Many locksmiths are mobile, meaning they can drive to your house or workplace, or wherever the car sits waiting for a new key. Getting a locksmith's help is another potentially money- and time-saving option. Programming instructions are clearly laid out in the owner’s manual, and they are pretty simple. (We didn’t see the need to spend the money on getting that third key cut by a locksmith, though.)Īs with GM, Chrysler owners can program a third key fob themselves as long as they have two working fobs. It only cost $14.30, which includes the internal circuitry and uncut mechanical key. It looks nearly identical to the two original fobs that came with the minivan when new, but it lacks the Chrysler logo on the back. We ordered a fob for CR’s 2008 Chrysler Town & Country minivan through Amazon from a company called BestKeys. If your household suddenly gets a third driver, for example a teenager, it’s possible to get an inexpensive aftermarket fob and do the programming yourself for some makes and models. Sullivan Hyundai in New London, Conn., where we were charged $120 for programming (an hour’s worth of labor), which is the same amount they would charge if we bought the fob from them.Ī laser-cut mechanical backup key sent from Hyundai set us back $72.47 (the car sat at the dealer for two days waiting), putting the total cost at $272.42-if we had ordered the key fob through the dealer, the total cost would have been $428.92. The caveat was that this advanced “smart” key fob needed to be programmed by a dealer or locksmith. We paid just $79.95 for an official Hyundai fob (replete with Hyundai logo on the back), versus the $236.45 the dealer would have charged us. We started by getting a key fob for CR’s 2017 Hyundai Ioniq from. “The programming procedure is described in the vehicle owner’s manual, but the vehicle does need to be present,” he said.īe aware that regardless of the brand, most customer-programmable key fobs require two current, operational keys in order to program a third new key without going to the dealer, Yu says.ĬR ordered several different key fobs to assess both potential cost savings and the hassles of ordering key fobs online. For example, not only are General Motors key fobs on the less expensive side (we were quoted $147.98 for a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu with keyless entry, push-button start, and remote start), but a Chevrolet spokesman told us that the key-fob programming does not have to be done at the dealership. Some brands, such as Chevrolet, make it possible for customers to save money on programming. A local Volkswagen dealer we spoke with told us a new fob with a laser-cut key and programming for CR’s 2015 VW Jetta would cost about $225. This proved true even with European brands. Going to the dealer doesn’t have to break the bank either, even if they handle everything for you. Most dealers we contacted said key-fob programming typically takes just 15-30 minutes, and the whole process, including cutting the mechanical spare key, rarely takes longer than an hour. Luckily, even if you have to go to a dealer, it’s not a lengthy process. “We can’t warranty parts or labor, and if we try to program it and it doesn’t work, we still have to charge them for our labor.” “We shy away from working with aftermarket key fobs,” a service adviser at a Lexus dealer told us. Other retailers we called, including a Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge dealership and a Lexus dealership, said they don’t mind trying to program aftermarket fobs if that’s what the customer wants them to do, as long as the customer understands the risks involved. They almost always force the customer to go to a dealer because the digital key encryption is only programmable by the manufacturer in a few select outlets in North America, says CR’s Yu. This isn’t just the case for Audi, but European cars in general.

The average price for an Audi key fob replacement, including programming, is $500, we were told. “The fob has become a critical part of the security of the car,” he said. The need for this chip is also why you can't buy a new aftermarket Audi key fob online.

There's a built-in security chip in the fob that cannot be reprogrammed for another Audi. “If you want a new key fob for your Audi, it has to come from us,” said a service adviser at Hoffman Audi of East Hartford, Conn. “If you have a car that was built within the last five years, a new-car dealer will usually be your best bet when you need a replacement key fob, due to the expensive programming equipment that is required,” says John Ibbotson, CR’s chief mechanic.Īlthough it might be tempting to search for a cheaper key fob online, we learned from Audi and Subaru dealers that some won't work with aftermarket key fobs.

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