Help Needed: Customer Dispute After Key Programming for 2005 Prius

Hi everyone,

I’m in a bit of a situation and could really use some expert opinions to figure out where I stand.

I recently worked on a 2005 Toyota Prius (EU model) with all keys lost. Initially, I faced challenges programming the key, as the EU model has a different procedure. I had to force the system into a US configuration to reset the immobilizer (immo) and smart box. After several hours of troubleshooting, I successfully got the key programmed and the car running.

However, the customer wasn’t happy. They claimed to have received a quote from someone else who could do the job for half my price but wouldn’t be available until the following week. They tried to haggle after the work was done and even refused to pay. I didn’t budge on the agreed price but told them I could delete the key and they could wait for the other guy without paying me, as I don’t have time for price disputes once the job is completed.

After programming the key, multiple warning lights appeared on the dash, related to the hybrid battery. The customer insisted these lights weren’t there before the keys were lost. Given that both the 12V and hybrid battery were dead when I started working on the car, it was evident that the car had been sitting idle for a long time.

Despite this being unrelated to the key programming, I ran a diagnostic, cleared the codes, and left the car running for a while. After restarting it a few times, all the warning lights disappeared.

Later, I received a few angry phone calls about my pricing, claiming I had charged too much.

A week after the job, the customer called again. They said they’d replaced the 12V battery, sold the car (which was now in another end of the country), and that all the dash lights had appeared, and the car had stopped starting. They decided to swap the hybrid battery for a new one, but the issue persisted. Even after swapping back the original hybrid battery, the car still wouldn’t start.

Intial claim:

1. The car doesn’t lock/unlock.
2. The car doesn’t start.
3. Ignition DOES turn on.

I explained that if the dash lights are on, the ignition is functioning, meaning there’s no immobilizer issue. If the key or programming were faulty, the ignition wouldn’t turn on at all.

Now they claim:

1. The car doesn’t lock/unlock.
2. The car doesn’t start.
3. Ignition DOES NOT turn on.

The customer then said Toyota inspected the car and advised that it’s a key issue, recommending a new key at triple the cost I charged. They are now demanding a 50% refund from me.

The key was provided by the customer, and I they where informed that I do not guarantee customer-supplied keys.

Is there even a 1% chance that the issue could be related to something I did? Or am I right in thinking this is somethign else, unrelated to my work?

Would appreciate any input or advice on how to handle this situation.

Thanks in advance!