Remember the frustration of empty car lots during the new car shortage a couple of years ago? While those days are largely behind us, a new automotive headache has emerged, catching many car buyers off guard: a Key Fob Shortage. Specifically, Toyota and Lexus customers are feeling the pinch, often receiving only one key fob with their brand-new vehicles.
For many, a car key fob is an afterthought—until it becomes a precious commodity. Just ask Jill and Shawn Threm from West Chester, Ohio. When they purchased their new Toyota Camry six months ago, they were handed a single key fob. The dealership assured them the second fob would arrive in about 8 weeks.
Those 8 weeks stretched into 16, and then Toyota’s estimated arrival date for the missing key fob slipped further. “I contacted Toyota and they said it would be March 2023,” Shawn Threm recounted, “and then after March it was April.”
The standard for most modern vehicles is two key fobs. This provides a crucial backup when one is lost, misplaced, or damaged, ensuring drivers can always access and operate their car. However, the Threms, like many others, are now in a precarious situation, treating their sole key fob with extreme caution.
“It’s in a very specific spot in my purse,” Jill Threm explained, highlighting the constant vigilance required. The worry of losing the single key fob looms large, especially when considering road trips or daily commutes.
Widespread Impact of the Key Fob Shortage
The Threms’ predicament is far from unique. Toyota acknowledged initiating a single key fob policy in October of last year, affecting nearly two dozen Toyota and Lexus models. This measure, attributed to the ongoing global semiconductor shortage, impacts a significant number of new car buyers.
In a public statement, Toyota stated, “Toyota is preparing a Service Campaign to provide customers with a second key as the supply of semi-conductors improves. The Service Campaign is currently estimated to launch in phases starting in the summer of 2023.” This indicates a planned effort to rectify the situation and provide affected customers with their missing second key fobs, but the timeline remains uncertain for many.
Meanwhile, dealerships are left to manage customer expectations and offer limited reassurance. The Threms’ dealer promised to keep them informed, but for now, patience and extreme care are the only immediate solutions for owners navigating this key fob shortage.
For those purchasing new Toyota or Lexus vehicles and receiving only one key fob, it’s advisable to inquire about obtaining a basic, metal spare key. While it won’t offer remote functionalities, it can serve as a crucial backup for manually unlocking the car—a basic security measure in these key-challenged times.
This key fob shortage serves as a timely reminder of the intricate global supply chains that underpin modern automotive manufacturing and how disruptions, like the semiconductor shortage, can manifest in unexpected ways, impacting even seemingly minor components like car key fobs. For car owners, it underscores the importance of key fob security and the potential inconvenience of being without a readily available spare.
