Does Your Factory Remote Start Work?

Yes, really to heat up or cool down. I’m pretty sure it was due to the influx in car thefts that were going on by people that were remote starting to warm up and then a thief be able to drive off without a fob. Hence why manufacturers have changed it over the years to where the fob has to be detected and the brake pushed to allow it to stay on and they still have problems. Also why insurance companies were inflating the rates on other model vehicles that had the remote start for certain areas. Smart engineering on Toyota to do that. I don’t really like making assumptions about a persons ability to take less than a second to reach down and hit a button to start it again. I’m wondering why even lock the car at that point if it’s just a hassle. Takes too long to take the keys out and hit the button or reach out and lock/unlock the door with button or sensor handle. I have no idea what the engineers were even thinking when they decided to put door locks on vehicles.

 

Just got mine and was told its a safety thing, also a theft deterrent depending on where you live. I suppose it is kind of stupid engineering but personally i don't care, think of the amount of theft if you could drive away without the key? People LOVE warming their cars up in the cold weather climates for 10-20 minutes before venturing out.

 

You can't just get in other cars that don't shut off and drive away. The key needs to be present or the car dies when you hit the brake. Killing it when you open the door does nothing to prevent theft. If that was the only thing preventing you from driving the car away a thief could just smash the window hop in and off they go.

Instead of killing it when you open the door Toyota could have just as easily killed the car if you press the brake without the key or if the car leaves park without the key present. Both options would stop the car from being stolen without having it shutoff when you get in and do have the key. They could have even gone as far as to shut it off if the door opens without a key detected but not shutoff if the door opens and the key is detected. Any of these options would work and could use preexisting sensors on the truck.

There were a lot of easy "better" solutions but Toyota picked this one. As you can tell I hate it.

 

Nope plenty of manufacturers had this option where you could drive off without a Fob Present. Over the years they have changed it for that exact reason and are still dealing with flaws.

Toyota has something that has worked and worked for years without major software problems like other manufacturers. So why fix something that has been proven to work.

 

I just tried again a few times. Still doesn't work. I Mine is 2020 TRD OR AT. Still on connected services trial, but not the FULL connected services that you can start from your phone. All that is connected/offered is safety connect and wifi hotspot.

Also went through the PDF owners manual and looked at every instance of the word "Remote" and the remote start was not mentioned. I don't know what it is, but it isn't on all vehicles.

 

I've got a 2020 TRD Sport. Lock, Lock, Lock & Hold does NOT start the truck.

 

Can you share an example of this? I've never seen a factory remote start that operated that way. How'd they get in the car, get it out of park, unlock the steering column, never hit the brakes and overcome the set time before the car shuts off without the key in the car.

 

Obviously you are unaware that remote start has been a feature since the mid 80s and that over time more and more functions have been added to prevent these thefts and failures. If you want an example google has plenty. In fact they’ve had car thief's able to bypass all of your kill switch sequences that you describe since the early 2000s and still going strong. Still to this day manufacturers are dealing with it. Why do you think Honda, GM, Ford, and Jeep’s are always having theft of their vehicles. Because the software is too vulnerable and trying to update it to keep up with Vehicle theft. Toyota has had their runs of corollas being stolen and I’m sure they have learned on these vulnerabilities but at the end of the day a thief will find a way but Toyota has made it harder and until recently they didn’t have to worry as much. Now with the availability to relay your fob any vehicle is a target but if you take the time and disable your key fob it will be harder to steal.

 

So you couldn't find an example to link? I legit looked and can't find any factory remote start that allowed you to just jump into a remote started vehicle and drive away. And remote start was first offered by Chevy in 2004. Even in the first iteration it required the key to be in the ignition before it could be moved from park... https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-11-11-0211110022-story.html

"Though the engine will be running, you must insert the key in the ignition to take the gear selector out of "park" to get moving. The reason, of course, is that the key has a theft code imbedded in it to prevent someone from slipping into the idling car and motoring away."

And thieves are savvy enough to defeat all of those anti-theft features but not enough to break a window and climb in? Lets be real, if a thief can truly defeat all of those safety features they're stealing your car if you remote started it or not. Remote starting a vehicle makes it no more venerable to theft than one not remote started and further shutting it down when you open the door doesn't do anything to prevent theft either.

But I've done my bitching for the day on the topic. See you in the next thread about this...

 

I have the "keypad windshield lock thingy" on my 2021 and the remote start works fine.

 

Ehh, Toyota could have easily wired RS to the existing key sensor(s), and like @RX1cobra said, you hit the brake or put it in gear w/o the key, it dies. It’s be just as easy for Toyota to do, no reason to think it would be unreliable (I haven’t noticed people complaining about key fob sensor failures on our trucks), and it would be a whole lot cooler if they did make it so it didn’t kill it with the door.

 

This is what is happening when remote starting your truck. All the doors will lock before the truck will even starts. Once started it will only shut off if you do it from the fob or unlock doors then get in and touch the break pedal other than that it will run for 15 minutes then automatically shut off. Not complicated at all.

 

I have no problem getting it to work with the key fob, but the phone app only works ~20% of the time for me.

 

Just tried this with my 21' OR w/ tech package and I did not get the truck to start.

 

Just bought my 21 OR today and remote started with the key fob.
I do feel like it's an awkward amount of time you have to hold it down on the "3rd click" to get it to start, but it works for me. (I didn't hold long enough the first time I tried).

 

I didn’t realize I would have to come home from work and see that the same person who complains about pushing a button to start a vehicle can’t even use google to search for something. Not surprised though I assumed I would have to do it for you.

Once again it is possible just about anyway you dont think it is. You leave it running and and it can be stolen. Hence like I have said over and over again that it’s possible and the thief’s are smarter than the auto industry. The software keeps changing and they are still being stolen. Doesn’t matter if it’s locked or running. The only way is to lock the fob or purchase a signal blocker.

You can buy your own repeater for cheap and test it out. Guarantee you’ll be able to do it each and every way. First hand experience of it. So once again read your articles and keep telling yourself what you want.

No offense but I have the right to have a rebuttal as well.

https://www.wxyz.com/news/consumers-officials-call-on-big-3-to-take-action-on-security-issue-involving-key-fobs

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.kr...t-protect-your-car-from-thieves/293-499790222

https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/T...ith-key-fobs-and-keyless-start-492123881.html

https://www.wbay.com/content/news/Car-thieves-target-keyless-entry-systems-567402301.html

 

I have the same setup as you it appears and I could never get the remote start thing to work. Pretty sure our trucks were not equipped with it.
I ended up purchasing this plug and play module on Amazon and it works flawlessly in the same exact manner as the OEM remote start does. Don’t go mentioning it too loudly in certain threads on here though as some of the vendors are a bit sensitive about people spending less money on products from other retailers.

Start-X Remote Starter Kit for 2020-2023 Tacoma Push to Start || 3X Lock to Remote Start || 15 Minute Install || Zero Wire Splicing!

Start-X Remote starter kit

Edit: I should mention that this allows you to use the OEM key fob to start the truck, but will NOT add any functionality to start the truck from your cell phone

 

I have a 21 OR without the Tech Package and remote start works with the Fob. I usually hold the third push until I see the vehicle respond.

 

Gave it another try again this morning, I followed what OP did in his video and I held the lock button for 15 sec on the third click with no response. I am not terribly bothered by it not working as the fact that the truck shuts off when you open the door is a major deterrent for me but I do want to help provide a data point to the group.

 

Out of curiosity, did you activate your Toyota Connect Services?