I got two key fobs with my 2010 Prius - both of which start the car, unlock the doors, etc. Battery died after car's been sitting for over a year. Took out the metal key from the fobs - and neither of them work. The just go into the lock half way and hit against a solid something. I called Toyota, got transferred a few times - because nobody there seems to have any idea about this. Any ideas?
Maybe some bugs made their home in there. Or someone stuck something inside trying to break into the car. Try to shine a light into the key hole while pressing the cover out of the way and see if anything is blocking the key. Spray wd40 or other similar into the whole. It could just be rusted
My guess is a jammed wafer lock or possible incursion of foreign object. If the former, you might try WD-40 as a penetrating oil. UPDATE -- Dang, Dogman replied while I was writing.
It’s possible the key is just a blank. A locksmith can jimmy the door open and inspect the cylinder after removing the door panel.
If they go in halfway, the keys are uncut. I have blank keys. the lones in the channel are straight. I tried them in my door lock, and they went in halfway. If you or a locksmith removes the lock cylinder, the factory key code is on it. A locksmith with the proper software or a dealer can cut the keys to the code to match the lock. The industry uses a small CNC router mill to "trace" the so called "laser cut" key, which has nothing to do with lasers.
