Key does not unlock door

Hi guys,

I have a 2003 taco with the factory alarm. Only have one set of key and one alarm. So I want to make a second spare key. However, the spare key is useless if I can't open the door with it. For some reason I can not unlock my doors with my key. I have to use the alarm remote. Is this normal? Never had this problem with the locks on any of my other previous cars. Want to know if there's away to make it possible to open the door with just the key. When I put the key in, I can't turn the lock at all.

 

What does your key look like? Odds are that over the years you've worn down the ridges and they aren't properly engaging the tumbler causing binding. You can try and contact Toyota and see if they can pull your VIN and cut a new key based off of that.

I had a spare made of my worn key and the ridges were spot on so I could unlock with that key but not my main one that surprisingly still turn the tumbler for the ignition.

 

With my spare I have to sit there are mess with the thing for 10 min before it ever unlocks the door.

 

Thanks! I will stop by the dealership this week. Hopefully a new key will work and that the problem isnt the lock on the door itself.

 

I had a dealer cut me a key off the VIN - $2. So this is a very inexpensive test to see if it is the key or the cylinder.

 

Great! thats very cheap. Glad the keys are not the new expensive style keys.

 

now im pissed, my dealer charged me $25 to do one for me and I also have the cheap non chipped key so I got hosed

 

To be clear/fair - this was for my daughter's 1997 CRV, not my 1997 Tacoma. I have no idea what my Toyo dealer charges, but if it is significantly more than that I would be surprised. My daughter's ignition cylinder was hosed and the key not turning well/releasing/etc. So I yanked the ignition cylinder along with all door locks and hatch lock cylinders from the same junked CRV, took the VIN to the dealer and had new keys cut. Swapped all that out and now she has new locks and ignition with only one key. Now you have me curious what my Toyo stealer would charge. Gonig to have to call and ask them

 

96 Tacoma, bought yesterday, same problem. Had the dealer cut me a key off the Vin and it worked like a charm. Cost 15 bucks. Thanks!

 

The $1.59 copy the lumber company made off the original key that won't unlock the passenger door works. Go figure.