Missing wheel lock key!

You should check the glove box and see if it's in there. A key looks like an oversize Socket.

Nobody will ever steal a Prius wheel, if you get a chance, you should just switch all the locks out for regular lug nuts. It'll save you from future headaches....and possibly money from losing keys.

 

That missing tool is the attachment to the tire jack.

 

Actually, I think that's the towing eye bolt. You pull a small plastic cover off a round hole in the front bumper and screw the eye bolt in.

 

Mechanics can get a locking nut of without the keyed socket. They typically take a slightly oversized socket, a junk one, and hammer it on, so it's jammed. Then hit it with an impact wrench to jar the locking nut loose. Get a set of 4 regular nuts on Amazon or Ebay, then get a mechanic to do that removal.

I've just purchased 4 extra (regular) lug nuts for ours. The next time I have the rims off I'll make the switch. It's too darn easy for that socket to go missing: every time you get new tires or get the wheels rotated for example, the mechanic could misplace/forget the locking socket.

 

How much are the lug nuts? I have tons I can give out......if the shipping ends up cheaper than the part LOL

 

Torrance you got a lot of cubby holes to check. There is a cubby hole with drawer in front of the console no one remembers. I keep mine in the front cubby hole under the radio, There is also the rear left cubby hole with the little fake floor over behind the rear tire.

 

The missing items is called the "towing eyelet." You will be able to change a flat w/o that part. Did you remove the luggage storage box (the big black plastic box your are pointing at) and see if the scissor jack is in the spare wheel well compartment? If no, then you won't be able to change a flat, unless you have another means to lift the car.

Call Steve at Prius hybrids sales and service Scottsburg Indiana and ask what that part will cost.

Be a good owner and go through the owners manual. If you do not have it, download the sections from Toyota.com or purchase a hard copy replacement. Questions 1 & 3 are answered in the owners manual, starting from page 377 in the attached PDF.

Correct. Extra points as you are a good owner and went through the owners manual. You Prius loves you for that.

 

I lost my key after rotating the tires and just ordered a replacement online from the mcgard website. You have to go to the customer service link and then Order a Replacement Key. I paid like $18 for expedited shipping plus a little black bag to keep it in. Do note that i had the original paperwork from the wheel lock key set in the glovebox from the original owner so I was able to use the numbers off of it to request the duplicate key, not sure what to do if you don't have that besides contact customer service or brute force it off.

 

I never was able to find my "key" until today. When I picked up my car from having service done, i asked the guy where the key would be. He said look in the glove compartment or where the spare is. Then he showed me the lock. It's one of the lug nuts. Okay, now I knew what the "business end" of the key would look like.

In the freezing cold (at least it's daylight), I went through all the cubbies. Nothing that looked like a key to me. Then I looked through every piece in the jack assembly. One of them was a large socket. I turned it around, looked at it, then tried pressing it into the lug nut. Yup. Perfect fit.

In other words, what people need to look for is not a key in the way we usually think of it. I though it would be something like a computer lock key (do they even bother with those anymore?). No, it looks a heck of a lot like a large socket you'd find in a ratchet and socket set.

 

Good you figured it out.

It's good to loosen the locking nut first, tighten it last, I've heard.

A trick I used too, is to tape a small square of paper with my name and phone number around the socket, so that if a mechanic or tire shop worker accidently forgets it in their pocket, they could track me down to return it.

I say used to, because I got tired of dealing with the locking nut, purchased four more regular nuts.

This is the item I got, it's identical in appearance, except for an embossed number on one of the flat side faces, hardly visible, no difference when installed: