That's definitely an option. Especially if you have experience working on cars and have tools. Use the forum as resource: http://http://www.ebay.com/itm/IGNITION-LOCK-COROLLA-1992-1991-1990-1989-1988-1987-GEO-PRIZM-1992-19911990-1989-/231302305709?fits=Year%3A1990%7CModel%3ACorolla&hash=item35dab117ad:m:mAZsMHLjgn-1uuyR1lVeIYA&vxp=mtr

 

Take your vin number, current registration and insurance card to the local toyota dealer. They can cut the key from the vin has long has it has never been rekeyed. If it has and was done with a conplete kit it will have the key code stamped into the passenger side door lock assembly. Would need to remove it to see the code. The above info is to prove you own the car. Also you might call the local dealership first to see what info they require before drive down there also make sure they have a key blank instock. Another thing to note is that a key cut from the code instead of being traced will be sharper and may require a little filling to get to work with the old key cylinder that are woren down from years of use.

 

I was going to suggest finding the key code on the passenger side door lock assembly. Would the key code be on the original assembly?

Needless to say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Always keep a spare key somewhere.

 

1990 is the cut off for dealer key code access. but yeah call the local dealer and they should let you know what doc's you will need prior to you heading down.

 

I'll third the dealer option. You get new Toyota branded keys (something I like) and it's an exact cut. I just hope you don't have the wagon, as it's a different key than the sedan and there only 4 left in the dealer network. I took 3 for myself at the start of the year.

If you do replace the ignition lock, it's at least not installed into the steering column, so it's very doable.

 

Actually, you can just avoid this completely if you take a working lock to a locksmith that knows what they're doing. Just make sure you take them a lock that was also working with the ignition with the key you recently lost.

I recently took down my passenger door lock and trunk lock to the local locksmith (They've been family owned and operated for 90 years here in San Bernardino) and he recut the locks to my key because they were inoperable due to theft from years ago. I also handed him a new Toyota blank to replace my 3rd or 4th hardware store copy, by then he noticed the terrible disrepair of the key I gave him, and so he refused. He asked me to bring down my drivers side door lock (my only operating lock aside from the ignition) and he cut a key from the lock. Something I never had even thought of before.

Take a lock to someone who knows what they're doing and you'll get set up right. And its really cheap in comparison to replacing. Plus you'll get a key that's a thousand times more accurate than if you were using a generic copy.

The older gentlemen who owns the place also told me that these are the best locks Toyota ever made (he told me this upon just seeing the doorlocks, so I think he has quite a bit of knowledge lol) so thats a cool little bit of information for those who have Toyota's post 87 and up through the early 2000's?. Here's the difference between years of bad copies and cutting a key from a lock.