The owner of a custom auto lighting shop is showing what he claimed was a concerning security issue for owners of new Toyota Tacoma trucks before determining the real source of the issue.
The video comes from the TikTok account for Automotive Custom Lighting (@automotivecustomlighting), based in Surprise, Arizona. It features CEO David Ward, with a Toyota truck in his work bay, laying out the situation that caused him concern. He posted the video on June 28, and it has since gotten more than 24,000 views.
What did he think went wrong?
He says in the video, “Both keys are right here. Now, I was just able to move this vehicle into my shop without the keys. I thought one of my guys left the keys in the truck; I moved it in here. Come to find out, he had the keys nowhere near the truck.”
He then demonstrates it, putting the keys at a workstation about eight steps away from the truck. With the truck unlocked, he could go right up to it and use the push-button starter to get the motor running.
He also demonstrates it with the doors locked, but the driver’s side window rolled down. While he can’t pull on the door handle to have the car open automatically as he can when the key fob’s on his person, he is still able to use the push-button starter just by reaching into the car.
“So, for some reason,” he concludes, “you’re able to start this Toyota without any keys.”
@automotivecustomlighting 2024 Toyota Tacoma Starts with no Keys. #toyota #tacoma #automotivecustomlighting #arizona ♬ original sound – AutomotiveCustomLighting
What really happened?
Commenters shared their thoughts, starting with one who theorized the issue might not be with Toyota at all.
That person suggested, “He got an aftermarket remote start drive the lazy way where they put in another key in there.”
Another wondered, “How are you able to start it without not pushing on the brake pedal?”
Someone else said, “Toyota had this problem with the first gen Prius,” adding, “I repossessed a Toyota Prius before without the key being in the car.”
That led another commenter to quip, “Toyota: Let’s go places, without the keys.”
The creator then sneaked in what actually happened in a response within that thread. “Ended up being a spare wallet key in [the] glovebox,” he wrote.
How do Toyotas generally fare?
According to Statista, between 2009 and 2023, Toyota has consistently outpaced other car companies in customer satisfaction. In 2023, Toyota rated an 84 out of 100, while all car manufacturers considered averaged just 79 out of 100.
Car and Driver rated the 2024 edition of the Tacoma a 9.5 out of 10, saying, “The 2024 Toyota Tacoma finally has the goods to go toe to toe with modernized mid-size rivals such as the Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado. Not only does the all-new Tacoma have brawny bodywork, but its interior finally qualifies as contemporary, with an attractive aesthetic supplemented by crisp digital displays.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok direct message and online contact form and to Toyota via online contact form.
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