Surprise key match

I have an '01 4Runner and an '01 Tundra. This morning I accidentally grabbed the Tundra keys and started up the 4Runner. Wha!? So I compared the 2 keys, yep, they are 100% identical, go figure. Great, now I only have to carry one set of keys in my pocket.

 

Do you still have the key numbers? The chance of them being keyed the same are small but not impossible. Could be that one lock is worn and accepts the others key. Be sure they fit both ways before going with only one.

 

Only one of ten unique keys ever made.

 

This is the more likely scenario.

 

Trust me, they are identical keys. Side by side or in an overlay the patterns are an exact match. I tried taking a photo but no matter what I tried there was always some shadowing that distorted the edges. That's as much effort as I'm putting into it, you either accept it or not, machs nix.

 

Many years ago, at a Ford dealer I worked at, we took in a Ranger on trade who's keyless transponder was an exact match to a new F250 we had on the lot. All functions (lock, unlock, panic) were frequency matched.

BTW, there are only 9,999 possible turn key configurations for Subaru from 1999 - current. Keeping in mind that Subaru and Toyota have used the same keys and fobs (just different housings) for the past 16 years, I'm sure there are many Subarus and Toyotas that are keyed alike.

 

Chances the same dude has a 4R and a Tundra keyed alike...... nuts.

 

Funny the post above mentioned Ford because that happened to a friend of mine. He had a 10 year old Ford and at the dealer visiting his brother one day he stuck his key into a new Ford and was able to start it right up. Now in 67 years of working on these vehicles I have only, counting this recent one, seen this 3 times. Back in the seventies we had a customer come in and ask to have his car towed in for some work. He gave us the keys and off we went with the wrecker. We found a Corvair parked about where he said so we unlocked it and hooked it up. We were a little curious as he said it would not start but we started it right up. Oh well, we towed it in. Yep, wrong car. We no sooner got back to the shop when the police drove up. Fun day.

 

Haha, this is wild!

 

In the mid 70's while in HS I had a part time job working for my neighbor who managed a mall jewelry store. After school I'd drive to the mall, get the keys to his green Plymouth Satellite wagon with cheesy wood grain trim and drive jewelry to Pittsburgh. One afternoon I opened the wagon and pressed the cigarette lighter and waited for it to eject all the way out and land on the floor. It worked normally. Huh. The car also seemed different than Marty's wagon too. Got out and looked around to find I wasn't in Marty's car. I almost drove someone elses car an hour away across two state lines.

I was told that there are only 7 different keys for the Cessna Century series airplanes. There's a lot of Cessna 172s and 150s out there with the same key.