Ever since I took possession of my '04 4Runner, I've only had one key. This means that I'm one goof-up from being stranded with the keys locked inside, or unable to get in and go anywhere if I misplace the keys outside.
Something had to be done.
The 'something' was fairly easy, but it was an eye-opener.
I went over to my local Toyota dealer and talked to the friendly, familiar faces at the parts counter. Yes, there were plenty of keys on hand, and the price was $54. Not cheap, but I don't expect to pay parts-store prices when I'm buying OEM. The next bit of news was where the key went from 'not cheap' to 'genuinely expensive.' It turns out that the key has an electronic chip inside, and has to be programmed by the dealer to work with my particular 4Runner. The price of programming? Ninety dollars!
So what do I get from my $150 key? Peace of mind. If I lock the key inside, I can still get in with the second key. If I misplace the first key, I can still drive where I need to with the second key. Finally, and this is the key ingredient, Collette gets the second key so she can get into the 'Runner when she needs to.
The price of the key took me on a short jaunt down memory lane. My '81 Toyota 4x4 truck (The Phoenix) had a key that was one of a very few patterns Toyota offered. I never tried it, but I understand that it was very possible to use a single key to enter and start up many of the Toys on the road at the time. Not good. Now we're at a place where the key is precisely matched to the VIN of the vehicle. The key may mechanically fit into the ignition switch, but if it hasn't been programmed it won't work. That may be expensive, but it's pretty cool at the same time.
I'm going in to the dealer for my key in the morning. We'll see how I feel about the key after I've paid the bill.