Help!
I bought my 2012 CT 200H FSport over a year ago. It had 33,000 miles and now about 45,000.
I’d never had a hybrid, (came from a 1999 manual transmission BMW) and still know very little.

It warned me a few weeks ago that my key needed a new battery but I hadn’t gotten one yet, and had in my bag the second key, which I assumed had a good battery.

Last night the doors unlocked as usual but when I got in and pushed Start, only a few random icons meekly lit up and the car made a long, low whine. With each subsequent try, there were no more display panel lights and the whine finally stopped altogether.

I assumed, of course, that it was the key(s) batteries and so finally replaced them. ... but .. that was NOT the problem. The doors remain unlocked and the car is unresponsive.
A friend suggested I have AAA check and try to jump the battery and take it to a dealership (rather than any of a number of well-reviewed mechanics) if necessary.

Does anyone have ANY ideas?
I’d so appreciate any input.

 

Sounds like your 12 volt "car battery" needed replacing.

​​​​​​I had used AAA to replace my car battery back in November last year. But not with my CT200h. It was my LX570. It all went well and fairly fast and painless. I remembered it was around $149 with 72 months warranty. First 36 months free replacement and the remaining 36 months prorated.

Just call up AAA and explain to them what's going on and you think it is the car battery (12 volt) and not the hybrid batteries. Ask them for an exact quote for your specific car INSTALLED. THEN ask them to have the person coming to you to make sure to have that exact replacement battery ready for install into your car.

I find using AAA more convenient and it is guaranteed nation wide. And AAA can test your old battery and show you it's readings.
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Thank you! I didn’t know that AAA could actually do more than simply try to jump start a battery.

 

Your 12V battery is the issue. Cold weather is hard on battery specially old one. You have two batteries, one is 12V small battery to keep you car brun
alive. The other one is battery bank for propulsion. The 12V one must old one due for a replacement. Had same issue when I owned RX hybrid. Key
fob battery status won't be displayed on the dash. If key is close to car it'll deplete battery talking to the car all the time. Keep the spare key away from the car.

 

Actually if your key fob battery is low, you will get a warning on small screen in the gauge cluster (the dash as many call it). But it will specifically state it, by saying something like "key battery low." I've run into this a few times.

Should you ever need to use your car with a depleted key fob, you will need to take the physical key out of the fob and unlock the door with it. Once inside, you have to touch the key fob to the start button then start the car, otherwise the car can't read the key and won't start.

 

Also see the following (It's a Pruis, but the procedure is the sane).

 

AAA likely will not have this specific battery. Many don't know what to do with a Prius/CT that runs out of fuel. Call Auto zone and get a optima battery for 189, they will install it free. Look up what store has it in stock, call the store to make sure it is in stock, have AAA tow it there. It won't be easier than that. Or Toyota dealer for pricing. Lexus dealer was 75 bucks more than Toyota and both wanted 1 hour labor for the install. That's a extra~$100 bucks on top of the 200 battery.

I just went thru this a week before Christmas.