In the photo you will see the connector attached to the hood latch sensor. This is on the 2017 Prius prime. I noticed that this connector will not come off when the tab on left is pushed down. The reason seems to be that there are two little red tiny buttons that have to be pushed in on each side of the connector. You need 3 hands and 2 1 mm fingers. I suspect Toyota has invented a tool for this but I cannot find it and cannot find instructions for it in the repair manual section for TIS repair manual. I can’t find where to buy this tool. If you look at the part for the hood latch 5351047170 it does not show it but below is a photo of the part used and you can see the two holes on the left that lock into the red bubbles.
If it were (mechanically uninclined) me I'd start with a pair of ChannelLok pliers and tape/glue two short pieces of Q-Tip sticks to the jaws or maybe the red buttons on the connector itself. Maybe you could then pinch the two red buttons simultaneously with one hand using the pliers and and then pull the connector off with your other hand.
I’m not aware of a Toyota tool such as you describe, but they are commercially available. For example, see the Kyoto Tool Co. (KTC) AD101 connector housing pliers, described in English on page 280 of the catalog (PDF, 55.6 MB), and unofficially in a YouTube video. Toyota does have a tool called a connector plier, SST 09905-00040, but its construction is different, and it’s used only when removing the motor generator control ECU circuit board from the inverter with converter assembly.
The AD101 tool is available from Franks tools KTC Connector Pliers, AD101 for $58.00 which is not too bad. The red buttons on this connector could easily be wrapped so cloth should be around the ends of the tool. I like the idea of the Q-tips because they are soft. I plan to take a Bessey 2 inch hand clamp and drill a tiny hole so as to be able to attach Q-tips and report back here. The hand clampratchets into place so it holds itself in place. Ugh Toyota!
There is no special tool needed to remove this connector. The red tabs remain on when the connector is removed. I will say this tool does make it easier to remove the connector.
