Key Fob Buttons not working - but Smart Key does?

Find your second fob and see if the fob buttons work. If yes, then the first fob has impaired functionality and should be replaced if you need the buttons to work.

If the fob buttons don't work with the second fob then the car may need to be reprogrammed to accept the two fobs.

If you don't have a second fob then you should buy one as soon as possible so you are not left high and dry if you should lose the first fob or if it decides to totally die on you. The Toyota dealer cost to program a new fob is extremely high if you don't have a working fob that the car currently will recognize.

 

are any of the buttons stuck on the fob? I have encountered instances where a lock or unlock buttons gets stuck.

Also many times the replacement "new" batteries are actually faulty, you may want to buy another battery at a different shop and try it. If you have a 2nd fob that is working, you can try and switch the battery and see if it'll work.

 

If the fob is broken and not a battery related issue, I would suggest you buy a new key fob from online Toyota dealerships now at a cost of approximately $110. You can program the remote yourself with instructions listed on this forum.

If you lose the working one or if that one breaks, you would not be able to program a new one by yourself and would need Toyota to do this for you. In that case, it would cost you hundreds of dollars to get a replacement.

 

I just experienced similar symptoms to yours. Changed the battery, no dice. Took new battery out to double check its voltage. When reinstalling the new battery I noticed the corner of the bezel around the red button (alarm button) was depressed slightly. Took a small blade screwdriver and popped that out and suddenly the red LED starts working and everything is back to normal.

 

Depressed fob, snaps out of it! You put your finger on it!

All's well that ends well!

 

If the problem is with the buttons, you might be able to fix it with a new case for about $12. I had a cracked button and just transferred the electronics to the new case. I bought mine on Amazon, but they are available from other vendors as well. The only difference I saw was that the new case had a matte finish and the back did not have a Toyota logo. I used the back from my old case and it fit perfectly.

 

Hi JC91006, You mention a "chicken dance" between two fobs as a way to move programming from one to another. It appears that I may have an "unprogrammed" fob, so I'd like to try that... I know what it is in mid-Western terms, but I don't have a polka band handy. Please describe the process.

 

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"the corner of the bezel around the red button (alarm button) was depressed slightly. Took a small blade screwdriver and popped that out and suddenly the red LED starts working and everything is back to normal."

Just wanted to confirm -- okiedokie was spot on, this totally worked for me

And for anyone else who hadn't really noticed before, there's a small red LED on the corner of the fob; I think it blinks when you are in the sensor zone of the car (e.g. near the door handle), but it also blinks when you press any of the buttons (when they're functional). This makes it easier for verifying function on your kitchen table (so you don't have to keep running out to near the car to see if the buttons are working yet after changing the battery, etc.)