Key to remove tire lug nut?

There's no key for OEM lug nuts. Yours must be aftermarket. I'm surprised the tire shop didn't have one -- unless yours are unusual. Can you post a pic?

 

It's pretty unusual for a tire shop to fail to remove a wheel lock- this is totally normal business for them. Typically they are equipped with some generic keys plus a few special tools which will (destructively) remove the offending lock such that an ordinary lugnut can be used as a replacement.

Honestly I'd just try a different tire shop next, something is up with this one.

 

+1

I have aftermarket security lug nuts for my winter steel wheels -- they came with the set when I bought them. When I misplaced the key, I just went on Amazon and and found a replacement just by sight. It fit perfectly... then of course I found the original. So now I have two.

If I worked in a tire shop, I'd own several of the most common ones just for convenience.

 

OR visit an auto parts store if one is nearby.
Best to remove them completely; each wheel likely has one.

 

I replaced our security lug nuts with regular, just figure they're more trouble than they're worth. Got gorilla brand, on Amazon. You can enter your car stats on Amazon to verify compatibility. Or go straight to gorilla site I guess.

 

Normally, tire shops have a selection of keys and can remove them. I swapped out the keyed nuts on my last Prius but haven't done so yet on the Prime. I'm getting my next free tire rotation next weekend and will get that done then.

 

Key to remove tire lug nut?

Easy, since your on the internet already go on to ebay and find the one that matches the pattern on the lug nuts.

 

Did you get any manuals with your car? Among mine was a card with the key number.

I don't know how many different patterns there are.

 

I'm in Canada, but I have a set of OEM Toyota locking lug nuts. And yes, it has a key. It depends if you bought the nice Toyota alloy rims and choose to buy it with lockable lug nuts. The previous owner could have also replaced them with aftermarket locking nuts too.

I would search your entire car trunk/compartments for the key. I usually keep my key with the car in case I get a flat tire. It makes no sense to put it anywhere else. It should look something like the middle socket in the below link. (The link is not for the Prius but it does look like mine).

A good tire shop should have ways to remove the lock. They could use similar keys. I also heard some of them can drill the whole lug nut off (in which case you need to buy new ones).

You can try shopping for a similar key but it is hard to say. Good luck.

 

Google Eric the car guy locking lug nut removal for some tips. Funny in places too.