I just bought a 2011 Prius III and there was only one key. This also happened with my last Prius and it cost a lot to be replaced. Are there other alternatives to getting it from the dealer?
yes, there are many threads here on how to buy a virgin fob and do the 'chicken dance' programming. get it done before you lose the one fob, or it gets really expensive. all the best!
absolutely. otherwise, you need to replace the computer. but the gen 2 and 3 are different, and i forget which is more difficult/expensive.
The chicken dance doesn't work with Gen3. My wife recently lost her fob and we didn't feel comfortable having only one fob. So I had to learn how to add a fob by reading this and other forums. The dealer wanted a little more than $400 for a new fob which included having the key cut and Prius programmed to accept the new fob. Call around to different dealers since prices vary greatly for the same service. Fob replacement Dealer price was ~$260 for a new fob. I decided to get a used fob off ebay which was around $90. I looked for FCC ID: HYQ14ACX IC: 1551A-14ACX. You might be able to just match the FCC ID but I'm not sure so I spent a few extra dollars buying something identical to what I had. Also make sure it says "virgin" or "unlocked" since some used fobs might still be programmed to an old car. This price included a new blank mechanical key. Key cutting I was never able to find a locksmith or home depot that was cheap or able to do this. Some locksmiths were more expensive than the dealership. One dealer wanted $60 to cut the mechanical key. They needed to supply the key. Another dealer wanted $20 and they would do my supplied key. At the end I found a seller on ebay that would cut and supply an emergency key for $14. I didn't want to take time to drive to the dealer. Search for the words "Pre-cut emergency keys to access doors/trunks" His compatibility matrix didn't support the gen3 Prius. However that matrix needs to be updated. I had the key code for my car and supplied pictures of my existing key. The new key works but is a little tight going into and out of the lock. Not that big of a deal since I can only imagine needing this key a handful of times. Prius programming One dealer wanted $130 another wanted $60. Car fob/alarm places were around $130. This takes 5 minutes once you have the software and tools in place. I ended doing this part myself by buying a mini-VCI cable and techstream s/w for around $25 off amazon. This was the most frustrating part since it took a number of wasted hours before I realized I had a bad mini-VCI cable. I won't go into details on the actual process but there are lots of posts in this forum, youtube, and other forums. Summary Not sure if I can post the actual ebay listings I used, so I will leave that out. For most people I would recommend getting a used fob off ebay, key cut off ebay and finding a dealer who would be willing to program your fob at a reasonable price. Some dealers might include key cutting as part of the programming. It's rather surprising the price differences in dealerships.
