topic Lost Car Key Replacement in Community Chat

Lost Car Key Replacement

Biftu — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 02:49:43 GMT

My friend lost his Subaru car keys while food shopping. A store employee helped him look to no avail. He called me to pick him up so he could go home and get his other car key. He called the dealer and they charge $340 for a new key! Has anyone run into this problem?

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Etoile308 — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 02:55:58 GMT

Is it a vehicle with keyless ignition? Cost of the technology. Before I pay for a new spare I would call the store in the morning to see if they were found, then go back to the store early when not busy, recheck, and go through the parking lot.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Kachina624 — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 02:56:34 GMT

Is there something super fancy about new car keys? I have an older car and I just go to the hardware store and have copies made.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Venezia — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 02:58:12 GMT

@Biftu - Because of the chips that are imbedded into car keys now, they're expensive to replace. I take it he still uses an actual key?

I just bought a new Subaru Forester and it's the push-button start, but you have to have the key fob in the vicinity for the button to work. I was told immediately by the dealer to not lose it, as these new fobs are about $600 to replace. How crazy is that?

I won't even let my DH have the spare one (he has his own car) because with my previous car, he nearly lost the spare key to it. He swore that I never gave it to him, but we eventually found it...when we traded in HIS car and the dealer found it stashed away in some cubbyhole in his car AFTER we'd traded it in and were on our way home with his new car. I had to turn around and go back to retrieve my spare key.

No way will he get his hands on this new one! I leave it at home. If I get stranded somewhere, I'll call a cab.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Venezia — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 03:00:40 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
Is there something super fancy about new car keys? I have an older car and I just go to the hardware store and have copies made.

@Kachina624 - Yes, there is something fancy about "new" car keys. They have microchips and are encoded for your vehicle. No more getting a new one cut at the store. (You must have a really older car!)

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Kalli — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 03:03:11 GMT

I lost my Prius keys on a trail ride several years ago. It cost well over $200 back then so the price you mentioned doesn't surprise me. We didn't even try to look.

With the exception of a light green jacket, I've never found anything lost while trail riding. We go off trail often, ducking under trees, over rocks, etc. Losing battle to try finding anything, especially small items. The green jacket was the least expensive item I've lost. Figures I'd find that one!

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Linmo — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 03:03:51 GMT

@Biftu Yes, replacement keys for cars have become very expensive, even without the push-button start. We have several kids (and cars) and keys have been lost over time. It usually costs us $300-$400 for a key replacement.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

January121 — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 03:14:57 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
Is there something super fancy about new car keys? I have an older car and I just go to the hardware store and have copies made.

@Kachina624 .... can’t do that with the “new” cars .... it’s been this way for at least 10 years.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

patbz — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 03:23:18 GMT

With the cost of keyless fobs DH and I put electronic tiles on our key rings. So eventually I lost my fob and tile was useless. I got lucky and found key inside my home so now we got engraved tags with our phone # only ( hopefully if I lose one again, that's enough to bring it home!

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Pearlee — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 03:28:37 GMT

@Biftu wrote:
My friend lost his Subaru car keys while food shopping. A store employee helped him look to no avail. He called me to pick him up so he could go home and get his other car key. He called the dealer and they charge $340 for a new key! Has anyone run into this problem?

@Biftu I have a 2015 Subaru Forester and both my keys that open the doors got bent at different times(the metal part of the keys) and didn't fit into the ignition so I was stuck using the key for valet service (which turned the ignition but couldn't lock or unlock the doors). When I wanted to replace the keys my Subaru dealership quoted me that same price for each one.

I had been told the keys couldn't be straightened out or they'd snap in two but I did find a wonderful locksmith who gently hammered both out so they are straight and work fine in the ignition. There was no way I wanted to spend $700 for 2 new keys (and then the valet key wouldn't work since it would be different). Your friend would need to replace his spare and valet key because a new key is totally different (my dealership told me). They don't make a new version of the old key.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Pearlee — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 03:30:56 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
Is there something super fancy about new car keys? I have an older car and I just go to the hardware store and have copies made.

@Kachina624 The technology that opens the car doors remotely (opens doors without putting the key in the lock and turning it).

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Desertdi — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 03:49:00 GMT

And...the key fobs are BATTERY OPERATED...

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Kachina624 — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 04:04:23 GMT

I don't put my key in the lock, just press the unlock button and it also has a battery. It's a 2003 SUV with 55,000 miles. Put the key in the ignition.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

proudlyfromNJ — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 04:08:42 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I don't put my key in the lock, just press the unlock button and it also has a battery. It's a 2003 SUV with 55,000 miles. Put the key in the ignition.

@Kachina624 My car is a 2010 and also press the unlock button but I have no key only a push button to start it. No key involved at all.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Linmo — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 04:11:46 GMT

@Kachina624Just asking if you have checked the hardware store key to see if it works. Our next to oldest car is a 2005 and the hardware store keys do not work on it.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Desertdi — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 04:17:10 GMT

I have all this "new stuff"........but I can tell you one thing: I AM NOT THRILLED.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

froggy — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 05:13:52 GMT

A couple of years ago I dropped my key fob and broke it. I googled a place on the internet and was able to order one for my car for pretty cheap - I think about $35. The were instructions in my auto manual about how to program the new key to my car.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

50Mickey — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 10:28:30 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
And...the key fobs are BATTERY OPERATED...

@Desertdi And the battery will eventually go. I didn't realize this until one day got in my car to start it. It started but a light on my dash kept flashing key key key. I checked the manual and found out this means the battery needs replacement. My Honda key fob is tricky to open so it took it to Batteries Plus and they easily replaced it.

Speaking of newer cars. There are quite a few cars that no longer come with spare tires not even the small donut tires.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

Desertdi — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 10:35:53 GMT

@50Mickey I have a full 19" wheel from my previous car stashed in my current trunk. The new car only came with a "tire inflating kit". I said to the salesman....."You think I'm gonna stand by the side of the road and do something like that?" So he switched the kit for the old wheel......for free.

Re: Lost Car Key Replacement

eadu4 — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 11:07:38 GMT

@patbz Yup that's what I did for our key chains. I have ours on carabiners (blue for his keys and fuchsia for me) and I put tiles on each of them. No way am I losing one of my keys! My daughter told me about them, I had never knew they existed. Her husband was always losing things.