The cost of replacing car keys now is ludicrous / Go get a spare made now

i had a new honda civic delivered to me this year,and the driver left his key plus my 2 car keys..
he had to come back and collect his key as it was a master key to all the honda's in the garage.
so they do have master keys ..

a reply to: Domo1

A friend of mine went through this, a single key cost him hundreds.

But that's nothing compared to my washing machine, it has to be replaced because a single magnet smaller than my thumb nail was missing. That's planned obsolescence right there-devices aren't designed to be repaired anymore, they are designed to malfunction so you have to replace the whole device ergo $$$.

a reply to: Domo1

There are key-making kiosks here around every shopping center, just little private owned places, and they will make keys for a fraction of what you paid.

Some of them have the dealer logos if that matters to anyone...I couldn't care less, as long as it starts the car. $75-100 per keyless remote is average cost.

Never go to the dealer for things like that...they'll always poke your eyes out. My ex was a conman...I mean auto finance specialist...and he used to practically wax poetic about all the different tiny ways they'd screw over the customer and pocket the difference. Don't do it. There are always options, trust me on this.

a reply to: tigertatzen

I appreciate the advice, but my truck is pretty much new. You can't just go get new keys cut, this is why I'm mad and posted in RANT.

I looked up all the options, and sadly I needed to have the truck at a dealership to get the keys made. No ifs ands or buts. This was part of my rant.

The truck had to be programmed along with the keys. I tend to avoid dealerships, but in this case there wasn't another option. This is why I got mad.

There are always options, trust me on this.

Do share! Remember I had no keys. F-150 Super Crew.

originally posted by: Domo1
This is entirely my fault, but I still can't believe dealers get away with charging what they do for a freaking key.

So I went full dumbass and hopped in the lake with my truck key in my back pocket. I didn't have a spare (decided to save some money and traded in the car I bought new for a truck of the same year). I should have made a freaking spare, but I never lose keys and didn't want to pay the exorbitant price, on account of being a dumbass.

As you all are probably aware, newer vehicles (mine is pretty freaking new) have a chip, and you have to have the thing (and probably the vehicle) programmed for it to start the car. Fine, good idea. Makes it a lot harder to steal.

Went to hop in truck after floating and cooking my glorious white ass in the sun, searched frantically through all our stuff, no dice. I had ONE option. Get the truck towed. Called AAA (that I luckily just got) and the first tow company cancelled when they realized I didn't have a key. Can't put the thing in neutral or steer if you don't have the key. Luckily the next company AAA got ahold of had a competent guy that was able to disengage the transmission cable, pop it in neutral and haul her massive super crew butt onto a flatbed.

Dealers were all closed, didn't have a key for a drop box, so I had it towed home.

Call dealer the next day and find out I need to have the truck at the dealership to get her programmed along with the keys. Oh, fun fact, you have to buy two apparently if you don't have the original. Now that may be a lie they told me, but since I was going to get two made anyway I let it slide. Oh another lovely thing that happened, the dealer closest to me had a broken key machine.

Already used two of my three tows from AAA this year, so I figured I'd save the last in case I get stuck even further. Kind of a gamble. Called around, and the cheapest tow I could get was about $110 just for the hookup since I didn't have a key, and they needed to use dollies on the back since you couldn't unlock the steering wheel.

Get truck to dealership. It cost $400 freaking bucks to get two keys made and took them 1.5 hours and I had an appointment.

The keys are $160 a pop. They're the kind with the buttons on the key head. I can't imagine the keys cost more than $10 to manufacture. Give the dealer a 100% markup for the key and cutting it, I don't even care. I wouldn't balk at $50 a key, but $160 PLUS an hours labor for plugging my truck into a computer and cutting them? That's nonsense. Now, you can apparently get these keys cheaper and have a locksmith cut/program them, but that means no vehicle for a few days during shipping, and I'm not sure my truck could actually be programmed outside a dealership.

How is there not an easier/cheaper way to deal with this problem? I give you my VIN, prove I own the truck (I had to anyway), computer in the truck recognizes the new key you made. I avoid having it towed and wasting my time and money, I am a happy customer.

I don't mind the dealer making some money. I DO mind being forced to pay an exorbitant amount for something so simple, having no workaround and basically staying beholden to the dealer for something I OWN OUTRIGHT.

I got lucky, I know a lot of the newer keys are WAY moreexpensive. Again, I don't mind paying a markup for parts and to a certain extent labor. Gotta pay for the machine cutting the keys, even if it only takes a minute or two, that machine costs a pretty penny.

Anyway, if you have a chip key, go get some spares made before you get stranded like a dumbass and end up paying to have your stuff towed.

One thing that made me hate the dealership less, free loaner car and free coffeeshop. That was a nice touch. Good dealership really, bad idea on the keys and price gouging.

You got ripped off. Had this happen, more than once, and it's always been something like $30 for the key/fob and 100 ish for the programming. Ultimately, you kinda save money by having multiple keys programmed at once in case you ever lose one again. 400 is insane though.

a reply to: Domo1


They are only costly if you don't have the keyless entry "key" They are quite cheap at Wallmart, however if you don't have the keyless "key" to your car the price goes up.....The LAST place you get a replacement key is at a dealership. You can get a keyless spare for under $40 easily and they program it for you, and a manual key made for a couple of dollars.....you just got screwed, sorry to tell you.
Uh, I missed the part they had to program your truck too....WTH? You are right!!!!!

a reply to: kurthall



Now because of you when we get our new car this fall, I am looking into this. Thank you for the INFO....I did not change my other post, because before (like even on our 2016 equinox we had an extra key made for about $40 including programming) seems like the car manufactures have found another way to screw us.

a reply to: kurthall


Okay my 3rd reply, because its bugging me. If you have the original keyless entry, how come they would need to program your truck, the coding would not change, if you were just having another keyless key made. That doesn't make sense, it would still use the same frequency!?! Puzzled! I realize you did not have the original, but if you had I don't think it would cost you that much.

a reply to: Domo1

It must be because yours is new. I had a remote key made for my '99 Mustang several years ago and it had no key whatsoever. I had it towed there and they made two keys. Cost me $200. They had to program those too, so my apologies for not realizing yours war different. I'm not a car expert, I just know I personally was able to have it done on my car and know several others who did as well. My bad.

a reply to: tigertatzen

No problem, it is WAY cheaper for older cars. It' feels weird calling a '99 old. I actually got a key cut for the thing to unlock it if I lock the real key inside, but that sets off the alarm in about 12 seconds if I don't put the chip key in the ignition. The cheap key I keep in my wallet also won't even unlock the steering wheel.

a reply to: Domo1

Can you not borrow a metal detector or hire one and go back to the lake and try to find the keys where you think you were might be a good bit cheaper

I just had to have one done, too.

175 dollars for mine. Ludicrous.

a reply to: Domo1

I hate to sound like a troll... but this is why i have a motorcycle now.

I had my keys and my cell phone stolen from me at gun point. I work at a sandwhich shop mind you. This little kid, not more than 21 years old stole my keys and my cell phone after he ordered me to open the safe. And attempted to lock me in the freezer.

I had to spend 150 for a new phone. But a plus for me is the fact that replacing the locks on my motorcycle, with a new gas cap and main switch with labor and parts, all together cost me 235 dollars. Not even enough to cost me more on my insurance.

It is about half of what you spent, but honestly i will never buy a car again. but mine doesnt have a chip.

a reply to: Domo1

This is too late to help you now, but to avoid this in the future, take one of the transponder keys you just had made and go to ACE to have a plain key cut. Now crack open your steering column, and put one of the plain keys into the ignition. Find the sweet spot for the transponder key, sliding it around the steering column near the ignition while turning the plain key. When the plain key starts your rig, you've found the appropriate place to hot glue the transponder key to the column, replace the column cover and you now have extremely easily bypassed the transponder lockout and will never have the issue again.

Or, if you prefer, spend about $100 and never worry about this for any vehicle again...
Programmer
Transponder key blanks
Take the key blank to any hardware store that cuts keys, get it cut for your vehicle, hook up the programmer to the ODBII port on your rig and program the new key.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
a reply to: Domo1

This is too late to help you now, but to avoid this in the future, take one of the transponder keys you just had made and go to ACE to have a plain key cut. Now crack open your steering column, and put one of the plain keys into the ignition. Find the sweet spot for the transponder key, sliding it around the steering column near the ignition while turning the plain key. When the plain key starts your rig, you've found the appropriate place to hot glue the transponder key to the column, replace the column cover and you now have extremely easily bypassed the transponder lockout and will never have the issue again.

Or, if you prefer, spend about $100 and never worry about this for any vehicle again...
Programmer
Transponder key blanks
Take the key blank to any hardware store that cuts keys, get it cut for your vehicle, hook up the programmer to the ODBII port on your rig and program the new key.

It is never a good idea to bypass a security feature on a vehicle. Ford trucks were the number one most stolen because it was so easy to drive off with but the newer one are more secure now. Plus there is the chance that the insurance company could deny paying out the claim if it is stolen due to the bypass.

Leaving a key in the car even though it is locked is another reason for the insurance company to deny a claim if it’s stolen. My friend had his new car stolen out of his driveway, the keys were in it and the doors were locked, they just popped the window and his new car was gone in under 20 seconds. The insurance company denied his claim for six months and he still had to make all the payments while taking the bus to work. They finally paid the claim but doubled his premiums and said next time he would be SOL.

What may appear easy and cheap now will just cost way more in the future so just don’t do it, the security features keep the insurance cost low. For example my GMC ($60k) has the chip, alarm, GPS tracking and is sprayed with the traceable micro-dots so if the truck was stripped all the parts can be traced back to my name; my insurance for full coverage is only $900 per year.

a reply to: Grayarea

...yet vehicle theft rates have not gone down. A locks only purpose is to keep honest people honest, as society's sewage will always find a way to take whatever they want. Stashing a transponder in the column isn't going to help anyone steal a rig... they'll still have to bust the ignition open and crack off the steering lock. A transponder lock is fairly easy to subvert if you're willing to destroy your steering column and ignition. Plus the high tech thieves have devices that intercept remote start signals, mimic them, and start the vehicle. At that point, 10 minutes with a screw driver and hammer can destroy the ignition locks and drive the truck away.

a reply to: burdman30ott6


Oh yes I know but anything you do that appears to make it easier to steal
is just a reason for the insurance company to screw you out of a claim.