Someone told me recently that the child lock on some cars is programmable. Does anyone know if this is the case on the Prius?

I've noticed that if my daughter lowers the window, I can't raise it without getting into a button fight with her. If I hit the child lock button, not only can't she open the window, but I can't either. Not only that, but my wife is then locked out as well, which sounds to me like a safety issue. If we're in a bad accident and I am disabled and my controls are inaccessible, all my passengers are stuck in the vehicle.

 

Seriously, you need to have glass breaking tool located in the front and the back seats of your car. Then hold a 'drill' with your kids on what it takes to break the glass and get out. Only practice will make you and your kids escape ready for a real emergency.

You have a fire extinguisher, bottle water and reflectors?

Bob Wilson

 

We have a fire extinguisher and blankets in case of a total breakdown in very cold weather. Both have come in handy in the past for myself and others I know who have been in bad accidents or breakdowns (though not necessarily in Toyotas).

Thanks for the helpful suggestions!

 

My 04 Prius's window lock enables me to lower the drivers window. Get a glass breakage tool, one of those things that also has a razoe for cutting seat belts.

 

Yeah, that's why I have to believe these things are programmable. I have a service appointment this week. I'll ask the technicians there whether it can be done. At least I'd like for my wife to be able to open her own door and window even when the children shouldn't.

 

Enlightenment! Had my service appt this morning and found that what I was calling the child lock is really the power door/window cutoff switch. The clerk at the front desk was unable to tell me if that is programmable and seemed uninterested in my questions, so I dropped the issue for now. If I get a little more time to do some investigation I'll pursue this.

As it turns out the child locks are actually located individually on each door. It is a small switch located near the gripping mechanism when you open the door. I should have read that in the manual, but I assumed the switch on the driver panel was the child lock. My other vehicle specifically labeled the very same switch "Child Lock" and operates exactly the way I described below.

So one of these days I'll get teh answer. I'll share it when I do.

 

I use both locks all the time. My 4 year old thinks it's great fun try to open the door while the car is in motion - I tend to disagree with him.

For some reason kids really love to make the windows go up and down, so the power window locks are usually on. The window controls are closer to the passenger in the Prius than in my Volvo, where my son prefected the art of opening the windows with his toes!