keys in the car you should call Toyota Roadside Assistance or your breakdown provider.
Do you have any other advice?
True, this might not sound very helpful if you have lost your keys, but the best course of action is to not lose sight of them in the first place. Get into the habit of keeping your keys in a regular place. Whatever suits you, as long as it’s safe and out of immediate sight.
If your car has so-called ‘keyless entry’, we recommend not leaving your key fob anywhere close to where you park your car, because it could present an opportunity for thieves to use a device known as a ‘relay transmitter’ to remotely access your car.
Why are car keys expensive?
While it might seem that cars keys are simple – they just open the car, right? – they are actually pretty complex. This is one of the reasons why Toyota Car Insurance policies include key cover (vehicle, house and office) as one of the many benefits for policy holders.
From remote locking to keyless entry and start for more recent models, a key can contain a sender, receiver, the physical key itself and other parts – most importantly, the coding that lets it only communicate with your car. It’s the reprogramming process that costs money, as strict control is needed over codes. Like other manufacturers, Toyota must comply with regional standards.
Depending on the car you have, parts may need to be ordered and this can take time. Re-coding keys can be relatively straightforward but nevertheless takes time and labour.
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My toyota yarisSR 5dr (2008 ) registration ; 1.3 VVT-i M/M has both keys but some times they do not work.
Both of them. Is it the battery inside the key ? How much is the replacement cost ? can I replace the battery myself ?
Hi Dalim,
Thanks for getting in touch. It’s difficult to say what the issue is when we can’t examine the key. We’d have to suggest taking it to your local dealer and they will be able to assess the situation. Many thanks!
The batteries are very reasonable & can be purchased yourself. It is also very easy to change them just by undoing a small screw. I always change mine. It may well be something else but I would try the battery first as the dealer will charge a lot more & it may only be the battery. To get the correct battery you just need to remove the old one & check the number & size on the removed battery.
I only have one Toyota auris key.i would like to order a space key.My local Toyota dealer said need to cost £308 for it.That is too too expensive .
Hi Gloria,
Thanks for getting in touch. We’d have to recommend taking the advice of your local Toyota dealer. They will provide an official Toyota key.
hi, i lost key to toyota yaris 1.0 from 2004 .what i can do ?
Hi there,
We’d have to recommend speaking with your local Toyota Centre.
Phone a local locksmith to you much cheaper much quicker
Hi…..we have been told the problem is the chasis number doesn’t match the key code so wot does this mean?
They want key in to cut another key but why?
Hi Lyniah,
Thanks for getting in touch. The original keys will often have a key code that can be used to cut another key, essentially a security code. If your dealer no longer has this, it may be difficult for them to cut another key. Hope this helps.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for getting in touch with us. We’re so sorry to hear you’re unhappy with the customer service. If you want to carry this complaint any further we’d advise contacting customer relations. Many thanks.
Hi I visiting a relative roughly 300 miles from my home and so far haven’t found any of my keys and have no spares here or at home. I own a 2011 Toyota Yaris and I’m hoping you could give me a rough estimate and time it would take to resolve this issue. It would be s great help Many thanks
Hi Jean,
We’re so sorry to hear this. We’d advise going to a Toyota Dealer closest to you as they would be in the best position to help you and let you know how long the process would take. Many thanks.
I have found a Toyota car key. Can Toyota find the owner?
Hi Doug,
Thanks for getting in touch. In this case, we’d advise handing the key in to where you found it and failing that hand it in to your closest Toyota Dealer. Thanks.
hi did it have a qatar keyring attatched?
Hi where was the key found
Can anyone tell me if the Toyota Aygo 2017 central lock system automatically locks the car with closed doors (after a delay) after opening and closing the doors and not pressing the key to lock them again? Reason I ask is keys were left in the car and left the car park without central locking using key. Thank in advance
Hi David,
Sorry for the delay in response. We can confirm that if you unlock the doors and don’t open any of the doors within 30 seconds, then the system will automatically lock the doors.
This has been set in order to avoid the possibility of the customer unlocking the doors accidentally and the doors remaining unlocked.
Hope this helps.
My 2016 Aygo doesn’t have this feature – if the car is unlocked but the doors not opened, it just stays unlocked. Was this a change in spec?
Hi Mike,
Thanks for getting in touch.
You can find the electronic copy of the Owner’s Manual online on the ‘My Toyota’ portal – https://www.toyota.co.uk/tme#/my-toyota/eManual.
There is a section call ‘customizable features’, which will explain any setting that can be changed (lights, door locks etc.).
If you could provide your car details: reg number/ VIN number, we can look into this further for you.
Thanks.
Just bought a 66 plate Verso which came with one key fob and one standard spare key. As both my wife and I drive the car we have a key each. Upon using the spare to unlock the car the alarm went off and, as to my knowledge I was unable to stop the alarm with the spare key events when putting it in the ignition. Is there something I have done wrong or need to do next time I try to use the spare key. Did the alarm activate because my wife had double locked the car using the key fob?
Hi Danny,
Thanks for getting in touch. We’d advise contacting your local Toyota dealer as they’re in the best position to assist.
Thanks.