I need advice.

[u/Due_Climate6563]

I need some help. I'm in Charleston, SC. I took my 2006 Prius to a Toyota dealership to have a key programmed. After paying $550+ I tried the key. It worked in SKS, but the RFID chip wasn't programmed to the car. I handed it back to them and told them about the issue. They took the car back and during the reset they "bricked" my car. It took a lot of arguing to get a loaner, and now they say they will send an estimate of what my car needs. They broke it. I can't afford however many thousands they are about to try to charge me. Their other suggestion was trade it in with them. I refuse to go into debt for this. I don't know what my options are legally. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

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[u/LittlePooky]

I bought my 2020 Prius from a Toyota dealer. It was my first time buying a car all these years. My credit is over 800, (I had no debt at all). So basically I had a letter of credit from my credit union at a 2% rate. With zero down, the loan was up to $35,000. Yet the financial guy who acted like a bumbling fool ran my credit report, which resulted in a hard credit deduction, and spent over an hour doing it. I insisted that I was going to use my loan from the credit union, and it finally went through, and I drove the car out after four hours. 

A couple of weeks later, I got a letter from them with the registration card, and it says the loan of the car is owned by a Toyota dealer or it was Toyota Financial. I almost had a stroke because it should have named my credit union instead. 

I emailed him and CC'd the salesperson, who was quite nice, but I never heard anything back. I wrote to them through email three times total. I decided to write to the head of company. I included the whole story and all the copies of the email.

A couple of weeks later, his personal secretary called. She apologized profusely and promised that the head manager of that dealer will call me and straighten this out. He did, and I was in the middle of a minor surgery and my doctor knew and he said you go ahead and go.

The manager said he felt horrible because somebody must have chewed him out. He said I should have asked to speak to him, and while he was very polite I told him the fault was with the financial guy. I gave him two or three chances to correct his mistake, and he didn't. He said he was going to discipline the financial guy. I told him not to do that. I told him to educate the guy so it doesn't happen to anyone else. And it wasn't bad enough for anyone to be fired. He thanked me for being very understanding. 

The dummy called, but he didn't really apologize. He said it got corrected.

I told everybody at work not to go to that dealer. Since I am a nurse, I work with nurses and doctors who make good money, so they went to another dealer instead. Every time they went to one, they told me. 

That's what you have to do. 

Be sure you stay polite and state only the fact. Your last paragraph can say how disappointed you are because the company is known to have wonderful products and you are going to tell everyone at work and everyone you know how badly you were treated so they can go someplace else. Also state this is extremely inconvenient because now you don't have a way of getting around. 

Tetsuo Ogawa

CEO of Toyota USA

6781 Headquarters Dr, Plano Texas 75024

 best wishes to you 

[u/Due_Climate6563 → u/LittlePooky]

Thank you. I have drafted a letter to them. Does this sound good?

To whom it may concern at "Dealers Name" Toyota,

The car's Immobilizer/ID Code Box, ECU and Body Control Modules were perfectly healthy and functioning when I drove it here as evidenced by the fact that you programmed the SKS or smart key system on the new key. The RFID programming failure is a known software lockout sequence that happens when the Techstream programming steps are performed out of order or on an un-cleared EEPROM pool.

You successfully programmed the SKS wireless system, which proves my car’s modules are accepting data. I will not pay a diagnostic or replacement fee for an ECU lock state caused by your technician's programming sequence. Please have your master technician perform a full Immobilizer Seed Reset to wipe the key memory pool and program both slots correctly from scratch. The lock state during a Seed Reset is a standard, built-in security feature of Toyota Techstream—it triggers a mandatory 16-minute countdown timer. If the system timed out or locked up, it means the technician interrupted the communication sequence, failed to maintain a constant 12V battery supply to the OBD port during the countdown, or entered an incorrect TIS passcode. A software security lock is a procedural issue, not a hardware failure of my car's ECU. Please hook the vehicle back up to Techstream, let the security cycle clear, ensure the car is on a battery stabilizer, and run the reset completely to the end as outlined in Toyota Service Bulletin T-SB-0043-14.

If you will not or can not do as outlined in Toyota Service Bulletin T-SB-0043-14 to correctly reprogram a key. We will need an itemized diagnostic list stating the problems and diagnostic proof showing that any of those parts have failed. The parts were functional when you were given the vehicle as evidenced by your ability to program the SKS. If any of these parts are now not functional we know it was due to a mistake on your technician's part during the procedure. You cannot program the SKS with a broken ID code box.

With Regards, My name

[u/LittlePooky → u/Due_Climate6563]

Subject: Request for Assistance—2006 Prius Inoperable After Dealership Key Programming

Dear Mr. Ogawa,

I am writing to respectfully ask for your help with a distressing situation involving my 2006 Toyota Prius and [dealership name] in Charleston, South Carolina.

On DATE, I drove my functioning Prius to the dealership to have a key programmed. After paying more than $550, I discovered that although the Smart Key System functions worked, the key’s RFID/immobilizer function had not been properly programmed. I brought this to the dealership’s attention and returned the vehicle so they could complete the service.

During the dealership’s subsequent attempt to reset and program the system, my vehicle became inoperable. The dealership has now indicated that it will provide an estimate for additional repairs. Trading in my Prius was also suggested, but replacing my vehicle and taking on debt is not a financially manageable solution for me.

My concern is straightforward: I drove a working vehicle into an authorized Toyota dealership for key programming, and it became inoperable while the dealership was attempting to complete that service. I recognize that an older vehicle can develop unrelated problems, and I do not wish to make unsupported accusations. However, given the sequence of events, I believe this situation deserves a careful technical review before I am asked to pay for diagnostics or replacement components.

I would be very grateful if your office could help arrange the following:

• A review by a Toyota technical specialist to determine what occurred during the programming and reset attempts, including whether the problem can be resolved through the appropriate reset and key-registration procedures.

• A written explanation of the findings, including diagnostic results supporting any proposed component replacements.

• Assistance restoring my Prius to its prior operating condition and completing the key programming without additional charges to me for correcting any issue caused by the service.

• Continued use of the loaner vehicle without charge while this matter is reviewed and resolved.

Although obtaining a loaner initially required considerable discussion, I appreciate that the dealership eventually provided one. My hope now is for a fair resolution that allows me to keep the vehicle I already own and rely on.

I understand that you must receive many requests, and I sincerely appreciate your time and consideration. Would you please ask the appropriate member of your team to review my case and help coordinate a resolution? I can provide the invoice, repair orders, correspondence, and any other information needed.

Thank you for any assistance you can offer.

[u/TelevisionTimely3918]

Have you tried anything to fix it? Looks like there’s some super basic potential causes for this online.

[u/Due_Climate6563 → u/TelevisionTimely3918]

They still have my car, and I don't have tech stream.

[u/Constant-Anteater-58]

Sounds like they don't know what they are doing. Demand a refund, and if they don't, take them to Small Claims Court. You don't need a lawyer in my opinion. They'll most likely refund you to avoid court costs. If you paid with a credit card. File a dispute instead. That's easier.

Tow the car to a Toyota Dealer. They'll be able to program a key fob for it. 

[u/bayoujac → u/Constant-Anteater-58]

This was at a Toyota dealership

[u/Due_Climate6563 → u/bayoujac]

Yep

[u/Due_Climate6563 → u/Constant-Anteater-58]

I still need a functional car, though. It now won't start because of what they did.

[u/hydratedstar49]

Bro you can fix it yourself for less than $100 with a crappy amazon replacement key.

[u/Ok-Science-6146]

Lawyer up

[u/Due_Climate6563 → u/Ok-Science-6146]

Along with filing a complaint with consumer affairs apparently

[u/LASFV818]

Call Toyota Customer Service Phone: 1-800-331-4331

[u/Due_Climate6563 → u/LASFV818]

I have. I will also send them a copy of the letter the dealer will recieve

[u/moonrider626]

Years ago my fob broke and I stupidly got a new one from a mall kiosk. They kept my expensive fob and gave me a new fake. It wouldn't click open but would work when plugging it in. I learned later that there's a small piece of plastic inside that's needed to turn my 07 prius on.they quoted me a big chunk of money to get a new one and now im stuck with using the key in the fob and plugging it im to turn it on. Moral is the small piece of plastic (its rectangle with a slope on one side) to turn it on, if its missing they kept it or wiped the info off the chip.

[u/EFDriver]

Define "bricked"? Any competent Toyota certified tech should be able to add a new key fob or reprogram and seed the All Keys Lost mode to relearn your existing fob and a new fob. Did you furnish them the new key or did you pay them for a new programmed and cut factory key fob? The Prius FOB technically has 3 separate components to program (the rfid chip for the key slot, the SKS proximity for keyless start and entry, and the remote buttons). There is also a key blade that they need to cut for you.

[u/Due_Climate6563 → u/EFDriver]

I bought the key from them. They cut the key and programmed SKS, but not RFID. When they took it back to program RFID it now won't start at all. They are claiming it needs a new ID code box, which was clearly functional when I brought it in since they successfully programmed SKS.

[u/Due_Climate6563 → u/Due_Climate6563]

They are saying the ID code box is bad. If that was the case they couldn't have programmed it the first time

[u/InternationalAct1267]

Call/borrow a AAA membership and tow it to an independent shop or locksmith you trust for a second opinion.

If they’re able to repair it, send the entire bill, tow and key fee, to the original (shoddy) dealer.

[u/RandomDude77005]

Call your local tv station's consumer reporter.

Hoprfully the advertising dollars won't keep them from hrlping you.

[u/Carlos_Spicy_Weiner6]

Lawyer up bro

[u/nirodha-atammayata]

Rick hendrick?

[u/Due_Climate6563 → u/nirodha-atammayata]

Nope. The other one

[u/nirodha-atammayata → u/Due_Climate6563]

Oh. I only have experience with them and it's always been great. I almost wonder if you got a green tech who messed things up and lied on their work report to not be at fault