Mobile Service • Programmed at Your Car • Since 2009

Smart Key Replacement in Philadelphia

Lost or broken smart key? We supply and program replacement proximity keys and push-to-start fobs at your car, anywhere in Philadelphia. And if your key just stopped working, read the next section before you pay anyone for a new one. There's a decent chance you don't need one.

Call Now: (215) 258-9982
Programmed On-Site
Price on the Phone First
No Tow Needed
Most Makes Covered

Before You Pay for a New Smart Key, Check These Three Things

We'd rather tell you this up front than charge you for a key you didn't need.

1. The battery

The most common "broken" smart key we see is a fob with a dead coin battery. It's a CR2032 or similar, sold at any drugstore for a few dollars, and most fobs open with a small slot or screw. If your key has been getting weaker for weeks, working only up close, that was the battery warning you.

2. The hidden blade

Almost every smart fob has a mechanical key hidden inside it. There's a small release button on the fob, and the blade slides out. That blade opens your driver's door even when the fob is completely dead. The keyhole is sometimes under a plastic cap on the door handle.

3. The emergency start

If the fob battery is dead, most push-to-start cars will still start. On many models you hold the fob directly against the start button and press the brake. On others there's a marked spot on the steering column or console. Your owner's manual calls it something like "starting with a dead key fob." This trick has saved a lot of people a service call.

Checked all three and the key still doesn't work, or the key is gone entirely? That's what the rest of this page is for.

What a Replacement Smart Key Costs

A smart or proximity key runs $200 to $400 with us. A push-to-start fob runs $150 to $350. The exact number depends on the year, make, and model, and we give it to you on the phone before we come out.

Key Type Typical Price
Smart / proximity key $200–$400
Push-to-start fob $150–$350

Why so much for a key? Because it isn't really a key. It's a small computer that has to be coded to your car's immobilizer, and the blank itself costs real money before any programming happens. That said, dealers around Philadelphia commonly charge $400 to $700 for the same job, plus the tow to get the car there, since a car with no working key isn't driving itself to the dealership. We program at the car, so the tow disappears and the price drops.

Get a spare now, thank yourself later: A spare programmed while you still have a working key costs noticeably less than a replacement after you've lost your last one. If you're reading this page with a working key in your pocket, that's the cheap version of this problem.

New, Refurbished, or Aftermarket — What You're Actually Choosing Between

Nobody selling smart keys explains this, so here it is.

New OEM

What the dealer sells. Factory part, factory price.

Refurbished OEM

A factory fob that's been reset and recased. Same electronics, lower price, and for many models it's a sensible choice.

Aftermarket

A third-party copy. Some are fine. Some have weak range, eat batteries, or fail in a year, and by then whoever sold it is not answering.

When you call, we'll tell you which options exist for your specific car and what each costs. Cheapest isn't always the recommendation, but you'll get the real choices instead of one option presented as the only option.

Lost Every Key to a Push-to-Start Car

This is the hard version of the problem. The car is locked, nothing starts it, and the immobilizer is doing exactly what it was built to do. Here's how it actually goes:

We open the car without damage. We verify you own it, with photo ID and the registration or title, no exceptions. Then we generate and program a new key at the car. For most common brands, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Jeep, Dodge, this is a same-visit job, typically 45 minutes to an hour and a half of work once we're there.

Not every car is a same-visit job: For some vehicles, mostly certain BMW, Mercedes, and newer European models, the manufacturer locks all-keys-lost programming to the dealer. If your car is one of those, we'll tell you on the phone, before you've paid us anything, and you can put the money toward the tow instead. We'd rather lose that job than have you find out at the curb.

Smart Keys by Brand

Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Mazda

Routine work, done at the car, including all-keys-lost for most model years. Hyundai and Kia push-button models are a growing share of our calls since the theft wave put so many of those cars through ignition and key work.

BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW, Lexus, Acura

Many models yes, some model years no. Call with the year and model and you'll get a straight answer.

Exotics with dealer-locked systems

Not us, and not any honest locksmith. Anyone who says otherwise over the phone is planning to figure it out at your expense.

How It Works

1

You Call

Give us the year, make, model, and what happened.

2

We Quote a Price and an Arrival Time

You get both on that same call.

3

The Van Comes to the Car

With the programming equipment, wherever the car is parked.

4

We Check ID and Registration

Before making any key.

5

We Program and Test It With You There

Doors, trunk, start button, and you pay the number from the phone call.

Need a Smart Key Replaced in Philadelphia?

Call and we'll quote a price and an arrival time on the phone, before we dispatch. The van comes to you — no tow, no dealership wait.

Call (215) 258-9982

Smart Key Questions

My smart key stopped working out of nowhere. Do I need a new one?
Check the battery first. A fob that got weaker over a few weeks and then quit is a battery, not a dead key. If a fresh battery changes nothing, then the fob may have failed and we can reprogram or replace it.
My fob went through the washing machine. Is it done?
Sometimes it survives, especially if it dried out fully before you pressed anything. Pull the battery, let it dry a day or two, try again. If it's dead after that, it needs replacing. Skip the rice, it doesn't do anything the open air doesn't.
Can I buy a fob on the internet and have you program it?
Sometimes, and we'll be straight with you about it. Some online fobs are legitimate. A lot are locked, used, or fake, and can't be programmed to your car at all, and you find that out after they've got your money. If you want to go that route, call us with the listing first and we'll tell you what to look for.
Does the hardware store kiosk do smart keys?
No. Kiosks copy metal keys and some basic remotes. A proximity key has to be programmed to your car's immobilizer with the car present, which is dealer or locksmith work.
I lost my only key. Does the car have to be towed to a dealer?
For most brands, no. We do all-keys-lost programming at the car. For the handful of dealer-locked models, we'll tell you upfront that the dealer is your only option.
How long does it take?
A replacement fob when you still have a working key: usually 20 to 40 minutes on-site. All keys lost: closer to an hour or more, since we're generating the key from scratch.
Should I get a spare made?
If you have one working key, yes, and sooner rather than later. Copying from a working key is the cheapest smart key you'll ever buy. Losing your last one is the most expensive.
Does it cost more at night?
Nights and holidays can add a little, same as our other emergency work. The full price is quoted on the phone before we head out.

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