Toyota Digital Key Failed

Indecent Dad

Indecent Dad

Member
📛 Founding Member
Sep 3, 2024
30
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Houston
Vehicles
Grand Cherokee, Telluride, Land Cruiser
I have solely relied on the digital key since day one of my LC (about 4 months). It’s been rock solid except a few delays caused by the Toyota app signing out/not running in background.

However, tonight it left me totally stranded. Reset app, logged in/out, reset phone, changed cell towers (AT&T and Verizon sims on phone), nothing worked. The app seemed unable to connect to Toyota’s servers to authenticate the key. I could remote start and unlock but it refused to go in drive without a key.

Fortunately, I was less than 30 minutes from the house, and the wife brought me a fob….but I will never rely on digital key again.

Just FYI for those also using the digital key. Seems bound to fail at some point so might as well be prepared. I will now put a key fob in sleep mode inside a faraday pouch somewhere in the vehicle…..
 
Indecent Dad said:
I have solely relied on the digital key since day one of my LC (about 4 months). It’s been rock solid except a few delays caused by the Toyota app signing out/not running in background.

However, tonight it left me totally stranded. Reset app, logged in/out, reset phone, changed cell towers (AT&T and Verizon sims on phone), nothing worked. The app seemed unable to connect to Toyota’s servers to authenticate the key. I could remote start and unlock but it refused to go in drive without a key.

Fortunately, I was less than 30 minutes from the house, and the wife brought me a fob….but I will never rely on digital key again.

Just FYI for those also using the digital key. Seems bound to fail at some point so might as well be prepared. I will now put a key fob in sleep mode inside a faraday pouch somewhere in the vehicle…..
Click to expand...

I was luckier than you. I used it when I was a at home and it seemed to work fine, so I decided to ditch the fob when leaving for work...nothing...dead air. I laughed and went inside to get my key. Never again. It's too bad, it would be convenient to not carry the massive fob around.
 
Seratti said:
I was luckier than you. I used it when I was a at home and it seemed to work fine, so I decided to ditch the fob when leaving for work...nothing...dead air. I laughed and went inside to get my key. Never again. It's too bad, it would be convenient to not carry the massive fob around.
Click to expand...
That would have been an easier lesson to learn!
But yeah I’m definitely disappointed, it was one of the new features I was looking forward to. At least I can save some money by not paying for the connect service once the trial ends
 
Why there is so much love for using cellphones as car keys I will never understand. 1. There are few if any advantages, 2. The app is primarily there to enable more aggressive marketing, 3. The software sucks.
 
I don't use the app for anything and will cancel when the free is no longer free.

I have found the credit card key is most useful and easy to carry around in my pocket. The only drawback (but a bonus at the same time) is the short range of the CC transmitter. The bonus part is that it's much harder to be picked up and cloned by a thief. The battery only lasts a few months as I don't think it has a sleep mode and I keep a spare battery in the glove box and a fob in sleep mode (in a faraday pouch) in my lockbox in the interior.
 
jayce said:
Why there is so much love for using cellphones as car keys I will never understand. 1. There are few if any advantages, 2. The app is primarily there to enable more aggressive marketing, 3. The software sucks.
Click to expand...
1. Advantage is I don’t have to carry a key fob. I have zero other keys I carry. 2. Agreed. 3. Agreed.
 
jayce said:
Why there is so much love for using cellphones as car keys I will never understand. 1. There are few if any advantages, 2. The app is primarily there to enable more aggressive marketing, 3. The software sucks.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree, I hate my phone, I try to leave it at home when I can.

But let's be honest, it is almost 2025. I and most other people end up carrying the damn thing nearly everywhere, so why not ditch the key fob, if it is a reliable option?
 
Wasn’t the “Digital Key” a $400 line item on the LC’s sticker?

I know it was on the 2023 Lexus RX. Virtually impossible to set up correctly for two users’ phones. The Lexus dealer “technology specialist” refused to help with that and other set up problems, said the Digital Key was too unreliable and would leave the driver stranded away from home. He then walked out of the room.

I don’t trust the Toyota/Lexus Digital Key and have never used it. Always carry the fob.

I think Toyota should refund to customers the price paid for it.
 
EOD Guy said:
I don't use the app for anything and will cancel when the free is no longer free.

I have found the credit card key is most useful and easy to carry around in my pocket. The only drawback (but a bonus at the same time) is the short range of the CC transmitter. The bonus part is that it's much harder to be picked up and cloned by a thief. The battery only lasts a few months as I don't think it has a sleep mode and I keep a spare battery in the glove box and a fob in sleep mode (in a faraday pouch) in my lockbox in the interior.
Click to expand...
What is a credit card key? I never heard of that. Is it something that is sold in Amazon,? That does sound a lot more convenient than the key fob
 
I don't think that the digital key is even available for my 1958 ed., but even if it were, I'd treat like a "nice thing to have access to in an emergency", but would never rely solely on something that required:

- my phone's network connection...yeah, even in 2024 there are still some areas out there where there's simply no signal, and those would likely be the areas I'd least want to be left stranded without a key

- Toyota's app being operational... even the most reliable and heavily used services go down from time to time

If the "digital key" was something I could program into my phone for offline use, maybe I'd then consider it (i.e. like something that could be added my digital wallet), but otherwise I'd only consider it as something that may get me out of a jam one day, and wouldn't intentionally leave my house without a physical fob.
 
So here is a little thought experiment. If you were stranded because the digital key failed to work when needed, would you continue to use it going forward?

I would argue that it depends on perceived reliability. After all, a physical key typically would be reliable for a decade or longer before the ignition lock would need replacement. This represents many thousands of start cycles, something like 99.999% reliability.

Lots of folks here seem to be having problems with the digital key, just saying..
 
EOD Guy said:
I don't use the app for anything and will cancel when the free is no longer free.

I have found the credit card key is most useful and easy to carry around in my pocket. The only drawback (but a bonus at the same time) is the short range of the CC transmitter. The bonus part is that it's much harder to be picked up and cloned by a thief. The battery only lasts a few months as I don't think it has a sleep mode and I keep a spare battery in the glove box and a fob in sleep mode (in a faraday pouch) in my lockbox in the interior.
Click to expand...
Did you have any issues with your dealer programming the credit card key? I have the part number and have found where to purchase online. I know they're technically dedicated for the 4th gen Tacomas, but will work just like a standard key fob on our LC's.

My dealer parts guys says they're "not available for your Land Cruiser" and the service advisor says "this won't work on your Land Cruiser and we've never done that here" and went on to say "even if we could program it, it wouldn't work to start your car".

I sent him this video from Ed Martin Toyota, but never got a response.

I guess I'll just have to push them a little harder. Where did you get the key blank that slips inside the card key cut?
 
My local dealer gave me the same line, I told him it would work and let's give it a try....... he was surprised of how easy it was.

I ordered the blank from my local dealer.
 
EOD Guy said:
I don't use the app for anything and will cancel when the free is no longer free.

I have found the credit card key is most useful and easy to carry around in my pocket. The only drawback (but a bonus at the same time) is the short range of the CC transmitter. The bonus part is that it's much harder to be picked up and cloned by a thief. The battery only lasts a few months as I don't think it has a sleep mode and I keep a spare battery in the glove box and a fob in sleep mode (in a faraday pouch) in my lockbox in the interior.
Click to expand...
I agree - I love the credit card key. What size battery and how hard is it to change?
 
I don't have easy access to the size, but I purchased a ten pack from Amazon.

It's as easy to change as pulling off the end cover and dropping in a new one. No tools required..... well except your fingers.
 
Indecent Dad said:
I have solely relied on the digital key since day one of my LC (about 4 months). It’s been rock solid except a few delays caused by the Toyota app signing out/not running in background.

However, tonight it left me totally stranded. Reset app, logged in/out, reset phone, changed cell towers (AT&T and Verizon sims on phone), nothing worked. The app seemed unable to connect to Toyota’s servers to authenticate the key. I could remote start and unlock but it refused to go in drive without a key.

Fortunately, I was less than 30 minutes from the house, and the wife brought me a fob….but I will never rely on digital key again.

Just FYI for those also using the digital key. Seems bound to fail at some point so might as well be prepared. I will now put a key fob in sleep mode inside a faraday pouch somewhere in the vehicle…..
Click to expand...
I also had this problem. Digital Key worked fine leaving home. Parked LC. Returned to LC. Digital Key failed. (Can't recall the message.)

Before reawakening the LC key FOB, I went to the Bluetooth connection on my iPhone (which showed digital key was not no longer active) and refreshed the Bluetooth connection. This worked for me.

As with others, I always carry my LC key FOB (in sleep mode) just-in-case something goes wrong with the Digital Key...
 
Indecent Dad said:
I have solely relied on the digital key since day one of my LC (about 4 months). It’s been rock solid except a few delays caused by the Toyota app signing out/not running in background.

However, tonight it left me totally stranded. Reset app, logged in/out, reset phone, changed cell towers (AT&T and Verizon sims on phone), nothing worked. The app seemed unable to connect to Toyota’s servers to authenticate the key. I could remote start and unlock but it refused to go in drive without a key.

Fortunately, I was less than 30 minutes from the house, and the wife brought me a fob….but I will never rely on digital key again.

Just FYI for those also using the digital key. Seems bound to fail at some point so might as well be prepared. I will now put a key fob in sleep mode inside a faraday pouch somewhere in the vehicle…..
Click to expand...
It seems the digital key is somehow reliant on Toyota App connectivity???

I used to own a Tesla and the digital key NEVER failed. The Tesla backup key is a credit card, so easy to carry with you.

I hate electronic key fobs. The buttons accidentally get pressed, they’re expensive to replace, and they’re bulky.

I love the idea of a digital key, but the implementation has to be rock solid. C’mon Toyota. Follow what Tesla did on this one and make a digital key that’s reliable!!!
 
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