My Owners Manual States in Section 6-2 Customization To The Automatic Door Locks Can Be Programmed to Lock Automatically In Drive or at 15mph. MINE DO NOT DO EITHER?
Dealership Purchased At Tried to Reconfigure them but the links shown on their computer ARE NOT LIVE and they are unable to change the lock programming in any way.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is any kind of "fix" available for this Safety Hazard?

Toyota Customer Care (after many emails sent them back and forth) claims that all the 2008 Prius Automatic Door Locks PROGRAMS CANNOT BE CHANGED BY THE COMPUTER?
From what I can find out THIS FEATURE HAS NEVER BEEN ON ANY PRIUS FROM 2000 ON!

They state and I quote; "even though this customized feature is listed in your owners manual, your 2008 Prius Touring DOES NOT HAVE CUSTOMIZABLE FEATURES to automatically lock all doors by shifting the shift lever to any position other than Park"???
The "Automatic Door Lock Feature" is also listed in their brochure and on line as well?

I am thinking that this is in all actuality a "CarJackers Dream Come True" Anyone can just walk up to this car and open any door! Use the door panel button lock or your screwed!
This is surely the most rediculous thing I have ever heard of Toyota doing.

 

If you read the first page more carefully, you will see the statement that "not all of the features in this manual are in all cars".
For example, the US cars do not have DRLs. The Canadian cars do not have HIDs.

The fact the Prius doesn't lock the doors by itself is NOT a "safety issue". It's how most cars work. If you want the doors locked, lock them! If you want auto locking doors, I'm sure somebody can install an aftermarket module to do so. Or you could go buy a Lexus hybrid, perhaps they have that feature.

BTW, the EMTs who man the highway ambulances don't want you to lock your doors. It makes it harder for them to save your life!

 

I'm sorry, David, but here we must disagree (about your EMT statement).

Car door locks are designed to help keep the doors closed in case of accidents. This, in turn, keeps the occupants inside the passenger compartment of the car and decreases their chances of being ejected in those cases where the door opens. Even with a seat belt properly in use, if the door opens, your torso could extend past the door opening's frame and be seriously injured if the door springs shut again.

If the First Responders (EMT/Police/Fire Dept/etc) need to open the door in case the occupants are unresponsive and the door is locked, they can break open windows and unlock the door.

I do agree that you can easily just lock the door manually or purchase the Lock-Pick style mods. (At least, auto door-locks are standard on my TCH and I have them set to lock when shifting out of Park or when exceeding 12 miles per hour.)

 

I will agree with a couple of the previous statements. Most cars do not auto-lock - you have to do it yourself. The TCH does, and it's the first car I ever had that does. Mine is set by default to lock as soon as I take it out of Park and to unlock again as soon as I put it in Park. It was driving me nuts at first, but I'm starting to get used to it. I'm still not sure I really like it.

 

I would like to apologize for the tone of my previous post. Not feeling well, so a little too aggressive. Not a good way to encourage new members.

Sorry about that.

 

Various Chrysler models have had auto locking at a preset speed for years. My 03 Dodge van and my wife's 03 PT Cruiser both had it and we were delighted with this feature. Always worked and not intrusive. Go to coastaletech.com and look at their stuff. They have an autolocker kit for $65 that will activate the built-in Toyota feature, a mod to make the front power socket hot at all times for $10 and a number of lock-pic products if you have the nav feature in your car. I called a local Toyota dealer today about setting the auto lock and the service person didn't know what I was talking about.

 

You can always change it yourself to unlock when the key is switched to the LOCK position.

Most new Toyotas have auto locks now (except the Yaris, Prius and base model Corolla/Matrix)

 

Is that always true?
My understanding is the door latch mechanism does not affect the lock position, locked or unlocked.
Anyone knows the true answer?

Ken@Japan

 

Correct ken. The early doors were more secure in accidents when locked but that was changed by law in the 1980s if I recall correctly.

Now I have talked to many EMTs (my brother works for BC Ambulance), and they all say it's better when the crashed vehicle doors are NOT locked. They don't have to break windows to get in to save your life.

 

Hi David,
Thank you very much for your comments.

Ken@Japan