Key Lost in Vehicle…Advice Sought!

I have a 3 year old, who loves keys and playing around in our car and costing me money.

So… our spare car key (2021 4Runner SR5 4WD) went missing. I think it’s in the vehicle because I can start the engine using the keyless ignition whilst our other set of keys is still inside the house. I cannot find the keys anywhere. I have looked in all the normal places- glovebox, center console storage, under seats, seat pockets etc. So…some advice would be gratefully received:

1. How far away from the steering wheel can you get your keys before the vehicle won’t start. This might give me an idea of where I’m the vehicle the keys aren’t!

2. Any ideas about possible hiding places that might not be so obvious?

Thank you in advance!

 

My guess is down a vent

 

Sure its in the 4R and not right outside somewhere?

I'd go down the road and see if you can still start it with the spare far away.

 

Depends on your vehicle settings. You can change it between “anywhere in the vehicle” and “only driver’s seat”

 

There's a black hole under the seats where the seat rail is. There is a plastic cover you can pull off and you'll be amazed what you may find under there. My 4runner it's usually cheez-its and pennies and the occasional skittle. Slide drivers seat and passenger seat all the way forward and look with a good flashlight from the 2nd row looking under the seats. There's also an A/C vent under the seats that hides stuff because of the way the carpet is cut. Good luck!

 

Get out the flashlight and happy hunting.

 

Has the child seat been checked thoroughly?

 

I'd look between front seats and center console, stuff can be shoved deep there. Maybe also under carpets and I'd fold rear seats to see if it stuck somewhere there. There are plenty of space under dashboard, under glove compartment, and in trunk. SR5 has glasses holder on top - another possible place. I never tried but probably you can hide key between sunroof shade and glass.

 

Tissue holder in center console lid? In one of the cupholders in the armrest of rear seats?

 

Have you considered bribing the kid to tell you what he did with the key? Offer candy bars and race cars. Trust me, this will work.

 

I didn't know this could be changed, if it hasn't been changed, it will start with it anywhere in the car. I often leave the golf course with my keys in my golf bag in the cargo area.

 

I don't think it will start unless the key is within a few inches of the frame. I will have mine in the pocket and lean in to touch the brake pedal and the ignition button to warm up the car. Sometimes it will beep if I'm not leaned in far enough.

 

Well unless the 4R remote is significantly weaker that a RX350 I can start the wifes car with keys in the trunk.

But it will tell me once the fob is outside of the car. Didn't try to start it with the key outside.

 

Any update OP?

 

My wife experienced this with a debit card in our 4runner. I ended up finding it under the carpet on the drivers side front seat. There is a seam under the seat separating the front and back carpet. If something falls just right, it can slide under the carpet under the seat. I would move both seats forward, and get in the back door and press down on the carpet looking for a lump. If you find it, you can gently pull up the trim pieces to get under the carpet and fish it out.

 

Yes, our IS starts with it in the trunk also. I would consider the trunk still "in" the car. Plus RX is more a cargo area than proper trunk, and the 4Runner definitely starts with it in the cargo area.

 

Hi all. Thank you so much for all the good ideas and sorry for the late reply. So…none of them were right, but in the process of trying them all out I….still didn’t manage to find the keys.

However, having essentially given up, I was cleaning the car out for my driving test the next day (I’m a UK National, and I’ve just moved to CA, so I’ve got to learn how to be as bad a a driver as Californians ) and I found them!

There are curved trim pieces protecting the end of each seat rail (offending trim piece pictured), with a perfectly key-sized cavern in them. The key had obviously dropped under the seat and then slid perfectly into that hidey hole! I’m not sure I can even blame my 3yo any more!

 

Post 5. you're welcome!!.... glad you found it!!!!

 

Fun how things disappear and show up months later.

I lost a tiny titanium flashlight in the 4runner. Looked over and over for months and nothing. About a year later, I open the back door and it’s sitting on the floorboard.

 

Glad you found them.
After many annoying times of having to reach under the seat to grab my phone, wallet, keys, etc... that would slide out of my pocket into the side hole next to the seat, I decided to buy a seat gap filler and never had a problem ever since! Material is soft so moving the seat back and forth doesnt do any damage

https://www.amazon.com/Drop-Stop-Original-Patented-Filler/dp/B00BYH6C1E

 

I gave up looking for a tire valve stem cover and have spent many times “fishing” for items dropped. Just ordered. Thanks for the post on these.

 

Re-reading your post, I now see what you mean…you were right! Thanks for the advice, sorry I didn’t listen properly!

 

Oh, man...

I went through the drive thru for a breakfast sandwich and COFFEE.

So, I'm pretty much "impaired" in the mornings until I'm coffeed up.

Paid w/ a credit card, laid it on the passenger seat... I thought...

Ate the sarney, (good), drank the coffee, (not bad, just some better 'n other), and went to put the CC back in my wallet.

It wasn't on the seat! "Aw crap, it musta fell between the seat and console. Looked under the seat, all over the floor, had the flashlight out. NO CARD...

Mentioned it to my daughter-in-law that evening. She wanted to look. Walked out, walked back in a minute later and handed me the card.

It was laying on the dash... right where I put it...

 

GRidz, I lived in the UK twice and worked there for more than 10 years. Developed, designed and built the CHP @ immingham and had an office for years off of Oxford St. in "The Big Smoke", (What the craft hands called London.)

Driving on the left... I learned early on to always carry something in my hand when going to get in the car. That way, when I walked up to the left side of the car (the passenger side) to get in and drive away I could put what I was carrying on the passenger seat, then walk around to the driver's side and get in... Didn't want to look like that bloody yank...

PS Tayyab's in Whitechapel ruined me, it was so good. Can't find a decent curry in the US...

 

Been putting these in my cars since I first saw them 20 years ago or so. Life savers.

 

I remember my buddies buying some toy plastic keys for their kids rather large and several colors. I tried those next time. Glad you found the key

 

Yep, what Rocko9999 said, I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached to my neck!

 

I had this happen with a cool custom Swiss Army Knife that I loved and carried everywhere. One day it just was gone. I suspected it had come out of my pocket in the 4R and was in there somewhere and so I tore the truck apart looking for it. Nada. I searched multiple times over months and then the search migrated indoors to closets and coat pockets and other obscure places. Nada. Probably 2 years later, I got in the truck one morning, and the fucking thing was lying on the driver's floorboard. Weird. The 4Runner taketh and and 4Runner giveth, on her terms I guess.

OP glad you found it.

 

MeefZah, same thing happen to a flip phone I once owned.

Couldn't find it anywhere in the Runner. Bought a new phone for $$$.

A month later it appeared on the passenger side floor.

Cue the Twilight Zone theme...

 

Glad you found it. Gotta admit I'm not sure I'd have looked in there either.