Key Fob Shock

HI I'm new here-2nd post ever. I've been lurking and learning and I have to say thanks to everyone here. I picked up my 2010 White Blizzard Pearl IV w/Nav in Nashville, TN a week ago Friday and knew so much more than the dealership about my car. My salesman asked me if I wanted to be his assistant...I declined but said he could be mine! I'm new to the Prius so I can't compare and contrast like most folks here.

I have many things that I like about the car but a few things that bug me that have already been discussed like the rear-view mirror really vibrating if the bass on the stereo is turned up a tad. I've had to readjust and almost turn the bass off completely. I also had no idea it did not have electric seats--that was a real bummer to me at first but I'm adjusting. Floor mat colors were a shock but I'm adjusting to that as well. Here is the real kicker that I wish someone would explain to me.

Here is the real deal. When I picked my car up I was given two key fobs as would be normal. I read in the manual that a metal card or something like that was also suppose to come with it so you could have an extra key made. That card has your key code or numerical code on it. I asked about it today when I took my car in for some customization of locking, illumination etc. They told me they had never seen one of those cards come with a car in over 16 yrs. I said OK fine what happens if you loose your fob? They told me that I would be out of luck and stuck..thanks but I already figured that part out! My husband has the 2nd fob so I decided it would be a safe idea to get a spare. Now remember that there is a 'real key' in the end of your key fob that you can remove if your fob goes dead to use in the key hole. I asked how much $$$ knowing that these new fobs can be expensive.....I replaced a Land Rover fob once and about died when they gave me the price. Guess what they want for a new key fob? Give Up? $400.00 is what they quoted me. I said you must be kidding me? Nope they said this was the first car Toyota has made with a Laser Cut Key-they said Lexus might have one out now but that most dealerships can't make a laser key because they don't have the equipment. OK so now we have a new technology that the dealership can't deal with. They told me they would have to send the key out to be made. I asked them to where? Japan for God's sake? So after picking myself up off the floor I asked how much it would be to just make the little key and forget the whole Fob job. They said $100.00 dollars for that little key PLUS $45.00 to program it. I again picked myself up off the floor. I'm about to take this car on a long vacation trip to Florida and I'm a bit scared that I might somehow loose my fob so I bit the bullet and ordered just the key. I had to leave my car there over night and now I'm kind of PO'd over this whole thing. Yes, I could take the little key out of the other fob and hide it somewhere in case I lost or got my purse stolen or something but the real deal is that you just can't go to a dealership and get another one made. I'd be stuck for who knows how long in Florida or where ever. They told me they didn't know how long it would take to get a new one sent out and back. Now it's not like I was thinking a new Fob would be cheap. I was actually expecting it to be about $150.00 or so based on replacing the one for my Land Rover and my friend had to replace a Porche Fob and it was right at $200 or so. Someone please tell me I'm having a bad nightmare and that I'll wake up and this will all be over with. I also really examined the Fob today and of course the little key is part of the hook that allows you to put the fob on your key ring. If you take the key out you have no way of attaching the fob to anything. BAD DESIGN TOYOTA! Put a ring in the fob itself not on the little key PLEASE. Did anyone else realize this beforehand? I'm in shock. I'm thinking of cancelling the order first thing in the morning. I asked when they would have the machine to make laser keys and they said it would probably be a long time and this is coming from one of the largest Toyota dealers around these parts. All they said was "Gone are the days that you can go to the hardware store and buy a $2 key. That made me feel so warm and fuzzy. I also know there is a lot of technology in those keys but common folks......that price is rediculous. Comments please.

 

Sorry about the huge post and run on. I'm new here so I will watch out for that. I was told that this is brand new technology and that you can not have a mechanical key made for it since the key is linked to the car in whatever ways ( I don't profess to know the technological specs of all that)

Secondly, I guess you have never lost a key. Congrats, but I have and I was lucky my husband was in the vicinity and had his on him to come rescue me. My point was that IF you loose your key and your 500 hundreds miles away you can't run down to your local dealership and have them whip one up for you (at least that was what my dealership told me) and if you can it seems a very steep price to pay. Obviously to a new Prius owners like me that price seems really high and my point again was to maybe alert others to make sure and separate your key from the fob or take both fobs with you when you travel away from home as a back up. That is not something my family usually does but I guess we will learn to do it or be without if something should happen.

To have a dealership tell me that they have no idea how long it would take to get a replacement key was a bit unnerving to me but you guys seem to have your key situation under control. I don't think you can just call a lock smith in whilst in the middle of a crisis unless I'm understanding this completely wrong which is why I posted this in the first place. The dealer did give me the key number so they have it stored in their computer it seems and so I have it now also.

 

Scott,
I'm probably 50-60 miles away from you. I'd be glad to show you my new baby. I do love her and all the technology that goes with her (key fob shock or not). However, I'm scheduled to embark on my travels to Florida next week so the timing won't be good for me until after July 4th. Hopefully, you will have your car-kid in by then and will be cruising the streets of Franklin. I'm sure you will love the car esp. the V package.

With these hot, muggy days upon us here in the South I was almost regretting not getting the solar moon roof when I got in my car today but then I came back to reality and remembered what winter, spring and fall are like and decided I made the right choice. I'll keep an eye out and if you haven't received your car by the time I get back I'll check in with you OK?

 

Thank you Yardman 49 for the gracious welcome! I appreciate you realizing I'm new here and to the Prius and apt to make a few stumbles along the way.

Yes, I'm quite aware that locking your fob in the car is difficult. I have gotten out of my car twice now and tried to lock the doors only to have it give me some stern warning beeps. OK I hate to admit this but I had left the car running...... the car is dead silent to me when in electric mode and I'm just figuring out how all this works and I just got out without turning it off and tried to lock it. I had only driven a Prius once before so this is all new territory to me and my husband. This is my commuter car and he has only driven it once and I had to sort of 'push' him to drive it-he is somewhat shy of it. I'm the geeky one.

Driving this car is not like driving an ordinary car but then all of you Prius owners know this. Us newbies have a lot to learn but I'm really getting the hang of it and I'm avg. right at 55 mpg. My best avg. on my commute to work which is roughly 23 miles one way has been 64.1 mgp. I think that is quite good for someone who has learned to drive their car by reading all these great posts here at PriusChat.com

OK I'll stop with all the key fob stuff but just to make myself clear, I'm really not worried about locking my fob in the car. As you pointed out it is very, very difficult to do. I'm worried that my purse might get stolen or that I'll be at the beach and drop my keys in the sand or that I'll just wig out and loose them period and then what? I'll have my key code but what good will that do me if no one can make a darn key? I guess you men don't loose keys. You have pockets for them. I also had a car stolen and recovered without the key of course so maybe I'm just a bit more paranoid than others.

I do realize some dealerships up-charge more than others. I'd be curious to know what other dealerships are pricing this at thus the reason to perhaps cancel my order in the am and check around for other options. Maybe another Toyota dealership can make this in house if they have the proper equipment or maybe the service rep I dealt with just has this all wrong. Either way the $400.00 quote is by far the most expensive key fob price I have ever heard of period--end of story.
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2010 White Blizzard Pearl IV w/ nav