First post:

Bought a 2024 CPO nx450h+ last week. Really love the vehicle and it came with 2 key fobs. Only disappointment has been that a call to Lexus Tech support verified it was not capable of remote connect digital key nor does it support an access key card.

I can understand the CPU was built without the digital key capability (possibly because of chip shortage?) but don’t understand why they cannot program an access key card for it.

Isn’t the access key card literally a key fob in a different configuration without buttons?

 

There is a difference between features and accessories. Dealers love to sell accessories anytime anywhere, but features typically need to be purchased up front. In theory it does seem to be an easy thing to do, just add a key, what could be so difficult. Two things could prevent that:

• Lexus policy has forbidden it, you want the feature, you buy a car with the pkg / trim that has the feature. No second trip to the buffet to get features after the fact. For product placement purposes, they want people to buy the higher featured cars up front, not letting people think they can ignore the trim / pkgs available and just get away with adding something afterwards that is normally at a higher trim level.
• But also, a lot of the technology on these cars is linked to the VIN and feature set the car was originally provided with. Sometimes there are hardware differences but sometimes its simply a case of standardizing their programming. Whenever there might be an update to the car, it will be tied to the VIN and only those features provided to that VIN will be activated. They really don't want anyone working around this system and try to install new features or alternative updates not meant for your car to enable higher trim level features.

I know that kind of sucks. I don't know if the card key limitation is a technology one, or a policy one, or both, but it is "the way" of things. I've heard of others getting turned down by dealer for adding this type of key.

 

Appreciate the reply. You make a lot of sense. Thank you.