Lost Key (keyfob) for a 2006 Prius. What's the best way to replace?

Actually, one doesn't program a key with a prius but rather one programs the prius for the key. The dealer only had one key when I bought my prius and I was lucky enough to find one for sale here and was able to get it to work with my car. Now it was easier for me as I don't have a smart key. And while one can purchase a key on ebay,(average price seems to be around $40) there is some risk involved. It seems a key with a prius can only be used 128 times before it hides some of it's programming so the prius can't read the key properly. One can program any of the keys to start a prius but getting the key to open doors is where the risk comes in. And from what I've read, it's more complex with a smart key.

Good Luck,
Steve

 

If you have the smart key, you need a new key fob to get all fuctions to work. With a used one or a "new" one from ebay you will only get the ignition to work when the key is inserted. Many dealers will give 10% off ($175) and I found a dealer to program it for $40. Others wanted $80 to $170. Good luck.

 

If your key has a silver Toyota icon on the back , it's a Smart key. If the key is black, it a not a Smart ket and your problem should be easy to resolve.

Steve

 

I lost one of my smart key FOBs a couple of years ago.

After searching more than a week for it, I gave up and attempted to buy a new when when I discovered what you are learning now - replacing a smart key FOB is an expensive pain in the nice person. When the dealer told me it would cost over $500 and even then, they weren't sure it would work 100%, I re-doubled my effort to find the lost nugget. During the second search I used my high-tech metal detector and finally located the FOB in a snowbank in front of my house. By that time it had been buried in the snow a couple of weeks, but it still worked fine. What a relief.

My advice is to keep looking and borrow a metal detector to scan your entire yard. Good luck.

 

The company at the top of web site has a smart key that might way. There is a way to clear a smart key if you have the tech.

Original Keyless : 2005 Toyota Prius Keyless Entry Remote 05 Hybrid Sedan

Hope this will work for you. Of course send them an email to make sure.

Steve

 

Yes. as far as I understand, while one can get a new smart to start a Prius the smart functions need to use to use a computer to teach the Prius to match up with the new key.

But it has to be either a new smart key or a cleared smart key or the Prius won't be match up with the smart key.

Steve

 

If you try this and get a fob that works report back so others can take advantage of a discount smart key fob that can be programed by a dealer. The "new" one I bought off of ebay could not be programed and it cost me $86 to discover that it would only start upon inserting the key and the fob functions were inop.

 

Originalkeys.com at the top of the page does say each key has 100% functionality. If it can't used with the smart functions then a refund would be in order.

Steve

 

The key price will be refunded and your cost will be shipping. The dealer programing cost will likely not be refunded.

 

If a smart key is truly new the Prius can be programmed to use it. If it has been cycled more than a limited number of times, the smart function can no longer be used.

Tom

 

I lost my key for my 2008 Prius. I went to the dealer and got a new one. I put on my coat today and found the lost key.
Can I use it anymore?

 

The prius may be programmed to use either 4 or 5 fobs at a time if I remember correctly. You now have 3 working keys.

 

It depends on what the dealer did. Did you ask them to disable the missing keyfob, or just to add the new one?

You can certainly try the old keyfob. Keep all of the other ones at least 10 feet away from the car, and just see if the old one works.

If the old one doesn't work anymore, there is a good chance that the dealer can restore it to function. There seems to be some memory of keyfobs that have ever been used, even for ones that have been deleted. Used keyfobs cannot generally be added to a car that has never seen them before.

 

I have one listed for 30 bucks on the sale thread