Gen 4 Prius Door Lock Cylinder Replacement

I don't know, sorry - but I'm intrigued - has yours broken?

 

In the Repair Manual (available by subscription to techinfo.toyota.com), removal of the front door lock cylinder assembly is step 23 under Vehicle Exterior: Door/Hatch: Front Door: Disassembly. The procedure is similar to the one Hobbit kindly describes for older Prius cars, including the use of a T30 wrench to loosen, but not remove, the screw, and the 4.0 N·m torque specification for reassembly.

In the procedure, as on previous generations, the steps to remove the trim, glass, and window regulator, among other parts, come first, but I don’t know if these are now necessary. They clearly weren’t for Hobbit.

The procedure is also in the ChiltonLibrary service, to which many public libraries sponsor access, under 2016 Toyota Prius > Repair > Body > Exterior.

 

If the car is locked by the FOB or "keyless - touch lock", the physical key won't unlock the car. At least I haven't been able to do so.

If you lock it with the physical key - it can only be unlocked with the physical key.

I've only replaced key-lock-cylinders on a '90s MAZDA - and that required the door panel to be removed. It was fairly intuitive after that ... BUT ... it didn't have electric locks, so could be a whole new vista inside a PRIUS.

 

Perhaps it’s a regional variation: I just tried on my car (2016, U.S. specification), and I was able to unlock the driver’s door after having locked the doors with the wireless remote. I’d assumed this was by design, to allow access in case the auxiliary battery dies.

 

I just tried it again. And it DID work. I thought I'd read that you can, but it hadn't worked in the past - and so I tried again yesterday. No, it didn't. BUT I would have had the FOB in my pocket those times.

And previously, if I locked it with the Mechanical key, I could only unlock with the Mechanical key, the touch handle was disabled. I'd done it many times, when Mum decided to sit in the car with the A/C while I went into the shop or bank. But all those times, I left the Hybrid system running, and A/C on.

This time, I left the electronic key inside the house, and it unlocked fine with the Mechanical key - but the folding mirrors didn't un-fold. I then re-locked it with the mechanical key - retrieved the FOB, expecting to have to unlock it with the Mechanical key - but the FOB worked normally.

Really odd. I'm missing something - or it's erratic. I'll try it again and report back.

My Manual says:

 

Q. For Gen 4 Prius door lock cylinder replacement, looking at the door handle design, it doesn't look like it can be done without removing door panel?

A. It appears the Gen4 door lock cylinder T30 bolt can be loosed from the side access port like the Gen2 and Gen3 door lock cylinders, but the cylinder itself cannot be removed without opening up the door panel.