That “Not Ready to Drive” message on your Toyota Aygo dashboard is more common than you might think. Hundreds of Aygo owners deal with this exact problem every month, and most of them fix it themselves without spending a cent at the dealer.
Here’s what makes this issue interesting: your car is actually trying to protect you. The warning means one of your safety systems isn’t working right, so the car locks you out until it’s fixed. Smart, but annoying when you need to get somewhere fast.
I’ll show you exactly why this happens and how to fix it. Most solutions take less than ten minutes and need nothing more than basic tools you already have at home.
What Does “Not Ready to Drive” Mean?
Your Aygo runs a quick safety check every time you try to start it. Think of it like a bouncer at a club checking IDs. If something doesn’t check out, you’re not getting in. Or in this case, you’re not driving anywhere.
This message shows up mostly on Aygos with keyless entry and push-button start. The car checks your key fob signal, makes sure you’re pressing the brake, verifies the steering lock is off, and on hybrid models, checks the hybrid system too. One of these fails? You get the lockout message.
It’s actually a safety feature, which is great in theory. But when you’re late for work and your car refuses to budge, it feels more like a punishment. Here’s the thing though: about 80% of the time, you can fix this yourself. Really.
The car might also flash other messages like “Shift to P” or “Brake and Start” right before or after the main warning. They’re all connected. Your car’s computer isn’t getting the right signals from its safety systems, so it plays it safe and keeps you parked.
Toyota Aygo Not Ready to Drive: Common Causes
A few different things trigger this annoying message, and knowing which one is your culprit makes fixing it way easier. Let me break down the usual suspects.
1. Weak or Dead Key Fob Battery
Your key fob talks to your car all the time. Even sitting in your pocket, it’s sending signals. When that tiny battery inside starts dying, the signal gets weak or cuts out completely. Your car can’t hear the key properly, so it locks you out.
This one sneaks up on people. The battery dies slowly over months. First, you might notice you need to stand closer to unlock the car. Then one day, nothing works. Cold weather kills weak batteries even faster.
Most key fob batteries last two or three years. But if you’re the type who constantly hits the panic button looking for your car in big parking lots, you’ll burn through batteries quicker. Plenty of people don’t realize their fob is dying until this error pops up.
2. Faulty Brake Pedal Switch
There’s a little switch at the top of your brake pedal. It tells the car when you’re pressing down. Your push-button start needs to know you’ve got your foot on the brake before it lets the engine fire up or lets you shift gears. When this switch breaks or gets knocked loose, your car thinks you’re not touching the brake. Even when you are.
You press that brake thousands of times over the years. Switches wear out. They get dirty. Sometimes the plastic bits inside crack, which creates problems that come and go randomly. Makes it harder to figure out what’s wrong.
3. Electronic Steering Lock Malfunction
Your Aygo has an electronic lock that grabs the steering wheel when you turn the car off. Keeps thieves from steering your car away. When you start up again, this lock should let go automatically. Sometimes it doesn’t. Or it gets stuck halfway. Either way, you’re staying parked.
This happens a lot after the car sits unused for a week or two. The lock mechanism gets sticky, or the little motor that controls it quits working. You might hear clicking noises from the steering column when you hit the start button. That’s your clue.
4. Low 12V Battery Voltage
Here’s what trips people up: your dashboard lights turn on, so you assume the battery is fine. Wrong. Your Aygo needs a specific voltage to run all its computers and electronics properly, including that push-button start system. A weak battery might power your lights and radio but still lack enough strength to complete the full startup process.
That 12V battery runs your car’s brain. When voltage drops too low, the computers can’t talk to each other properly. Your car catches this and throws up the “Not Ready to Drive” warning to keep you safe. Winter is brutal for this because cold temperatures cut battery power by 30% or more.
Battery terminals corrode too. That crusty buildup creates resistance and blocks proper voltage from getting where it needs to go. You might not see anything obviously wrong from the outside, but even a tiny bit of corrosion messes with the connection. It matters more than you’d think.
5. Software Glitch or System Error
Modern cars are basically rolling computers. And like your laptop or phone, they can glitch out. Your Aygo’s control modules sometimes get confused and spit out error messages when nothing’s actually broken. A hiccup in how the modules talk to each other can trigger the “Not Ready to Drive” warning for no good reason.
These glitches are random and infuriating because they don’t follow patterns. Your car works perfectly for three weeks straight, then suddenly refuses to start on a random Tuesday morning. No warning, no reason.
Toyota Aygo Not Ready to Drive: How to Fix
Start with the easy stuff first, then work your way up to the trickier solutions. One of these will almost certainly get you back on the road.
1. Replace the Key Fob Battery
Pop open your key fob and swap in a fresh battery. Most Aygo fobs take a CR2032 battery. You can grab one at any drugstore or grocery store for about two dollars. Look for a small slot on the side of the fob where you can wedge in a coin or flat screwdriver to pry it open.
Inside, you’ll see the battery. Pay attention to which side faces up before you pull it out. Usually the positive side points up. Slide out the old one, pop in the new one the same way. It should click into place.
Snap the fob back together and test it. Lock and unlock your car from across the parking lot. If it responds better, you found your problem. Try starting the car. The error message should be gone. Toss a spare battery in your glove box so you’re never stuck again.
2. Check and Clean Battery Terminals
Open your hood and find the 12V battery. Look at where the cables connect to the battery posts. See any crusty white, blue, or green stuff? That’s corrosion, and it’s killing your connection. Grab a wrench and disconnect the negative terminal first, then the positive.
Mix baking soda with water until you get a paste. Use an old toothbrush to scrub the terminals and cable ends really well. This breaks down the acid and clears the crud. Rinse everything with clean water. Dry it completely with a rag.
Put the positive terminal back on first, then the negative. Tighten both connections properly. Try starting your car. If bad connections caused your issue, this fixes it. You can smear a bit of petroleum jelly on the terminals after you reconnect them. Stops future corrosion from building up.
3. Reset the Electronic Steering Lock
Turn your steering wheel left and right while you press the brake and push the start button. Sometimes the lock just needs a little wiggle to release. Don’t force it hard. Just gentle pressure.
That didn’t work? Try this: press the brake pedal, push the start button to turn on accessories without starting the engine, then turn the steering wheel slightly both ways. Wait ten seconds. Press the start button again while holding the brake.
You can also reset the whole system by unhooking the 12V battery for fifteen minutes. This wipes any temporary errors from the steering lock module. When you reconnect the battery, the system resets itself. Works surprisingly well for steering locks that act up sometimes but not always.
4. Test the Brake Pedal Switch
Press your brake pedal and have someone watch your brake lights. If the lights don’t come on, your brake switch is probably dead. You can also check by seeing if the shift lock releases when you press the pedal. No release means bad switch.
The brake switch lives at the top of the brake pedal arm, up under the dashboard. You’ll need to lie on your back and look up to spot it. Check if any wires came loose. Push the switch with your finger. Does it click? If it feels mushy or doesn’t click at all, it’s toast.
Replacing it yourself isn’t too hard if you know basic car repairs. Unplug the electrical connector, unscrew or unclip the old switch, install the new one. The part costs twenty to forty dollars. Make sure you adjust it right so it clicks when you press the brake. Test it a bunch of times before calling it fixed.
5. Perform a System Reset
Sometimes your car just needs to restart everything. Sit in the driver’s seat and close all the doors. Press and hold the brake pedal. While holding it, push the start button and keep holding for ten seconds. Different warning lights might flash on the dash. Let go of everything and wait thirty seconds.
Try starting the car normally. This reset clears temporary junk from the computer’s memory. Tons of owners say this simple trick works when nothing else seems broken.
6. Check for Error Codes
Got an OBD2 scanner? Plug it into the diagnostic port under your dashboard. Read whatever error codes are stored in the system. These codes tell you exactly which part triggered the warning. Write the codes down and search online for what they mean for the Aygo specifically.
Common codes for this problem include ones about the key fob system, brake switch, or steering lock. Clear the codes after you try fixing things. Helps you figure out if the repair actually worked. If the same code comes right back, you know that system still has issues.
7. Contact a Toyota Technician
Tried everything and your Aygo still won’t budge? Time to call the pros. Some problems need special diagnostic tools or parts that only trained technicians can handle properly. Hybrid system trouble, immobilizer problems, or complicated electrical faults need expert eyes. Your local Toyota dealer has the right equipment and knowledge to pinpoint exactly what’s broken and fix it correctly the first time.
Wrapping Up
Being locked out of your own car is annoying, no question. But this “Not Ready to Drive” message usually comes from simple problems you can handle yourself with stuff you already have lying around. A fresh key fob battery or clean battery terminals fixes most cases.
Start with the quick fixes first. If those don’t work, move through the rest of the steps one by one. Watch for patterns too. Does it only happen in cold weather? After the car sits for days? These clues point you straight to the real cause and save you time troubleshooting.