Car totaled because of lost smart key?

I hate reports like this.

#1. Because it IS just stupid. (Yes, there is a solution to the problem that doesn't involve totaling the car)

#2. Because it's reports like this that get seen by my ignorant Prius hating friends. Then I get slack about how "They saw a report, and Prius's can't be moved if you lose the key, and Ha, ha, ha....".

3. A lady lost her smart key, and is having trouble getting her vehicle out of a parking garage. Is this really newsworthy on any level?

 

Ok, So..

I take my 1991 Ford Thunderbird to a parking ramp, and go on a trip.
and now for whatever reason i lose my keys.

Ok, so Ford does not keep the key code on file for cars that old, so i have to replace the ignition, but lets say low parking ramp so no one wants to tow it.

Does that make a news story? or when it takes a week to get my car fixed/out, should the parking ramp give me a discount on the bill?

Frankly, I'm sorry for the lady that lost her key, but it sounds like it was due to her own carelessness. I don't think toyota is responsible for her. and nor do i feel the car is "totaled" Try calling your insurance agent and saying "i lost my prius smart key, and they can't/won't tow the car to the dealer so i can't get a new key, so you need to give me the (what it was an 04 so.. )$8000 the car is worth so i can get a new one. Oh and you have to pay the parking cost to the ramp it's in too" I'm pretty sure they will laugh you off the phone.

I have to agree poor reporting. and how is this news worthy?

 

We're talking about it aren't we?

 

True, But I talk about lots of things that are not news worthy.
or not news worthy to the masses.

It just becomes a topic for conversation at a place like priuschat because it's related.

If someone said they lost the keys to their Jetta and wanted to total out their VW this would be all over VWvortex.

Same if it was Smartkey STS and all over Caddyinfo (Actually, This did happen quite often with the STSs at the rental agency i worked at, and people would have to fedex the keys back. often we had one sitting in the middle of the return area for a week)

I guess the point of saying your car is totaled because you we irresponsible and lost the key is just crazy. Now, had the news story said she was mugged while on her business trip and they key was stolen etc etc, then I could see this being the "human interest" type of news story.

 

I thought you could program a new fob from under the steering wheel?
I guess I'm wrong on what that's for?

 

I would say, that discussion based primarily out of it's total ridiculousness is not evidence of the stories news worthiness.

But I have Raven sitting on my writing desk and struggle to see the differences between the two...

 

Geez that was a pretty hopeless news report. They forgot to even mention the danger that Prius posed from all of it's EM radiation, or from the "toxic" battery. They're really slipping!

 

An "Immobilzer Code Reset" can be done with the Techstream scan tool. The process is documented in http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...lose-your-keys-else-myth.html?highlight=reset .

A replacement keyfob can be registered with that car where it is, without having to tow it. A technician with the scantool (shown in the video !!) just does the documented procedure. The scantool will show a 6 digit number ("seed"), and that number has to be entered into the Toyota TIS website. With proper security access, the website will display the required passcode (another 6 digit number). Enter the passcode into the scantool, and the immobilizer is reset. Then register a new keyfob normally.

 

Lost car key saga ends happily | Turn to 10

 

Only with another working fob.

Tom

 

how do you even get the media out to the parking garage for something as foolish as this? just say 'prius'!

 

The problem was that an Ethernet connection is required for communication with TIS. Once the local dealer was able to rig that up within the parking garage, then no problem.

The good news is that the Prius security system is good enough so that casual thieves won't be able to drive the car away.

 

The biggest difference in these scenarios is that, with the Thunderbird, you'd be much more likely to have a spare key somewhere, because it only cost you $2 to make it, instead of hundreds.

I love the smart key system, but the price is sickening.

 

i wonder what the theft stats are compared to other cars, has anyone ever reported one here?

 

The security is in the seed/passcode lookup. Techstream displays the seed value, which is then input to the TIS website. If the website security controls are satisfied, then a passcode is provided.

The seed and passcode are just 6 digit numbers, displayed on the screen and manually entered into the computers. The technician at the car could make a phone call back to the dealership for the passcode lookup.

 

Cost does not outweigh laziness. a large amount of people with only 1 key are not willing to get a copy made even at the $2 convince level of getting it at any Walmart or hardware store. add that to the internal security of "it'll never happen to me" and you have a recipe for disaster.

 

You can hotwire a Thunderbird, but it would be quite difficult to defeat the immobilizer in the Prius.

My recollection is that the theft rate for the Prius is one of the lowest for any vehicle.

 

4 - wheel dollies and a tow cable? Who wouldn't think of that? My Gen III came with a second smart key. Was that not the case with the II? My 2004 Camry Hybrid came with 2 smart keys as well.

 

EXACTLY, if this were any car but a Toyota it wouldn't be on the news. This is just plain stupid

 

I don't why we're so surprised. After all, the first law of jouralism is : "Never let the truth spoil a good story".