I Locked the Keys to My 2025 Toyota Camry Rental Car In the Trunk, It Was the Worst Night of My Life, I Would Never Buy A 2025 Camry

“Last night, I had a crazy, crazy night. I would never buy a 2025 Toyota Camry.” 

Kaylee (@sistermon_) tells her crazy story in a TikTok video. She received plenty of criticism from viewers, but there’s an important lesson for 2025 Toyota Camry owners and buyers. 

She says, “So, I went to the grocery store, came out, and put the groceries in my trunk, but I didn’t know, I accidentally dropped the keys in the trunk. I closed the trunk and realized I didn’t have my keys.” 

Before Kaylee tells her story, imagine renting a new Camry because your car has been totaled recently in an accident. Now, you are driving a vehicle you are unfamiliar with. 

After getting the Camry, you stop at the grocery store for a few items to make dinner. You pop the trunk, slip in the bags, and accidentally drop the Camry’s key fob into the open trunk. Before you realize what you’ve done, you close the trunk lid. 

It could happen to anyone. 

You check your bag and realize you don’t have the car keys. You locked them in the trunk. Panic quickly sets in. How are you going to open the car door? You can’t, so you try to call the rental company, but it’s after hours, and they have closed.  

So, remembering you have AAA on your car that was totaled, you call the 24-hour 800 number. They can send someone out and open the door. However, it will take an hour for them to get there. And when the tech finally arrives, he opens the car door, but the craziness has just begun.     

Let’s pick up Kaylee’s story.

She says, “All the car doors were locked, and I could not get in without my keys. So, now I had to call AAA because how else am I supposed to get in my car?”

First, the Car Alarm Goes Off

“The AAA tech had to slip a tool down the side of the window and was able to open my car door. He was able to get in, but the alarm system went off. He tried to get the alarm system off, but it’s not working.”

After what felt like an eternity, he could shut the car alarm off.  

“Now, we still can’t get into the Camry’s trunk. The tech pushed the trunk open button next to the steering wheel below the left side of the dash, but it would not open the trunk. It was not working.” 

“AAA was able to open all the doors, the gas tank door, and the hood, but he could not open the trunk. Toyota needs to have a safety feature on this car,” Kaylee says with unbelief. 

There’s Still No Way Into the Trunk

“Next, he tried to get the rear seats down to get into the trunk, but there was no latch or lever to drop the seats. The latch to drop the seats is in the trunk. So we still can’t get into the trunk.”

“Another man came out of the grocery store, saw us struggling, and he even tried to get the trunk open and couldn’t get it open.” 

Kaylee Has One Key

“My car was totaled in an accident, so I had the 2025 Toyota Camry as a rental car. So, I didn’t have a spare key. The rental car company only gave me one key with the car.”  

Now, It’s a Safety Issue

Kaylee's ordeal with the 2025 Toyota Camry has raised a potential safety concern. What if a child had been locked in the car? Her experience underscores the need for caution and vigilance, making us all more aware of potential safety issues.

"What if my child had been locked in the car? Now, I see this as a safety concern. Now, I feel like the 2025 Toyota Camry is unsafe,” Kaylee says with concern in her voice. 

“Toyota needs some feature, so if it senses the key fob is in the trunk, it will not latch and pop back open. That’s all I’m saying. It needs a safety feature.” 

Her Crazy Night Is Not Over

“After all this craziness, I had to get the Toyota Camry towed to my house to return home. The next day, I called the rental car company and had them get me a spare key. That’s the only way I could get the trunk open.” 

“This whole thing has been a nightmare,” Kaylee says after the ordeal. 

What Camry and All Car Owners Need To Know

If you’ve locked the keys in the trunk of a 2025 Toyota Camry or another vehicle, like Kaylee, you have several options to get them out. First, check if you have a spare key. Most owners don’t carry a spare key in the car but have one at home.

In Kaylee’s case, the rental car company gave her one key fob, which is typical when renting a car. 

Next, if the car door is unlocked, A Reddit post says to try to access the trunk through the rear seats or a hidden trunk relay mechanism. Kaylee’s Camry could not access the trunk through the rear seats or a hidden seat release. 

Avoid Damage

Be cautious not to damage your car when trying to open the trunk. A Camry owner on Quora found this out the hard way. 

If those fail, consider calling roadside assistance or a locksmith. Kaylee did the only thing she knew to do, and it was the right choice. The AAA tech was able to open the car door so that the car could at least be towed to her home. 

The Car Alarm Will Go Off

As mentioned in a Facebook post, if you open Camry’s car door or trunk without the key, the car alarm will go off, as Kaylee and the AAA tech discovered. 

She located a spare key by calling the rental car company the next day. 

Is There a Safety Issue with the 2025 Toyota Camry? 

Toyota Camry Smart Key System:

• Before purchasing a 2025 Toyota Camry, it's crucial to inquire about the safety features, particularly the smart key system. This will help you make an informed decision and ensure a safe driving experience. 
• However, the 2025 Camry trim level the rental car company offers does not have this upgraded smart key technology. That is why the tech could not open the trunk using the trunk release button on the left side of the steering wheel. 

Conclusion

Kaylee's routine grocery store trip took an unexpected turn when she inadvertently locked the keys to her 2025 Toyota Camry in the trunk after loading groceries. Her experience serves as a cautionary tale for all Toyota Camry owners, prompting us to be more mindful of such situations.

Kaylee did all the right things to open the trunk of her 2025 Toyota Camry rental car. Without access to a second key, she had to have AAA open the vehicle, tow it, and get the key from the rental car company the next day. 

However, the simple mistake of dropping the key fob into the trunk was a crazy night, the worst experience of her life. 

It was such a bad experience that Kaylee concludes, “I would never buy a 2025 Toyota Camry.”

It’s Your Turn

Have you accidentally looked at your Camry keys in the trunk or inside the car? If so, click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

Check out my 2025 Toyota Camry story: I Had a Flat On My 2025 Toyota Camry, The Toyota Dealer Charged Me $400 For One Tire, and Now They Tell Me It’s Another $800 For A New Wheel

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl