Home How To Lost car keys? Don’t panic and read our advice

Lost car keys? Don’t panic and read our advice

By Toyota Blog
lost car keys

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.

Keyless entry

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.

Read more How to look after your car’s rubber

279 comments

  1. Hi, my cousin in Poland has lost the main key with the buttons for his 2011 Toyota Auris and is unable to get a repacement locally. I have the vehicle’s vin number and wondered if you could help?

    Reply

      1. Hi i have lost one key fob to my RAV4 latest model 2020, I have today ordered a replacement from my local dealer, my question is we believe the lost key fell out of a bag locally, when my new key arrives and is reprogrammed does this mean there will be 3 fobs out there which could access the vehicle, or does the lost fob become disabled for my vehicle

      2. Hi Christopher,
        Thanks for getting in touch.
        The lost fob will still be able to access your vehicle.
        If you are concerned about the safety of your vehicle, we would recommend speaking to your nearest Toyota Centre. They can disable the other keys so that they won’t unlock or lock the car with the remote or start the vehicle.
        The manual key blade can potentially still be used to enter the vehicle if locked, but the alarm should activate.
        Thanks.

    1. Hi Zeeshan,
      Thanks for your comment.
      Unfortunately we are unable to help you find your keys, but there is helpful advice in the blog post above regarding the steps to take should you have lost either one or both keys.
      If you still have a spare key, you can arrange an appointment with your nearest Toyota Centre, and they will organise for a new key to be cut and programmed.
      If you have lost both of your keys, this will be more difficult and expensive, but your nearest Toyota Centre should still be able to sort this for you. You can read more details in the blog post.
      Thanks.

      Reply

  3. Hello

    I own a 2016 Toyota Aygo & I don’t have any keys for my vehicle as they have been lost. Is there any way I can have a brand new set of keys with remotes reprogrammed for the car and if so what sort of price would I be looking at thank you.

    Kind Regards.

    Reply

  4. What is the cost of a new key for a Toyota aygo 2010 the dog chewed the key and the immobiliser part is missing. Still have the key and the board inside the key.
    Car won’t turn over because there is not immobiliser chip. Been quoted £360 plus vat I thought that was expensive.
    Please help.
    Helen

    Reply

    1. Hi Helen,

      Thanks for getting in touch. Yes, that does sound about right. It can be expensive, as explained above in this blog post.

      We hope you’re back on the road soon!

      Thanks

      Reply

  5. Good day. I lost the Aygo 2014 key brought to Copart before 6 months. You help me .thank you

    Reply

  7. Hi I’ve lost my keyless entry fob, Ido have another but it’s been put in a box that went into storage, unfortunately it’s right at the back of a 40 ft container along with our personal papers etc….

    Reply

    1. Hi Sean,
      Thanks for your comment.
      If you have access to your remaining key, your Toyota Centre will be able to organise for a new key to be ordered, cut and programmed for you relatively easily.
      Losing all of your keys can be very expensive due to the extra work and security technology involved in the process, so we would recommend finding your spare if at all possible.
      Your nearest Toyota Centre are best placed to assist with either option, and you can find your closest dealer here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms-v2/forms?tab=pane-dealer.
      Thanks.

      Reply

    2. I recently bought a 2016 yaris hybrid. The Toyota dealer only had one key fob without the blade. Would it be possible to get a blade for the fob and how much would it cost me?

      Reply

      1. Hi Yas,

        The key blade may be within the key fob, which can be pulled out from the bottom of the key. Please check your key and let us know!

        Thanks

  9. Hi. I am about the buy a Toyota C-hr but the dealer has only one key for some reason, we agreed to go ahead with the purchase, only if they manage to get the second key, which they said it won’t be a problem, and after reading your article, I’m sure it won’t be a problem. But my question is, should I worry about anything? Is it possible for them to get the second key from another place, not from you? How do I check that? How do I know there is not a second key out there in use? I know getting a copy from you, will automatically disable the initial lost key, but do I get a proof of that? Or your will actually replace both of them? Thanks a lot.

    Reply

    1. Hi Madalina,

      Thanks for getting in touch and for your interest in C-HR. No there’s nothing to worry about. Toyota car keys are supplied by Toyota. We expect your centre will re-programme both keys, but they are best placed to advice on exactly what action they will take.

      Thanks

      Reply

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