Smart Key Emergency Options

Hi Folks. Sold my 2005 Tundra and bought a 2024 SR5 DBL Cab 4x4 6'bed
I'm concerned about losing or having a damaged Smart Key. With my 2005 I carried a spare key in my wallet, not an option with Smart Keys.
Without a working Smart Key, you are dead in the water. The mini physical key provided within the Smart Key will only unlock the drivers door. Toyota's Digital Key program (subscription) uses your Smart Phone as a key (all the features of the Smart Key in your phone) but IS NOT AVAILABLE on my SR5 (only on upper models, I guess this is a marketing choice by Toyota )
So what do you all do or suggest? Extra Smart Keys are ~$400 and how do you carry a spare on you??? Would hate to be stranded without one. Spoke with one locksmith, he fully agreed it's an issue, one customer got stranded due to lost smart key: $1600 for replacement and service to program etc... Thanks for replies. JP

 

If your key fob dies you can unlock your door with physical key stored inside like you said. Then to start your vehicle you touch the key to the ignition button and it will then let you push the ignition button and start the truck. I found out this winter when I had a key fob go dead on me while I was out helping a friend clear some trees and it died on me.

 

I believe its the fob with a dead battery hold it up to the push start button until it turns on then push the button.
Does say "electronic key" but they are describing the fob.

 

Thank you therandomsuit & pwpblue. Yes, that is a useful feature of a dead-battery smart key and I've tested it by removing the battery. Still looking for a more robust approach to lost or damaged smart key, but thanks for the reply.

 

Love it! Typical Coastie, we've got to have a contingency plan for our contingency plan!

Semper Paratus Brother!

 

Man I’ve accidentally left my 3rd Gen Tacoma smart key in my pocket and sent it through the wash and it still worked. Plus I dropped it more times than I could count onto concrete and never had an issue with damage of the keyfob. If you are worried about a dead battery just be proactive and change the battery yearly and you should be fine.

now if you lost the key than you are screwed and I have no options for you on that one. Carrying two sets of keys doesn’t seem like a great idea with the smart keys. I don’t think Toyota will let you lock the doors if it detects the key inside the car. So you would physically be carrying both keys which just seems like a burden with the size of the keys

 

My key fob battery went dead this week. Opening the drivers door with the blade key sets off the alarm, holding key to start button started the truck on the 4th try. The alarm only turned off when I put it into gear. This was at 5:15am, so was trying to get the alarm off quickly.
As luck would have it, 2nd key was at our other house, but now have a second 2450 battery in the console.

 

You can turn the spare smart key off and store it in the truck. That’s what I do on wheeling trips. I might have to break a window to get in if I lose my key, but atleast I won’t be stranded out in the middle of nowhere.

 

Good advice on turning off the spare key so it won't lose battery power.

But I wouldn't store the spare inside the truck. There are more than a couple of places to stash a magnetic key holder under the truck.

 

I just change the Fob batteries every year on my birthday.......

 

It’s not to save battery. It’s so you can lock the doors with the other fob. And you’d rather keep your smart key in a box outside the truck sticking with a magnet than hidden inside your truck???

 

Yes I would. I’ve kept a key stashed.. somewhere.. on the exterior of my trucks for years. Never lost a key or had it discovered by someone else.

 

I would. It makes much more sense than leaving it locked inside the truck.

 

Lol we’re not talking about a $5 metal key. We’re talking about a couple hundred dollar electronic smart key fob.

 

Lose the fob and you don't leave in your truck. No different than losing your keys to your other car. Don't lose your fob and quit coming up with scenarios that you might. Been driving now 40 years and it has happened zero times. What if someone steals the motor or bolts the truck down to some anchors in the concrete and you forget your angle grinder? I know motorcycle people that keep emergency keys stashed on the bike and on strings around their necks but never keep spare car keys on them. Free yourself man.

 

This is a legitimate concern in my opinion. I don't see any real solution short of purchasing another FOB (If Possible, due to six month wait times for the second FOB that is supposed to come with the vehicle), and then paying to have programmed, and storing/carrying it in such a way that it can serve as a backup. I do this with my Honda Goldwing motorcycle. For my Tundra, on solo trips within striking distance of home, my only backup is being able to call my wife. When we travel together away from home, I make sure her FOB is in her purse inside a Faraday bag to prevent depleting the battery.

Edit: My Goldwing FOB can be turned On/Off, which is a nice feature. I keep the spare zipped inside my motorcycle jacket, turned off. To accomplish what you are trying to do, which I think is a good idea, I don't see any viable option apart from spending the money on the spare FOB and having it programmed. If I had such a spare FOB, I think the best way to use it as an emergency backup would be to have inside the vehicle(Hidden) with the battery removed (but available), and the physical key to unlock the door on your person(wallet).

 

The Toyota FOB can be turned off to save battery, too.

So, if you lose your main FOB, and your backup is locked in the truck, you'd rather bust a window?

 

How do you turn the FOB off? If my spare FOB was in the truck, the physical key to get in the door would be in my paw.

 

The beauty of an owners manual

 

Indeed. Thank you for that.

 

I just got this truck and is it me or is this Key Fob the cheapest feeling and looking fob out there? I swear it seems like its something that belongs to a sub $20K car.


The dealer said they had a fob shortage and they'd mail me the second one within a couple months. Maybe the one I do have is a cheap version. Its all plastic.

 

Well if you read my original post it says when I’m wheeling. That’s the only time I carry my extra key. And there’s no way I’m sticking my fob in a magnetic box outside my truck. It would fall off on the first washboards or whoops I hit. If that doesn’t do it, it’s getting wet on a water crossing or splashing through puddles. It’s just not an option. So to answer your question, yes, in the unlikely event I lose my key in the middle of Death Valley, I’d rather break my window than die. Lol.

 

We have had several other vehicles with PB start/stop key FOB - Lexus and Toyota have been doing it for years. My 2017 Tacoma had one and you would get a message when the battery in the FOB got low. I think in 7 years I replaced the CR battery 2x?

 

FYI, They will (maybe) mail you a letter letting you know it's your turn to get the key but you'll have to go to the dealer to get it so it can be programmed to your truck. You'll also get an alert in your Toyota app if you are using that. When you get the notice, you have to call the dealer so they can actually order it for you. Definitely a cluster eff to get it but it is what it is. And as far as I know you don't have to go to the selling dealer either, just call your closest one.

 

This is probably more of anti-theft feature. Some of the more enterprising thieves have code capturing devices and most of us hang our keys by the garage so they patrol looking for a nice ride, capture your code emanating from you, duplicate it and away they go.

Thanks for the screen grab - I just tried it and it works! Have to make it a habit when i come in.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I didnt think through the logistics of brining it in. He did give me the extra physical key and mentioned if they didn't send it within 2 months, to give him a call.

 

There is a giant thread somewhere dealing with the 2nd FOB issues and I know there were a couple of people that called their dealer after a couple of months and just played dumb. Said they got the notice (even though they didn't) and the dealer just ordered one for them. Might be worth a try.....

 

Once you have the second fob, this is the way...

I also have a spare (third) physical key in a hidden box under the truck..

There is no solution until you have the second fob. I had a lot of fob-anxiety when I first got the truck.

 

I leave my spare FOB in the truck, but I take the physical key off of it and stash it under the truck in a magnetic box. My truck sees a lot of rough dirt roads, and I've never had the magnetic box fall off. To each his own, I guess.

 

I think we’re both saying the same thing. When I said I wouldn’t put the smart key in a magnetic box, I meant the entire key fob, not just the metal key. I thought you were saying you would put the entire key fob outside, which is completely crazy to me. If I were doing it permanently, I’d do the same as you.