A Toyota radio code is retrieved from the head unit serial, printed on the label on the casing and usually beginning with a letter group such as A5 or CQ. Enter the serial on this page and the code is supplied for £19.99, refunded in full if no working code can be supplied.
Radio codes belong to the head unit serial number, not the vehicle registration or VIN.
A flat battery, battery replacement or radio removal is what triggers the code prompt.
Toyota serial formats: Fujitsu Ten (e.g. FT1234567); Panasonic / Matsushita (e.g. PA1234567); Toyota part-number label (e.g. 86120-0D123).
Display messages: SEC / ANTI-THEFT = The security lock is active and the code is required. · ERR = Incorrect code entered. · 1 hr = Lockout countdown — leave the ignition on until it clears.
Bob's never displays a guessed or generated code — if a working code can't be retrieved you get a full refund.
Where to find the serial number, what the display messages mean and how to key the code back in on a Toyota.
A Toyota radio security code is a four-digit number held against the head unit serial. Toyota tends to use the word ANTI-THEFT or SEC on the display rather than CODE, but the principle is the same lock.
When you'll be asked for the code:
After a flat battery or a battery replacement on a coded unit
When the radio has been unplugged during dash or heater work
After fitting a second-hand head unit from another Toyota
On imported models where the anti-theft function was enabled by the previous owner
Serial number formats:
Fujitsu Ten — for example FT1234567. Yaris, Auris, Corolla — label on the top of the casing.
Panasonic / Matsushita — for example PA1234567. Aygo, Hilux and Proace units.
Toyota part-number label — for example 86120-0D123. Sits beside the serial and helps identify the exact unit.
How to find the serial number:
Check the service book and handbook wallet — a code card was supplied with many Toyotas.
Toyota units rarely show the serial on screen, so plan on removing the unit.
Aygo and Yaris fascia trims unclip by hand; take the trim off rather than levering the radio.
Read both the serial and the 86120- part number from the casing label.
Photograph the label — Fujitsu Ten labels fade badly with heat.
What the display messages mean:
SEC / ANTI-THEFT — The security lock is active and the code is required.
ERR — Incorrect code entered.
1 hr — Lockout countdown — leave the ignition on until it clears.
How to key the code in:
Use the preset buttons 1 to 4 to set the digits, or the seek arrows on rotary units.
Some units want the code entered then the SEEK/TRACK button held to submit.
The display returns to normal radio operation once accepted.
Three failures is the usual limit before a timed wait.
Which Toyotas actually lock
Coded units turn up mostly on the Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Aygo and Avensis with the Fujitsu Ten, Panasonic or Pioneer CD head units. The display shows SEC, ANTI-THEFT or a row of dashes after a battery disconnection.
Toyota Touch and Touch 2 with Go systems are not audio-coded. If your screen reboots to the Toyota logo and comes back working with the wrong time, you have nothing to unlock. The Aygo shares a lot of its interior with the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107, so the removal advice for those cars applies to it too.
Getting the unit out
Most Toyotas bolt the radio into a cage behind a clipped fascia panel. Remove the panel around the radio and heater controls first — start at the bottom edge — then four 10mm or Phillips screws release the unit.
On a Yaris the centre section of the dash comes away as a single large piece and it is worth removing the gear lever surround first to release the bottom clips cleanly. Forcing it while the lower edge is still captive is how the mounting tabs get broken.
The serial is on the top or side label, and it is a longer string than most makes. Photograph it and check the leading characters carefully.
Cost and lockout behaviour
£19.99 here against the serial, fully refunded if no working code can be supplied. A Toyota dealer generally quotes £25 to £40 for the lookup plus labour to remove the unit.
Toyota units are less aggressive than most on lockouts but they still count attempts. If you see a wait period, leave the ignition on so the timer runs, and resist trying numbers in the meantime — each failure restarts it.
Do all Toyotas have a radio code? No. Many Toyota units resume normally after a battery disconnection. The anti-theft function is only active on some models and on units where a previous owner enabled it.
My Toyota shows ANTI-THEFT instead of CODE Same thing. Toyota's wording differs, but the unit still needs its four-digit security code before it will play.
Where is the serial on a Yaris radio? On the label on the top of the casing, alongside an 86120- part number. It is not usually displayed on screen, so the unit has to come out.
Can the code be read from the VIN? Not reliably. The VIN reflects the factory unit only, and Toyota audio is frequently swapped on older cars.
How much is a Toyota radio code? £19.99 on this page against the head unit serial, with a full refund if no working code can be supplied.
What does SEC mean on a Toyota radio? The unit's security lock is active and it is waiting for its code. Entering the correct code restores normal operation.
Does Toyota Touch 2 need a radio code? No. Touch and Touch 2 with Go systems are coded to the vehicle and do not ask for a four-digit audio code.