The Toyota Tundra is a little late to the remote start club of the truck world. Many models do not come with the oem option installed.
The TRD Pro is the one model of Tundra that comes with the Remote Start option installed, but many owners do not like the OEM remote start for the very reason that it will cut the engine off when the door is opened. There are many other examples of aftermarket products that Tundra owners prefer.
Toyota Stock Remote Start
Many Toyota Tundra drivers who have the modern TRD Pro from 2018 – 2020 will have the factory remote start. The 2018-2019 model has the H key that has the lock and unlock buttons on it, along with the remote start all in one key.
The 2020 version of the TRD Pro just came with the keyless dongle that serves as key. The 2020 has the push button remote start, where you start the car by holding the bake down and pushing the button in, most modern trucks come with this option.
The Toyota’s factory version of remote start has one major drawback, once you start the car and maybe its been running for a while, when you go to open the door and get inside the engine will cut off. This is what Toyota has called a safety feature, though I don’t know of any other cars that have such a feature.
Usually when you start the car or truck remotely you can get in it without the engine cutting off and there is usually another step you must complete to start the vehicle. This may be just pressing the push start button or holding the brake down and pressing the button. As you can see this can become very frustrating.
On a very cold morning after remotely starting your Tundra and waiting for the engine to heat up, why would you want to shut it off after getting inside it, only to start it up again. This does not make any logical sense and it’s easy to see why so many new Tundra owners prefer they did not even have it.
Aftermarket Kits
There are a few aftermarket kits that are mostly plug and play to get a better result or at least the same, as the Toyota OEM remote start. At the moment there are a few kits offered by 12VoltSolutions for each year of the Tundra.
These kits offer a variety of different options for the Toyota Tundra. Most all are easy to install, they offer installation videos on their youtube channel and website.
The kits start at 349.99 at the time this article is being written. This includes 1 kit that could be installed on a Tundra that has either a G key or a H key. G key models have a separate clicker from the actual key to start the truck, that is their only difference.
They don’t take too long to install and work with all the factory parts and stock OEM clickers. I personally have this model on my truck and I think the rang is great.
This kit differs greatly from the stock OEM addition from Toyota. It allow you to start the truck by clicking the lock button three times and you will be able to open the door without killing the engine. Then you will need to insert your key, turn it til it clicks twice, then press the break pedal to be able to drive.
The run time for your truck after starting it is 15 minutes, the range is the same as your OEM key FOB which is pretty good on the newer Tundra’s. They offer an upgraded set of long rang remotes that they claim to have a range of 1 mile which is pretty incredible. They look and act more like the typical remote start FOB, where you press the button and hold for 3 seconds to start the vehicle.
The kit with the long range remotes runs about $100 more than the standard kit. I could see some being interested, but the standard range has been more than fine for me.
There are many other companies online that offer a phone app kit that will remotely start the Tundra and most other trucks. These are sometimes more complicated and the manufacturers prefer them to be installed by the distributors. The companies VIPER and DronMobile I have found offer some different packages.
Some people like having everything on their phone and would rather not carry around keys and a FOB. If that’s what you’re thinking than go ahead and look into these two options some more. VIPER offers a kit that comes with long range key FOB’s and a 2-way alarm system. There is a module that can be purchased with a yearly subscription, this will allow you to use the smart phone app.
The smart phone app will allow you to start your truck from anywhere, view it from its GPS location, monitor if the doors have been opened or if the truck has been started. It let’s you keep you in the know, more than any other kit on the market. This is very similar to the DronMobil kit, which I am not as familiar to me.
No doubt you will find that most car electronics stores carry VIPER products for most vehicles, the app is available to both iPhone and Android users. The DronMobil kit is based on a subscription service that has three different tiers starting at 5.99 a month. If this does not sound like some you’re interested in, then you can also check out FORTIN.
FORTIN offers the EVO-ALL and the EVO-ONE modules for the Toyota Tundra. the EVO-ALL starts at $99.99 and offers basic security from their smart-phone app, it does not however start the vehicle at all. The EVO-ONE comes in at 199.99 and offers the same level of monitoring but also converts the OEM clicker into a remote starter by clicking 3 times.
This option is a little cheaper than the one offered by 12VoltSolutions and I do know some people really like it, they have been around for a long time. They offer great support and have a good installation guide on their website.
Overall I don’t think that any of these options are much different from their competition. it really comes down more to personal preference. They all offer remote starting that seems to be better than the OEM option that kills the engine after you open the door to get in. It may come down to more about price and easy installation.
If you don’t want to install this yourself, you can most likely go to a car electronics store and see if they have one of the systems in stock. Ask them how long and what they would charge to put it in your truck. If you want, you could go ahead and purchase the system online and then take it to a local car electronics store to see what they would charge, I know many that do this.
Best Buy I have heard may be another outfit that will install or carry one of the remote start systems. I believe they still carry VIPER, you could call and ask if they would install another system for you, and most likely they would.