Key fob lock issues

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Ryan Ramos, Dec 11, 2025 at 11:39 AM.

  1. Ryan Ramos

    Ryan Ramos New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Excel
    Hi all, I'm in a bit of a predicament:

    One evening I got home, got out the car (2008 Prius) and locked the car via key fob button. I forgot my bag, so I unlocked it, got the bag, closed it, but when I attempted to lock it again, the fob stopped working. I then manually locked it thinking it was a fob battery issue, and got in, replaced the battery and tried again, but it still didn't lock. I did see that the lock icon light was flashing sporadically, almost like it was shorted, but I still can't lock it using the fob buttons. The car still runs fine, but it's becoming a bit of a problem. What would the best course of action be?
     
    #1 Ryan Ramos, Dec 11, 2025 at 11:39 AM
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
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    Two
    Give a full charge to the 12v with proper smart charger of 10amp ability or more... Also disconnecting 12v and reconnecting can fix this problem as well.
     
    #2 PriusCamper, Dec 12, 2025 at 2:58 AM
  3. priumium

    priumium Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
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    Four
    Just from experience, another source may be the physical lock button inside the fob, it sometimes breaks (did for me).

    Do you have another key to test with? Another factor can be some error code in the entry ECU that prevents this feature, that would get erased with a battery disconnect.

    The unlock button breaks much more rarely (according to my dealership Toyota sources).
     
    #3 priumium, Dec 12, 2025 at 6:49 AM
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