So my wife lost the only key we had to her 2002 4runner limited. We bought it in 2017 and was only given 1 key 🔑 . I took it to the dealership and they say I have to replace the ecu. Tried asking about the ECU Replacement program and both Toyota USA and the dealership said that the program has expired. Do we have Any options?

 

You will have to find an ECU with Key's

 

Any hint to where to find that around Texas or anywhere?

 

A wrecking yard or a partout, you'll need to find a Limited model though late2001-2002 because your 2002 has the traction control and toyota keyed immobilizer, and you will also want the key FOB, all the lock cylinders for the doors, glovebox and tailgate, not fun..

I've "heard" the ECU can be flashed now by a pro but never actually read someone doing it successfully, it's hard enough to add a key or FOB to these things, I also thought this was only a 99-2000 ECU problem and that the new versions can be reprogrammed, but again I have no real experience with this issue, so you might want to talk to a better tech than the Toyota guys.

 

Online salvage yard database should point you in the right direction, most (some) of your local wreckers can and will source parts for you with a slight markup.

Since you basically have a brick currently it might be worth the $50-100 to flash the eeprom yourself if you're the gambling type.

 

I don't think Toyota offered an Eprom ECU for 3rd gen petrol trucks as they should have since they offered the supercharger, that would have been reserved for the turbocharged rally racing vehicles and Baja1000, that would have saved a lot of people from having to use 7th injectors and piggyback systems or a standalone ECU, I'm sure some genius could socket or replace the chip in the existing ECU to make it eprom but they are not Eprom, and the immobilizer would be a separate chip altogether, thats the one that would need to be replaced and programmed or perhaps disabled. I love the Eprom in my Eclipse, you can do whatever you want with it just about.

 

The RFID key codes are stored on an external (to the CPU) eeprom chip.

Here is one of several links worth looking at.
https://www.instructables.com/id/DIY...-or-Swapped-E/

 

The immobilizer is a chip on the ECU itself that recognizes the RFID, thus the need for a new ECU, but I thought they sorted that out for 2001-2002 and only 99-00 where SOL.