About Toyota radio codes
Toyotas sold new in the UK almost never ask for a radio code: disconnect the battery and the radio comes back on by itself, minus the clock and your saved stations. The radios that do lock are mostly Japanese-market navigation radios in imported cars, and they show a 16-character code called the ERC. We turn that into your unlock code straight away. If your radio asks for a short code and never shows an ERC, it is usually a dealer-fitted accessory radio, which is a different thing again.
How to find your Toyota radio serial number
Most Toyota radios show their serial on the screen, so you don’t need to take anything apart. The serial tells us exactly which code your radio needs.
On the screen
- Check first that the radio really wants a code: most Toyotas sold in the UK come back on by themselves.
- Hold the main button on the screen and switch the parking lights on and off 3 or 4 times, until a new screen appears.
- Press the one button on that screen. Write down the 16 letters and numbers it shows: that is the ERC.
On the label
The serial is also printed on a label on the top or side of the radio. Most radios slide out with a pair of radio removal keys (a few pounds from any car parts shop). Push them into the slots on the front until they click, then ease the radio forward. Some have screws to undo first.
Photograph the label rather than copying it by hand — 0 and O, 1 and I are easy to mix up.
What your serial looks like
-
10211376AB8E0D25Toyota / Lexus ERC16 letters and numbers Instant
Can’t find it or can’t read it? Send us a photo of the label: £9.99, with a full refund if we can’t find your code.
Screen shows nothing and the radio has to come out? How to remove a car radio shows which release keys you need and where they go.
Which Toyota radio do you have?
These are the radios Toyota fitted we know about, and whether we can unlock them. Not sure which is yours? Type the serial in: the free check works it out for you.
Popular Toyota models
Step-by-step help for the Toyota models people ask us about most:
- Toyota Yaris radio code
- Toyota Auris radio code
- Toyota Corolla radio code
- Toyota Aygo radio code
- Toyota RAV4 radio code
- Toyota ERC Units radio code
We also cover:
- Avensis
- Prius
The serial is what counts, as radios are often swapped between cars.
How to enter your Toyota radio code
Once you have your code, key it in like this. Your order page shows the same steps next to your code.
Toyota / Lexus ERC
- Type in your 8-character code exactly, with the numbered buttons or the touchscreen.
If your Toyota radio says LOCKED, WAIT or SAFE
Each wrong code makes the radio wait longer before the next try, and some radios lock for good after too many. Don’t guess: get the right code first, then follow the steps for your radio.
| Radio | What to do |
|---|---|
| Toyota / Lexus ERC | The ERC changes if the battery is disconnected again. Check the new one for free. |
What LOCKED, WAIT and SAFE mean, and how long to wait →
Why we use your radio’s serial, not your number plate
A radio code belongs to the radio, not the car. A dealer usually looks it up from the Toyota’s number plate or VIN (the 17-character number in your logbook), which only works if the car still has the radio it left the factory with. Radios are often swapped under warranty, upgraded, or changed by a previous owner.
The serial is printed on the radio itself, so the code matches the radio in front of you. It is also what lets us check for free before you pay. Main dealers often charge £30–£130, and you usually have to book the car in.
What we can and can’t do
We can do
- Any Toyota radio that displays a 16-character ERC
We can’t do (yet)
- Radios that ask for a short code and show no ERC (usually dealer-fitted accessory radios)
- Toyota Touch and other touchscreens, which have no code
We always tell you before you pay. Not sure? Send us a photo of the label.
Toyota radio code questions
Does my Toyota need a radio code at all?
Usually not. UK Toyotas normally come straight back on after a flat battery — you just lose the clock and your saved stations. Only radios that ask for a code, and show a 16-character ERC, need one.
How do I get the ERC?
It lives in a hidden screen on Japanese navigation radios: hold the main button on the radio and switch the parking lights on and off three or four times until a new screen appears, then press the one button on it. Sixteen letters and numbers is the ERC.
My radio wants a short code and shows no ERC.
That is usually a dealer-fitted accessory radio rather than the factory one, and its code is not the ERC kind. Type what you have into the free check and it will tell you for nothing.
The ERC changed.
It changes each time power is lost. Use the one on screen now — the free check is instant.
How much is a Toyota radio code?
£9.99 per code. The free check comes first, so you only pay once we know we can do it, and you get your money back if the code doesn’t work.
How long does it take?
Most Toyota codes appear on screen the moment you’ve paid, and we email you a copy. If yours has to be looked up by our team, we email it within 2 hours and tell you before you pay.
What if the code doesn’t work?
Check the serial first: 0 and O, or 1 and I, are easy to mix up. Still stuck? Tell us from your order page and we’ll put it right or refund you in full.
Updated October 2026
