Toyota decides to replace smart keys with mechanical keys

Toyota recently announced that it will temporarily replace one of the two intelligent digital keys that come with the new car with a mechanical key to deal with the chip supply problem.

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“Due to the ongoing shortage of semiconductors, this is a temporary measure to deliver cars to customers as quickly as possible,” Toyota said in a statement. ” As for the second smart key, we plan to hand it over to the owner as soon as it is ready.”

The change will reportedly apply to 14 Toyota models, as well as nine Lexus models. In a statement, Toyota said, “Due to supply chain delays, Toyota will temporarily provide a smart key for certain vehicles produced in North America. Our manufacturing, logistics, and sales teams are working hard to develop countermeasures to minimize disruption to customers.”

Moreover, the global semiconductor shortage has had a serious impact on automobile production and transportation. Earlier, the Japanese automaker warned that its annual vehicle production could fall short of its original annual target.

Toyota said on Friday that while overseas sales rose in the first half of fiscal 2023, mainly in Asia, global sales were below the previous year’s level due to “a tight supply-demand balance of semiconductors and other factors.”

(via)