Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (2023 year). Manual in english - page 17

274

4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

■

Operation signals

The emergency flashers flash to indicate that the doors have been locked/
unlocked. (Locked: Once; Unlocked: Twice)

■

Security feature

If a door is not opened within approximately 30 seconds after the vehicle is
unlocked, the security feature automatically locks the vehicle again.

■

When the door cannot be locked by the lock sensor on the surface of the
door handle

■

Door lock buzzer

If an attempt to lock the doors is made when a door is not fully closed, a
buzzer sounds continuously for 5 seconds. Fully close the door to stop the
buzzer, and lock the vehicle once more.

■

Setting the alarm (if equipped)

Locking the doors will set the alarm system. (



P. 76)

■

If the smart entry & start system or the wireless remote control does not
operate properly

●

Use the mechanical key to lock and unlock the doors. (



P. 695)

●

Replace the key battery with a new one if it is depleted. (



P. 632)

When the door cannot be locked even if
the lock sensor on the surface of the door
handle is touched by a finger, touch the
lock sensor with the palm.
When gloves are being worn, remove the
gloves.

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

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◆

Door lock switches

Locks all the doors
Unlocks all the doors

◆

Inside lock buttons

Locks the door
Unlocks the door

The driver’s door and front pas-
senger’s door (for left-hand
drive vehicles only) can be
opened by pulling the inside
handle even if the lock buttons
are in the lock position.

Move the inside lock button to the lock position.
Close the door while pulling the door handle.

The door cannot be locked if the power switch is in ACCESSORY or
ON mode, or the electronic key is left inside the vehicle.

The key may not be detected correctly and the door may be locked.

Locking and unlocking the doors from the inside

1
2

1
2

Locking the front doors from the outside without a key

1

2

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

The door cannot be opened from
inside the vehicle when the lock is
set.

Unlock
Lock

These locks can be set to prevent
children from opening the rear
doors. Push down on each rear
door switch to lock both rear doors.

■

Using the mechanical key

The doors can also be locked and unlocked with the mechanical key. 
(



P. 695)

■

Open door warning buzzer

If the vehicle speed reaches 5 km/h (3 mph), the master warning light flashes
and a buzzer sounds to indicate that the door(s) is not fully closed. 
The open door(s) is displayed on the multi-information display.

■

Conditions affecting the operation of the smart entry & start system or
wireless remote control



P. 286

■

Rear seat reminder function

●

In order to remind you not to forget luggage, etc. in the rear seat, when the
power switch is turned off after any of the following conditions are met, a
buzzer will sound and a message will be displayed on the multi-information
display for approximately 6 seconds.
• The hybrid system is started within 10 minutes after opening and closing

a rear door.

• A rear door has been opened and closed after the hybrid system was

started.

However, if a rear door is opened and then closed within approximately 2
seconds, the rear seat reminder function may not operate.

●

The rear seat reminder function determines that luggage, etc. has been
placed in a rear seat based on opening and closing of a rear door. There-
fore, depending on the situation, the rear seat reminder function may not
operate and you may still forget luggage, etc. in the rear seat, or it may
operate unnecessarily.

●

The rear seat reminder function can be enabled/disabled. (



P. 726)

Rear door child-protector lock

1
2

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

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■

Customization

Settings (e.g. operation signal) can be changed. 
(Customizable features: 



P. 726)

WARNING

■

To prevent an accident

Observe the following precautions while driving the vehicle.
Failure to do so may result in a door opening and an occupant could be
thrown out of the vehicle, resulting in death or serious injury.

●

Ensure that all doors are properly closed.

●

Do not pull the inside handle of the doors while driving.
Be especially careful for the driver’s door and front passenger’s door (for
left-hand drive vehicles only), as the door may be opened even if the
inside lock buttons are in locked position.

●

Set the rear door child-protector locks when children are seated in the rear
seats. 

■

When opening or closing a door

Check the surroundings of the vehicle such as whether the vehicle is on an
incline, whether there is enough space for a door to open and whether a
strong wind is blowing. When opening or closing the door, hold the door
handle tightly to prepare for any unpredictable movement.

■

When using the wireless remote control and operating the power win-
dows

Operate the power window after checking to make sure that there is no pos-
sibility of any passenger having any of their body parts caught in the side
window. Also, do not allow children to operate the wireless remote control. It
is possible for children and other passengers to get caught in the power
window.

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

Back door

◆

Smart entry & start system

Carry the electronic key to enable this function.

Locks all the doors

Check that the door is securely
locked.

Unlocks all the doors

The doors cannot be unlocked
for 3 seconds after the doors are
locked.

◆

Wireless remote control



P. 273

◆

Door lock switches



P. 275

Raise the back door while pushing
up the back door opener switch.

The back door can be unlocked/locked and opened/closed by
the following procedures.

1

2

Opening the back door from outside the vehicle

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

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Lower the back door using the
back door handle, and make sure
to push the back door down from
the outside to close it.

Be careful not to pull the back door
sideways when closing the back
door with the handle.

■

Luggage compartment light

The luggage compartment light turns on when the back door is opened with
the luggage compartment light switch on.

■

If the back door opener is inoperative

The back door can be unlocked from the inside.

When closing the back door

On
Off
When the power switch is turned off, the
light will go off automatically after 20
minutes.

Remove the cover.
To prevent damage, cover the tip of the
screwdriver with a rag.

Move the lever.

1

2

1

2

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

WARNING

Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

■

Before driving

●

Make sure that the back door is fully closed. If the back door is not fully
closed, it may open unexpectedly while driving and hit near-by objects or
luggage in the luggage compartment may be thrown out, causing an acci-
dent.

●

Do not allow children to play in the luggage compartment.
If a child is accidentally locked in the luggage compartment, they could
have heat exhaustion or other injuries.

●

Do not allow a child to open or close the back door.
Doing so may cause the back door to open unexpectedly, or cause the
child’s hands, head, or neck to be caught by the closing back door.

■

Important points while driving

●

Keep the back door closed while driving.
If the back door is left open, it may hit near-by objects or luggage in the
luggage compartment may be thrown out, causing an accident.

●

Never let anyone sit in the luggage compartment. In the event of sudden
braking, sudden swerving or a collision, they are susceptible to death or
serious injury.

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

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WARNING

■

Operating the back door

Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause parts of the body to be caught, resulting in death
or serious injury.

●

Remove any heavy loads, such as snow and ice, from the back door
before opening it. Failure to do so may cause the back door to suddenly
shut again after it is opened.

●

When opening or closing the back door, thoroughly check to make sure
the surrounding area is safe. 

●

If anyone is in the vicinity, make sure they are safe and let them know that
the back door is about to open or close.

●

Use caution when opening or closing the back door in windy weather as it
may move abruptly in strong wind.

●

Do not pull on the back door damper stay to close the back door, and do
not hang on the back door damper stay. 
Doing so may cause hands to be caught or the back door damper stay to
break, causing an accident.

●

If a bicycle carrier or similar heavy object is attached to the back door, it
may suddenly shut again after being opened, causing someone’s hands,
head or neck to be caught and injured. When installing an accessory part
to the back door, using a genuine Toyota part is recommended.

●

The back door may suddenly shut if it is
not opened fully. It is more difficult to
open or close the back door on an
incline than on a level surface, so
beware of the back door unexpectedly
opening or closing by itself. Make sure
that the back door is fully open and
secure before using the luggage com-
partment. 

●

When closing the back door, take extra
care to prevent your fingers etc. from
being caught.

●

When closing the back door, make sure
to press it lightly on its outer surface. If
the back door handle is used to fully
close the back door, it may result in
hands or arms being caught.

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

NOTICE

■

Back door damper stays

The back door is equipped with damper stays that hold the back door in
place.
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause damage to the back door damper stay, resulting
in malfunction.

●

Do not place your hand on the damper stay or apply lateral forces to it.

●

Do not attach any foreign objects, such
as stickers, plastic sheets, or adhesives
to the damper stay rod.

●

Do not touch the damper stay rod with
gloves or other fabric items.

●

Do not attach any accessories other
than genuine Toyota parts to the back
door.

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

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Smart entry & start system

●

Unlocks and locks the doors (



P. 273)

●

Unlocks and locks the back door (



P. 278)

●

Unlocks the charging port lid (



P. 131)

●

Unlocks and locks the charging connector (



P. 134)

●

Starts the hybrid system (



P. 323)

■

Antenna location

The following operations can be performed simply by carrying
the electronic key on your person, for example in your pocket.
The driver should always carry the electronic key.

Antennas outside the cabin
Antennas inside the cabin
Antenna outside the luggage compart-
ment
Antenna outside the charging port lid

1

2

3

4

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

■

Effective range (areas within which the electronic key is detected)

When unlocking the charging port lid, when locking and unlocking the
charging connector
The system can be operated when the electronic key is within about
0.7 m (2.3 ft.) of the charging port lid.
When starting the hybrid system or changing power switch modes
The system can be operated when the electronic key is inside the vehi-
cle.

■

Alarms and warning messages

An alarm sounds and warning message displays shown on the multi-informa-
tion display are used to protect against unexpected accidents or theft of the
vehicle resulting from erroneous operation. When a warning message is dis-
played, take appropriate measures based on the displayed message.
When only an alarm sounds, circumstances and correction procedures are as
follows.

When locking or unlocking the doors
The system can be operated when
the electronic key is within about
0.7 m (2.3 ft.) of either of the outside
front door handles and back door
opener switch. (Only the doors
detecting the key can be operated.)

Alarm

Situation

Correction procedure

Exterior alarm
sounds once for 5
seconds

An attempt was made to
lock the vehicle while a door
was open.

Close all of the doors
and lock the doors
again.

Interior alarm
pings repeatedly

The power switch was
turned to ACCESSORY
mode while the driver’s door
was open (The driver’s door
was opened when the
power switch was in
ACCESSORY mode).

Turn the power switch
off and close the
driver’s door.

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■

When “Smart Entry & Start System Malfunction See Owner’s Manual” is
displayed on the multi-information display

The system may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by any autho-
rized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer
immediately.

■

Battery-saving function

The battery-saving function will be activated in order to prevent the electronic
key battery and the 12-volt battery from being discharged while the vehicle is
not in operation for a long time.

●

In the following situations, the smart entry & start system may take some
time to unlock the doors.
• The electronic key has been left in an area of approximately 2 m (6 ft.) of

the outside of the vehicle for 10 minutes or longer.

• The smart entry & start system has not been used for 5 days or longer.

●

If the smart entry & start system has not been used for 14 days or longer,
the doors cannot be unlocked at any doors except the driver’s door. In this
case, take hold of the driver’s door handle, or use the wireless remote con-
trol or the mechanical key, to unlock the doors.

■

Electronic Key Battery-Saving Function

When battery-saving mode is set, battery depletion is minimized by stopping
the electronic key from receiving radio waves.

Press 

 twice while pressing and

holding 

. Confirm that the electronic

key indicator flashes 4 times.
While the battery-saving mode is set, the
smart entry & start system cannot be
used. To cancel the function, press any of
the electronic key buttons.

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

■

Conditions affecting operation

The smart entry & start system, wireless remote control and immobilizer sys-
tem use weak radio waves. In the following situations, the communication
between the electronic key and the vehicle may be affected, preventing the
smart entry & start system, wireless remote control and immobilizer system
from operating properly. (Ways of coping: 



P. 695)

●

When the electronic key battery is depleted

●

Near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio station, large dis-
play, airport or other facility that generates strong radio waves or electrical
noise

●

When the electronic key is in contact with, or is covered by the following
metallic objects
• Cards to which aluminum foil is attached
• Cigarette boxes that have aluminum foil inside
• Metallic wallets or bags
• Coins
• Hand warmers made of metal
• Media such as CDs and DVDs

●

When other wireless key (that emit radio waves) is being used nearby

●

When carrying the electronic key together with the following devices that
emit radio waves
• Portable radio, cellular phone, cordless phone or other wireless commu-

nication devices

• Another vehicle’s electronic key or a wireless key that emits radio waves
• Personal computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs)
• Digital audio players
• Portable game systems

●

If window tint with a metallic content or metallic objects are attached to the
rear window 

●

When the electronic key is placed near a battery charger or electronic
devices

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

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Note for the entry function

●

Even when the electronic key is within the effective range (detection areas),
the system may not operate properly in the following cases:
• The electronic key is too close to the window or outside door handle, near

the ground, or in a high place when the doors are locked or unlocked.

• The electronic key is on the instrument panel, floor, or in the door pockets

or glove box when the hybrid system is started or power switch modes
are changed.

●

Do not leave the electronic key on top of the instrument panel or near the
door pockets when exiting the vehicle. Depending on the radio wave recep-
tion conditions, it may be detected by the antenna outside the cabin and the
door will become lockable from the outside, possibly trapping the electronic
key inside the vehicle.

●

As long as the electronic key is within the effective range, the doors may be
unlocked or locked by anyone.

●

Even if the electronic key is not inside the vehicle, it may be possible to start
the hybrid system if the electronic key is near the window.

●

The doors may unlock if a large amount of water splashes on the door han-
dle, such as in the rain or in a car wash when the electronic key is within the
effective range. (The door will automatically be locked after approximately
30 seconds if the doors are not opened and closed.)

●

If the wireless remote control is used to lock the doors when the electronic
key is near the vehicle, there is a possibility that the door may not be
unlocked by the entry function. (Use the wireless remote control to unlock
the doors.)

●

Touching the door lock sensor while wearing gloves may delay or prevent
lock operation. Remove the gloves and touch the lock sensor again.

●

On some models: When the lock operation is performed using the lock sen-
sor, recognition signals will be shown up to two consecutive times. After this,
no recognition signals will be given.

●

If the door handle becomes wet while the electronic key is within the effec-
tive range, the door may lock and unlock repeatedly. In this case, follow the
following correction procedures to wash the vehicle.
• Place the electronic key in a location 2 m (6 ft.) or more away from the

vehicle. (Take care to ensure that the key is not stolen.)

• Set electronic key to battery-saving mode to disable the smart entry &

start system. (



P. 285)

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4-2. Opening, closing and locking the doors

●

If the electronic key is inside the vehicle and a door handle becomes wet
during a car wash, a message may be shown on the multi-information dis-
play and a buzzer will sound outside the vehicle. To turn off the alarm, lock
all the doors.

●

The lock sensor may not work properly if it comes into contact with ice,
snow, mud, etc. Clean the lock sensor and attempt to operate it again.

●

A sudden approach to the effective range or door handle may prevent the
doors from being unlocked. In this case, return the door handle to the origi-
nal position and check that the doors unlock before pulling the door handle
again.

●

If there is another electronic key in the detection area, it may take slightly
longer to unlock the doors after the door handle is gripped. 

■

When the vehicle is not driven for extended periods

●

To prevent theft of the vehicle, do not leave the electronic key within 2 m
(6 ft.) of the vehicle.

●

The smart entry & start system can be deactivated in advance. (



P. 726)

■

To operate the system properly

Make sure to carry the electronic key when operating the system. Do not get
the electronic key too close to the vehicle when operating the system from the
outside of the vehicle.
Depending on the position and holding condition of the electronic key, the key
may not be detected correctly and the system may not operate properly. (The
alarm may go off accidentally, or the door lock prevention may not operate.)

■

If the smart entry & start system does not operate properly

●

Locking and unlocking the doors: Use the mechanical key. (



P. 695)

●

Starting the hybrid system: 



P. 696

■

Customization

Settings (e.g. smart entry & start system) can be changed. 
(Customizable features: 



P. 726)

■

If the smart entry & start system has been deactivated in a customized
setting

●

Unlocking and locking the doors:
Use the wireless remote control or mechanical key. (



P. 273, 695)

●

Unlocking the charging port lid: 



P. 132

●

Unlocking and locking the charging connector: 



P. 135

●

Starting the hybrid system and changing power switch modes: 



P. 696

●

Stopping the hybrid system: 



P. 324

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WARNING

■

Caution regarding interference with electronic devices

●

People with implantable cardiac pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization
therapy-pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators should keep
away from the smart entry & start system antennas. (



P. 283) 

The radio waves may affect the operation of such devices. If necessary,
the entry function can be disabled. Ask any authorized Toyota retailer or
Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer for details, such as the
frequency of radio waves and timing of the emitted radio waves. Then,
consult your doctor to see if you should disable the entry function.

●

Users of any electrical medical device other than implantable cardiac
pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization therapy-pacemakers or implanta-
ble cardioverter defibrillators should consult the manufacturer of the
device for information about its operation under the influence of radio
waves.
Radio waves could have unexpected effects on the operation of such
medical devices.

Ask any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reli-
able repairer for details on disabling the entry function.