Oh, and 111 is just a guess. (not some Toyota secret)
It worked on my last car for the door, and I figure for someone who doesn’t really want a code, or want to remember one, that would be the easiest.
I really doubt that unplugging the radio will reset the code. The whole point of these codes is so when someone steals the radio it wont work. It is meant to be a deterrent to theft.
Concur with Running with Scissors; I’d be most surprised if the manufacturers built in a security code mechanism that limited you to 9 tries but reset itself on power down.
The keycode on my car stereo has an incremental timeout after each incorrect try; First time you get it wrong, you have to wait 30 second, second time, you have to wait 2 minutes, third time it’s 15 minutes and so on increasing (sort of)exponentially; if you expend all your tries(6 I think), you’re stuffed, even if you then suddenly recall the correct code.
The radio in my dad’s Mitsubishi Diamante was reset by a dead battery and needed a code. Four tries were allowed before a lockup, but one need only disconnect the radio from a power source for few minutes and then try four more times. So, at least some radios have the code attempts stored in volatile memory. As a side note, the Mitsu dealership wanted $60 to enter the code. We asked them why it cost so much and he said that they had to remove the radio to read the serial number on the back because the code was based on that number. So, we removed the radio ourselves and took it inside for him to check the serial number. He looked it up in a book and wrote it down for us for free. 
Maybe the same applies to your model radio.
Just a FYI, sex is a really common password, 2nd place behind god, that’s 739 on a phone pad.
Use my birthday --> “820” !
Mine works like Mangetout’s but who ever owned the car before me wrote what I assume is the number in the back of the service book. I asked at the dealer when picking up the car what would happen if that wasn’t the number. They said all they had to do was ring the dealer give them the VIN and get the code which they would do for free. The same thing happened to a guy I work with only weeks ago. He had to take the car to the dealer to prove the radio was still in it and they rang up and gave him the number to reset it, they didn’t charge him. It would seem that the number is vehicle specific and stored on a database by the manufacturing company.
It COULD be written in the cars manual… if you have one.
I know my brother once had the same problem, and he was driving around for a week without a radio.
He had what was probably his first look at the book and it was on the front cover. (2nd hand car)
Also, even though there are only six buttons on the fascia of my stereo, the passcode is composed of four digits 0-9 (you have to press four times on the ‘1’ button to enter 4 as the first digit, then 8 times on the ‘2’ button to enter 8 as the second, and so on.
Well, bad news.
I used up all nine tries. I was going to save the last one in case I found the code somehow, but in a frenzy I entered a futile last guess.
Now, it says “HELP” and I’m hosed. @&!%*# Toyota.
Thanks for all the help on this. I appreciate people taking the time. I don’t think I can get a replacement for $72 so I’ll probably have to fork over the ransom money to the dealer. The thing is, they’re getting their $72 but may be losing tens of thousands of future dollars in that now I’m unhappy with Toyota.
Thanks again
Before you give up, make sure that disconnecting the power won’t reset the lock. This works for some radios.
Have you tried freezing it?
Also, when our burglar alarm broke, it reverted to factory settings, which were 1234.
I’ve heard of this; some of the early types of keycode radio had battery-backed volatile memory; freezing them would drop the battery voltage below the threshold and the whole thing would reset to the default state of no keycode at all; manufacturers were pretty fast in addressing this problem though, IIRC.
He said it was an old one. You never know.
Just want to offer commiserations to ChuckForbin re the extortionate policies of Toyota. A vandal smashed the rear side window on mine, so I needed just this little window replaced. Cost me £260 ($416) to get it replaced, and that’s with a friendly mechanic who charged next to nothing for the work. Be warned, folks. Yep, they’re nice enough cars, but as soon as you need something replacing… you’ll see exactly what Toyota think of their suckers/customers.
As for the radio problem, I suggest you read ‘The Art of Deception’ by Kevin Mitnick and learn all about the art of social engineering. Then you will be able to pose as a mechanic on the phone and get the information you want.
If it were me, I’d drive the car to the dealership some time when they aren’t too busy, say mid-afternoon. Ask to speak to the service manager and explain what happened to your radio and politely say that you feel the $72.00 charge is excessive. It’s important that you speak to the manager of the service department because the guy who writes up your work order doesn’t have the authority to override such things. I’d say your chances are better than 50/50 that they’ll fix it for free as you wait.
If this doesn’t work …
Possibly, the $72.00 represents a minimum charge for doing any work at all on your car. If you have them do something else at the same time you might get a better deal.
Thanks for the continuing advice. Freezing the radio seems like a lot of work to give me ten more guesses. Besides, the temps around here go down to around zero quite often, I would think the radio engineers would have thought of that possiblilty.
I will try to sweet talk the manager into a deal although I doubt it would work. I didnt mention this part before (because it makes me look like a two time loser on this issue) but the same thing happened to me a few years ago with my VW jetta (also in ain airport parking lot, this time with a cellphone draining the battery) and the VW dealer fixed it for free.
I’ll make sure to get the code from them or better yet disable the damn antitheft system. Bastards ! (or as the locals say around here : Bastuds !)
Thanks again
Have you considered asking Colossus?