Driving Without The Key?

[Sigrid Egan]

We have had a Prius 2010 and were and are happy with it. However, one idiotic thing with this car is, that you can drive the thing away without the key!!!???

I just came home, usually have my whole bundle of keys in my purse, don't need to take it out to lock the car, but I shut it off but couldn't lock the car by the handle. That means my key is not there or close. 

The key is nowhere, no idea what happened, but this is a totally irresponsible arrangement by Toyota. The dealership charges min. $250 for a new fob, that is robbery.

No more Toyotas!

 

Sigrid Egan, Scottsdale Arizona. 

 

[TonyHSD]

12 hours ago, Sigrid Egan said:

We have had a Prius 2010 and were and are happy with it. However, one idiotic thing with this car is, that you can drive the thing away without the key!!!???

I just came home, usually have my whole bundle of keys in my purse, don't need to take it out to lock the car, but I shut it off but couldn't lock the car by the handle. That means my key is not there or close. 

The key is nowhere, no idea what happened, but this is a totally irresponsible arrangement by Toyota. The dealership charges min. $250 for a new fob, that is robbery.

No more Toyotas!

Sigrid Egan, Scottsdale Arizona. 

Well , that’s not a Toyota fault but the driver. Keyless smart entry and start is really useful extra and all needs is a very small attention at a time to keep your keys in pocket. 👍

[FROSTYBALLS]

Split from 10 year old topic.

[Joseph D]

The key has to be inside the car to start it, so it must have been present when you started your journey.

Any chance the key is in the car but the Battery in the key fob went flat on the trip home?

You didn't by any chance travel with the other key holder who started the car and drove to a destination then got out there and you jumped in the driver's seat and drove back home?

[Catlover]

I have had a 2010 Prius, you cannot start the car without the key, so what have YOU done with the key?  Can’t see how Toyota is idiotic when the car was with the car when it was started.  Replacement keys for any modern day car are very expensive, no matter what manufacturer.

Mo more Toyotas!  You are the loser there.

[Roy124]

Without further information 'key still in car' seems the most likely explanation.  I am not sure what she meant by locking the car with the handle.  Seems eminently sensible to me.  My wife managed to lock the car keys in a boot lid of a car - that was fun.  The other trick, now rare I believe, was pushing the door lock lever down, ie locked, then shutting the door with the keys inside.

[TonyHSD]

Toyota smart entry and start available on many models and trim levels has an option to lock and unlock the car by touching the door handle, this is ultra helpful as there is no need to take key fob out of pocket or bag, also Toyota cars with push start button and smart entry will not let you lock your key fob inside the car, in case you try to do so the car will beep and remain unlocked to indicate that your keys are inside. If you not concentrated what you are doing you can start the car then leave the key somewhere outside, not paying attention on dash warning that keys are not detected and then drive away and when you turn off your car then headache will begin. 🤭🧐 btw sometimes the key fob signal can be jammed by other devices, or something like credit card or some sort of signal transmitters and so the car will stop recognises the key fob even it’s Battery is in good shape. The car will prompt you to touch the key fob to the push start button on the dash and will repeat that until you remove the signal disrupters. I had experienced that recently. All in all the cars are smart these days but drivers still needs to pay attention what’s is going on. 👍

[alucca]

As far as I know, hiding the throttle to start the car can only be done with older cars from the 2001 versions back, it can't be done with the 2010 pyrus onwards in mechanical conditions. copy of the car, either what you did to your car or else you left the opportunity for an impostor to get your spare key!

[QuantumFireball]

You can potentially start the car, then leave the keys somewhere else and drive off, but not without the car incessantly beeping at you with "key not detected" appearing on the MFD.

The fact that Toyota are somehow to blame for you losing your keys is... amusing.