I recently got my wife a 2018 Toyota RAV4 LE, 2wd, automatic, 25,000 miles with a keyed ignition. We live in central Ohio on frozen Lake Erie. My dear wife wants a remote starter for it so I went to my local Toyota dealer who ordered all the needed parts and scheduled when we were to bring it in. The day came for us to bring in the RAV4 to get the Toyota remote start installed. We were going out to the door when the Toyota parts guy called up and asked us what kind or ignition the RAV4 had. When I said it was a keyed ignition he said sorry but Toyota only has a remote starter for a smart key push button ignition. My question is this: Is this true? Is there any after market remote starter anywhere that is recommended for our keyed ignition RAV4? My wife is a nurse and works nights and needs to have her car warmed up when she gets in it instead of staying in the hospital parking lot which is not safe for nurses at night. Thank you very much.
I would not install an after market remote starter in any recent car, especially in '18 RAV4. Problem is that current cars are complicated, … full of electronics, computers, … and so most after market system are not compatible with current new cars.
Fact is, after market installers have no phlunkin’ clue how to correctly implement these systems in. If Toyota does not want to do it, … I would not even try it. Too many examples are out there that turned out to be a complete disasters, … in most cases not functioning properly, or worse: … fried electronics!
F.S.
Never install an aftermarket remote start system. They all require splicing into the ignition wiring and that typically generates more issues than they are worth.
Yes, what the Toyota guy says is true.
Agree with everyone else here, instead of waiting on the car to warm up in the middle of the night, wear more clothes? My GF would be in 8 layers at the first sign of snow
