Toyota to issue metal keys for new cars in Japan. Here is why

Back to basics in a way as chip shortage prompts the Japanese carmaker to temporarily halt digital key fobs for cars

By Autocar Professional News Desk

29 Oct 2022

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A Toyota key fob

Toyota Motor Corp has announced on Thursday that as a temporary measure, it will replace one of the two electronic "smart" keys it provides in Japan with a mechanical key as it races to get cars to customers in Japan, reported news agency Reuters.

"As the shortage of semiconductors continues, this is a provisional measure aimed at delivering cars to customers as quickly as possible," Toyota said in a statement, apologising for the inconvenience. "As for the second smart key, we plan to hand it over as soon as it is ready," it added.

However, the change is not as drastic as it appears. Japanese Toyota buyers will receive more than just mechanical keys. They'll still get one smart key, with the mechanical key replacing the car's second key.

The news comes as Toyota is believed to have informed its suppliers that, due to the chip shortage, it would be unable to meet its production targets of 9.7 million vehicles for the year.Due to a global chip shortage, car production and shipments have been severely delayed, with many buyers having to wait years for theirs to arrive.Toyota has taken a beating this year, with natural disasters and other disruptions compounding their woes.

Last week, the manufacturer of Toyota and Lexus vehicles warned that it would most likely be unable to produce the 9.7 million vehicles it had initially forecast for the current fiscal year.