Last night after I went to bed my husband tried to use his key fob to get into my TCH and it wouldn't open the doors by proximity or by pressing the button. Thinking maybe the battery was already dead or not properly installed I asked him to hold it in front of the power button to recognize the chip this morning, and that didn't work. When I got to work I tried using the blade metal key from that fob in the door and the trunk and it wouldn't turn in the lock, but mine did just fine. SO, it's not really our keyfob.

I just talked to our salesman and he said that in the last 4 years this happened one other time to him. The last time it was just a matter of someone having grabbed two fobs that were next to each other and putting them in the packets without realizing they weren't both for the same vehicle. He's going to look for our SmartKey and then I can just drive over after work and trade with them. I will be sure this time to test the key while I am there. It never occurred to us during the TWO HOURS we were there last night that only one of the keys was actually functional. Ooops!

And, and btw, drive to work this morning FE on tank is 31mpg. I'm getting better!

 

I've had my TCH for two months now. My wife has only driven it once, so I keep my key ring in the car and just keep the car key in my pocket. I doubt in that time I've tried the second key. I'd better give it a shot.

 

Don't lose that second smart key fob! In my Infiniti, at least, the replacement cost is $148.60 + tax. (My TCH should arrive next week and I'm frantically trying to locate the second key fob for my Infiniti prior to selling it. I may have to bite the bullet and pony up for the seond fob just so I'll have it to hand over to the buyer.)

 

They told us a replacement keyfob for the TCH would be $250-$300, actually.

 

Wow, that's really outrageous. It's kind of sobering to think that, wherever you go, you're carrying around a little matchbox sized $300 gadget with you.

 

But that seems to be the norm these days. Lots of people have expensive cell phones on them all the time.

 

Quite true. But I think most people are already comfortable with the notion "Cell Phone = $300". Seems more of a mental adjustment to start thinking "Car Key = $300".

 

$300? Wow, I guess that's about 3 trips to a gas station for a non hybrid car

Thank goodness both by key fobs work. I got a "plastic" key from Toyota in the mail. I'm suppose to take it to the dealership to have them "fit" it for my TCH. The key is only suppose to open the door, not be able to start the car. Now why would I need this if I can't lock the key fob in the car?

 

If the battery is dead in the keyfob you can lock it in the car. If the battery is dead the keyfob would have to be in very close proximity to the power button in order for the car to "know" it was in the car. Our salesman warned us about this when we were doing our "delivery checklist."

 

Of course it can't start the car. There's no keyhole in the car in which to insert it.