Kade said:
You must have had another key remote in the car. There’s no way it would start without one.
I walked to my car with the keys, started it to defrost, and then left the keys at home by accident. It still let me drive 5 miles to my destination and back. I don’t get it! That’s why I’m here asking about it.
I could see the car detecting the key from inside the house during the startup, but it should’ve warned you or turned off once the car lost contact with the key. That’s pretty concerning. I’m not a fan of push-start and remote-start systems. I grew up driving with keys, and I’m still more comfortable with that. I had a Camry Hybrid with push start, but I still prefer using the key in my 2011 Corolla. I wouldn’t pay extra for push-start/remote start, but if it comes in the trim I want, I’ll live with it.
Can you try to make it happen again? If so, it might be time to visit the dealership.
irmah said:
Can you try to make it happen again? If so, it might be time to visit the dealership.
That’s what I was thinking too! I’ll have to check it out.
Does your car’s screen tell you when the key battery is low? Sometimes things get weird when the battery is dying. I had an issue with all my doors locking except for the rear hatchback, and after I replaced the battery, everything worked fine again.
This is normal for the smart key. It lets the car start, but it doesn’t need it to stay running. If you had turned the car off, it wouldn’t start again without the key, but once it’s running, the key isn’t necessary unless you turn it off. I think some newer models don’t let the car run without the key, but the older ones will keep going once started.