I bought an 06 back in January. Long story short, the guy that sold it to me was unable to come up with a spare key so I only have 1. It's the one with the buttons for unlocking the door right on the key itself.

I called around to the 3 nearest Toyota dealerships to see what the cost of making a spare key was. The prices I got were $250, 290, and 350. Is that anywhere near the average? Seems pretty steep to me.

I got to researching it a bit and found sites like ebay sell uncut keys. Here's an example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/UNCUT...ht_4308wt_1165

I was wondering if buying an uncut key, getting it cut at a local hardware store (since I'm assuming the dealer would even charge me some absurd amount to just cut the thing) and simply getting it programmed at a dealer is possible? I asked one of the 3 dealerships and they said programming was $100. So I'd be saving about a hundred bucks going this route. I was wondering if this was even possible, or do I absolutely need to go to a dealer to get another key?

Thanks for any help

 

You have a master key, thats good. Just get any uncut key on ebay with the right transponder chip. Then find a local shop that can program keys, I got my key for $20 shipped and had a friend with a Snap-On launch programer, program it for me. You don't need to go to the stealership to program a key unless you don't have the master, which you do. Local places should charge less than $100 to program it.

 

Is the transponder chip the thing where it allows the car to start (i think it may be called the immobilizer)? How do I know which key will have the right chip in it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/05-09...#ht_1209wt_939

Will that work? ^^

 

that will work, its the same key that I got. The transponder chip is in the key, the immobiliser is the computer part thats in the car.

 

Awesome thanks. This will save some serious $$

 

not to hi jack a thread here but what if all i have is the vallet key as there called and no master key. can i buy the master keys off ebay and take them and have the dealership cut and program all 3 keys together for the car because i would love to have the remote entry..
im unsure of what keys to buy off ebay though as i have a 2009

 

We have a valet key?

 

yes it does everything but wont unlock the glove compartment for security reasons and it doesnt have the remote entry..
its the same thing as the key in the links above..those are valet keys

 

I understand that part, I was just asking more along the line of "you have a valet key? I never got one!" All I got with the car was two standard keys with the security lock/unlock/panic buttons... and I lost one already!!!

 

Buy one of those ones on ebay I posted above and do what I'm doing. I'm just paranoid as hell I will lose my 1 and only key, then I'll be totally screwed.

 

I do the key-cutting/programing at a local hardware store. We can't reduce the price of the key if you bring in your own key w/chip. Just store policy because we're trying to pay off the machine so we can make a profit. Check out your local Ace Hardware and they should be able to get you a spare key for $70. If you're looking for the key w/remote then there may be some way to program it to your car without spending a dime(to unlock/lock/panic, not to allow starting via transponder).

Just my two cents.