key detected in vehicle - while driving

(bolding added by me) - This is the first thing I thought, too, when I experienced the phenomenon a couple days back, and I immediately took the key out of my pocket and set it, buttons face up, on the console tray. The same thing happened several more times on my way home from work. Once I looked up this thread, I, uh, emphatically closed the hatch, and it hasn't done that since. Small sample size, I know, but convincing results...

I think the confusing part of all this (for me anyway) is that no 'door ajar' light came on--maybe because it wasn't, from the monitor's point of view anyway, ajar, except for when going over bumpy stretches of the road.

I agree about the value of the sks--it wasn't even a consideration for me in purchasing the vehicle, but I'm rapidly warming to the convenience. To the point that I've grown so accustomed to it that I occasionally walk up to one of our fleet vehicles at work with the key in my pocket, pull the handle, and give others a good laugh. (Someone has to... )

 

Yes I do love my SKS don't know how I can live without one now. Most higher end car has it.
The problem I believe is either hitting the buttons accidently or having the back hatch door not closed properly. Can't see the SKS being faulty because I've had this car over 7 months now and it works wonderfully.

 

My only concern w/ the sks is, it is so small and easily missed, sooner or later I'm likely to 'launder' one . I bet others have, and there's probably a solution on PC for that one, too..

Back to my incident, I've come to the conclusion it was definitely the hatch not properly/completely closed. My determination includes the fact that I also have the cargo net, and haven't gotten the fix yet (will do so this week w/ the brake reflash), and consequently have been letting it just sit there unhooked unless I need it. So, it wouldn't surprise me if the netting got in somewhere it wasn't wanted and somehow facilitated a misread that the hatch was open.

If this is the worst I have with this vehicle, I'll be quite happy about it...

~T

 

Wait till you get other problems.

 

had the same issue weeks ago. interior lights started flashing. kinda concerned .

 

Thanks to chatters that highlighted trunk (back door) not completely shut as the probable cause of this warning message. My two week old Prius announced this problem when my wife was in the midst of her driving license renewal test drive. Both she and the examiner were dismayed by the warning......she passed.
I took the vehicle to the nearest Toyota service shop, and two mechanics scratched their heads unable to figure out the problem.
The chatters knew better. Thanks again.

 

It happened to me yesteday as I was backing out of my parking space at work. I pulled back into the space, turned the car off then turned it back on again and the message went away. It's the first time it has happened since I got the car about 5 weeks ago. Very strange.

 

I've owned my Prius since Nov 2010, and I experienced this problem for the first time yesterday... on two separate occasions.

The rear hatch explanation mentioned here makes sense to me, since I open and close that area all the time. The first time it happened was right after going over a bump. The second time was on a rough section of road. Both times the light and message appeared for about 20 seconds and then disappeared.

After happening the second time I brought it to the dealer and they couldn't repeat the problem. They gave me the usual... if they "can't repeat the problem, they don't know what to fix...." So I told them I would continue to monitor the situation and take a photo of the display with my cell phone camera the next time it happened.

On the way home from the dealer I stopped at the store and had to open/close my hatch to load groceries. I've had no problems since then, most likely because the hatch was shut tightly on the last load in. I hope the solution is as simple as that; I'll pay closer attention when shutting the rear hatch from this point on.... and will continue to monitor the situation.

 

Thanks for this forum.
Same errors happened to me. Found the answer here and indeed it was the hatch door.
I was moving some items so I placed a plastic sheet on the cargo floor and part of the sheet is caught between the hatch door lock.

 

And over a year later, here I am to report the same problem with my PIP. It kind of freaked me out -- but like others, after reading this I realize that it was the partially closed / partially open hatch that caused the problem. My husband had tried to lock the car with the hatch button but pressed the open button instead. We didn't realize that the hatch had opened a little bit.
Thanks so much for solving the mystery!

 

Confirmed this happened to me twice also after a bump with the hatchback not properly latched. Such a funny message for this problem...

 

I got this message today, twice as I was pulling out of the driveway but it went away both times. After the 1st I stopped and pulled the key out of my purse. It came back on a 3rd time and right as I was trying to determine if it was significant enough to pullover when the hood flew up and hit the windshield. The hood was closed and there were no other messages.

 

Also this was with a 2010 prius. sold the 2002 over a month ago but haven't been able to change my profile,

 

That's exactly what it was with me...

 

Wow. Great info and thread

 

I actually do not own a Prius, but this seems to be a common problem with both Lexus and Toyota. I imagine in the Prius, the problem may be similar, and is associated with a false signal that the trunk lid or hatch or whatever you call it on a Prius, is not completely closed. If there is not a similar washer on a Prius, you may want to try another metod to shim the trunk lid tighter. I know the frustration. the cure for my Lexus is below.

After reading 100's of posts and finally going on a 45 minute drive with constant alternating ". Key detected in vehicle" warning alternating with "rear door open" warnings and 45 minutes of constant beeping. I knew I had to come to a conclusion. Either find a fix, or drive the vehicle over a cliff.
I searched 100's of posts of people spending money, time, and energy at the dealer attempting to find a fix with very little luck among any of the posters.
. I ended up fixing the problem for 48 cents.
. I was unable to find the original post that recommended this , so that I could thank the person that came up with this idea, but I will pass it on.
First, I took electronic spray cleaner and thoroughly sprayed the inside of the rear hatch door latch. There is a small rectangular carpeted cover the can be easily removed with a flathead screw driver to allow you to spray into the latch itself. This definitely improved, but did not fix the problem. You can get electronic contact spray cleaner at Walmart or RadioShack.
You then need to buy 1/4 inch lock washers. This cost me 48 cents.
Open the rear hatch door, and on both sides of the bottom of the door you will see, rubber bumpers sticking out from the door.
Look down by the rear bumper where those rubber bumpers hit when the door is closed.
With a Phillips head screwdriver, remove the rubber washers down near the rear bumper.
Place two lock washers under each of the rubber washers to help raise them up and screw them back into place.
I have driven over speed bumps, I have gone over a curb and no alarms have gone off. Prior to this fix I could not hit a pebble in the street without an alarm going off. For a year, I have been dealing with this problem and it only took 48 cents to fix it

 

got this message yesterday about 3 miles into a 20 mile trip. yellow triangle with red exclamation, warning bells and flashing overhead lights. no open door symbol on the dash, pulled over and checked them and the hatch anyway, everything was tightly shut.
got back in and drove another mile or so, and everything shut off. i'm going to test the 12v and fob batteries just for fun.
53,000 miles, first odd behavior i can recall.

 

If anyone should have the tribal knowledge to remedy a Prius problem, it should be you.

Good luck.

 

@bisco we've had that message, once or twice, maybe 4 years back. IIRC just the message, no warning lights. But not since.

 

I seem to occasionally get the "key in car" message on my Gen 4 when I enter, just before starting the car.
I think, for me at least, it happens of the car sits unlocked for a period of time rather than being unlocked and immediately driven.
That does not explain getting the message while driving unless the fob battery is getting low? Just a wild guess.