Last Updated on November 6, 2021
4Runner Key Fob Upgrade – Injection Molded Keyfob from AJT Designs
One thing that I really was not impressed with when I took delivery of my new 2017 5th Generation Toyota 4Runner was the key. I’d like to think that the experience and excitement of purchasing a new vehicle begins with those new keys handed over to you. I had waited months for my new car to arrive, and when the tow truck driver first handed over the keys I was, unfortunately, less than impressed.
In typical Toyota utilitarian fashion, the factory key fob is simply designed to do its job of locking and unlocking your vehicle. The key fob for the 2017 Toyota 4Runner looks dated, and personally, I don’t think it goes with the rugged design of the vehicle at all. The same key fob is shared with older model Toyota Yaris, Scions and Matrix vehicles. That seems like a lack of innovation to me.
The AJT Design Injection Key Fob Case for 5th Gen Toyota 4Runners
I was pleasantly surprised when I was scrolling through my 4Runner Instagram feed and found a company designing replacement injection Key Fob cases for Toyotas. At the time AJT Design was only producing these fob injection cases for Tacomas, Tundras and FJ cruisers. Unfortunately, at the time they did not offer a replacement key fob case for the 5th Gen 4Runner. February 2018 AJT Design announced pre-orders for the 4Runner 5th Gen Injection Key Fob cases and I quickly placed my order.
The Injection Key Fob from AJT Design is constructed of two plastic casings (top and bottom) that are designed to replace the original factory key case. The plastic casing is made of high strength and impact resistant ABS plastic. Unlike the original factory snap fit key case, the casings are bolted together using an Allen key.
The existing key internals are all reused and installed into the AJT Design Injection Key Fob. It does not require any reprogramming or recutting of the original key. However, by upgrading your key fob, you’ll need to destroy your original OEM case to remove the key and key internals. Not to fear, if for some reason you want to go back to the original replacements can be bought for less than $10 online.
The cool thing about the Injection Key Fob cases from AJT Design is that they are fully customizable to your liking. Seven different color options are available for the case top color, bottom color, and button color. You can also decide between four different screw colors. AJT Design was smart enough to know that Toyota owners love their unique vehicle colors, so the seven color offerings are all matched to Toyota’s off-road colors – including Inferno Red, Quicksand, Cement and Calvary Blue.
My Thoughts on the AJT Design Injection Key Fob Case for 5th Gen Toyota 4Runners
To match my vehicle, I went with the cement colored top and bottom cases with black buttons and red anodized screws to go along with my vehicles red TRD accents. I only ordered one replacement key housing because I wanted to make sure I liked the key fob housing before ordering both, but after receiving the product I’m sure I will be ordering another key fob replacement for my second pair of keys in the near future.
The installation ended up being a little trickier than shown in the installation video from AJT Design, but after some work and extra tools, I was able to get it done. It still took less than 15 minutes.
At $35.00 I thought the price was very reasonable for what you receive. The key feels very high quality and the personalization is a cool unique feature. AJT Design does offer a $4 discount if you order two keys at the same time, which isn’t a huge saving but something to consider if you think you’ll end up buying a second down the line. It’s always nice to be able to support a small business like AJT Design, I’ve also purchased a few of their Toyota patches in the past and am considering purchasing their machined CNC Shift knobs here in the future as well. You can check out more of their products here.
I think the AJT Design Injection Key Fob Case for 5th Gen Toyota 4Runners is an easy and unique vehicle mod that helps spruce up your keychain. After all, if you are driving a cool and unique vehicle I feel your key should match.
