Just heard on cartalk radio that there are a limited number of mechanical car keys so there is a chance that someone may unlock and drive away a car that does not belong to him/her. Would the same happen with our Prius with smart keys or does each Prius has its own unique code?
This is so true. At my last job I remember we worked on a late 80's Ford F150 and a late 80's Escort. I grabbed the wrong keys but it worked. Keys from both vehicles work on each other, locks and ignition.
The number of possible smart keys is finite, since it is a fixed number of digits. On the other hand, the number is so large that a code is never reused. Tom
The immobilizer on the Prius Gen2 is very sophisticated, so much that the powers that be gave Toyota an exemption on locking the steering column. Compare to pretty much every other car made since the 70's, you can always steer the Prius wheels, with or without the keys. But good luck getting a Gen2-3 out of Park and/or getting it into Ready mode unless you have a valid FOB. ----- Compare to: Gen 1 steering column is locked unless you have key. Gen1 has a mechanical override to get shifter out of Park. (Remove small rectangular plastic cover under the steering column (it's about the size of your finger), press finger in hole, move shifter)
