Key Fob Replacement Cost and Process
The cost of a key fob replacement is set by the fob type, the car, the working keys left and the location, and the process runs from a quote to a fob programmed and tested at the car.
Inta-Lock Car Key Guides. Updated October 2026.
No single figure fits a key fob, because two cars of the same age take different fobs and different programming routes. Six factors move the cost, and each one moves it in a known direction. A quote is agreed before work begins, so the figure for your car is known before any fob is ordered, cut or coded.
A replacement is a new fob, a blade cut where the fob carries one, and programming that pairs the fob with the immobiliser and the central locking of the car. A fault in the battery, the buttons or the case is a repair and not a replacement. The visit runs in seven steps, and identity and authority to request the work are checked before a fob is made.
What Sets the Cost of a Key Fob Replacement?
Six factors set the cost of a key fob replacement, the type of fob, the car, the working keys left, the blade, a lost or stolen fob and the place the car stands.
| Cost factor | What it changes in the job | Direction it moves the cost |
|---|---|---|
| The type of fob | A remote key carries a blade, a chip and lock buttons. A proximity fob carries more electronics and speaks to the car with no button pressed. | Up as the electronics inside the fob increase |
| The make, the model and the year | Each immobiliser generation takes its own fob part and its own programming route. | Up on vehicles with later and more protected immobiliser systems |
| The working keys left | A working key lets a new fob be added beside it. With no working key the car is opened first and the fob is programmed with nothing to copy. | Down with a working key in hand, up with none |
| A blade on the fob | A remote key and a flip key carry a blade that is cut to the locks of the car. A proximity fob carries an emergency blade inside its case. | Up where a blade is cut as well as a fob programmed |
| A lost or stolen fob | The missing fob is taken out of the memory of the car as well as a new fob being added, where the vehicle supports it. | Up, because the removal is work on top of the new fob |
| The place the car stands | The work takes place at the vehicle, so the location is given on the call. | Confirmed on the call from the location |
The table shows the direction of each factor and no figure, because no price list is published. A quote is agreed before work begins, and the quote for a key fob is built from these six answers.
What Does a Key Fob Replacement Include?
A key fob replacement includes a new fob, a blade cut where the fob carries one, the coding that lets the car start and the coding that lets the buttons lock and unlock the doors.
- The fob itself. The fob is the case, the circuit board, the battery and the buttons. The part is matched to the vehicle, because a fob that looks the same on the outside differs on the inside between models and years.
- The transponder chip. The transponder chip is the part of the key that the immobiliser reads before the engine starts. The chip sits inside the fob and has no button of its own.
- The blade. The blade is the metal part that turns a door lock or an ignition lock. It is cut to the locks of the car, and on a proximity fob it is the emergency blade stored inside the case.
- The programming. Programming pairs the chip with the immobiliser and the buttons with the central locking. A fob with no programming is a plastic case to the car.
A quote is agreed before work begins, and what the quote for a key fob covers is confirmed on the call.
Is a Faulty Key Fob Repaired or Replaced?
A faulty key fob is repaired where the fault sits in the battery, the buttons or the case, and it is replaced where the circuit board or the chip has failed or the fob is lost.
A fob whose only fault is a flat coin cell battery is restored by a new battery, and no replacement follows. Worn buttons and a cracked case are repairs as well, because the board and the chip inside are still sound.
A fob that is lost or stolen has no part left to repair, and a new key fob is the answer. Whether a faulty key fob is repaired or replaced by Inta-Lock is confirmed on the call, from the fault and the vehicle.
A key fob that is lost, broken or dead in Leicester or Leicestershire? Call Matt for a quote before any work begins.
Call Matt on 0116 442 2084How Does the Key Fob Replacement Process Run?
Seven steps take a key fob replacement from the phone call to a tested fob in your hand.
- Call Matt on 0116 442 2084 and say what happened to the key fob, whether it is lost, stolen, broken or dead.
- Give the make, the model, the year and the registration of the car, and say how many working keys are left.
- A quote is agreed before work begins. Matt is with you within the hour in Leicester, and the same day across Leicestershire.
- Identity and authority to request the work are checked before any key fob is made.
- The new fob is matched to the vehicle, and its blade is cut where the fob carries one.
- The fob is programmed to the car at the vehicle. Where a fob is lost or stolen, missing electronic keys are removed from the immobiliser memory where the vehicle supports it.
- The buttons, the door locks and the start of the engine are tested at the car before the visit ends.
The service that carries out these steps is car key replacement, which covers a key or a fob that is lost, stolen, broken or worn.
What Does the Locksmith Ask For Before a Visit?
The locksmith asks for four things before a visit, the registration, the number of working keys, what happened to the old key fob and the documents for the identity check.
- The registration. The registration, with the make, the model and the year, tells Matt which fob the car takes and which programming route it follows.
- The working keys. The number of working keys decides the job. One working key means a fob is added beside it. No working key means the car is opened first.
- The story of the old fob. A fob that is lost or stolen is treated differently from a fob that is broken, because a missing fob is still a key to the car until it is removed from the memory.
- Identity and authority. Identity and authority to request the work are checked. The V5C vehicle registration certificate, which names the registered keeper, and photo identification are common examples, and what applies is confirmed on the call.
These four answers are what the quote for the key fob is built on, which is why they are asked for on the call and not at the car.
Why Does a New Key Fob Need Programming?
A new key fob needs programming because the car starts only for a chip its immobiliser holds in memory, and it locks and unlocks only for a remote it has been paired with.
The immobiliser keeps a list of the keys it accepts. A chip that is not on the list is refused, and the engine does not start. Programming adds the new chip to that list.
The lock buttons are a second pairing. The remote part of the fob is matched to the central locking, so that a press on the fob is a press the car recognises. One fob holds both pairings, and both are made at the vehicle.
This is the reason a fob with the right shape and the right blade still does nothing on its own. The key fob and the car are a matched pair, and the match is made by programming.
What Else Comes Up With a Key Fob Replacement?
Four situations sit beside a straightforward key fob replacement, and each one belongs to a different job or a different page.
How Does a Replacement Fob Differ From a Spare Fob?
A replacement fob takes the place of a fob that is gone or dead, while a spare fob is a second fob made while the first one still works. The spare is the simpler job, because a working key is in hand when the new one is added.
Thatcham Research advises the buyer of a second hand vehicle with one working key to have the missing keys deleted and a spare added as soon as possible, in its guidance on how to increase car security. A second key made while one still works is the spare car keys service.
How Does a Whole Car Key Compare on Cost?
A key fob is one type of car key. A plain blade key, a transponder key and a keyless key each carry their own cost factors, and they are set side by side in the guide to what sets the cost of a replacement car key.
What About Worn Buttons or a Cracked Case?
A fob with worn buttons or a cracked case carries a fault of the outside of the fob and not a lost fob. A fault of that kind belongs to key fob repair, and the repair that applies to the fob is confirmed on the call.
Why Does a Working Fob Leave the Door Shut?
A fob that lights up and still leaves the door shut is not always a fault of the key fob. The battery of the car, the door lock and the receiver sit on the side of the car, and those causes are set out for a car key that does not unlock the door.
A replacement key fob is cut, programmed and tested at your car, and the call to Matt is answered 24 hours a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a replacement key fob cost?
The cost of a replacement key fob is quoted for the individual car, and a quote is agreed before work begins.
The fob type, the make, the model and the year, the working keys left, the blade, a missing fob and the place the car stands move the figure. No price list is published.
Is a key fob replaced without the original?
Yes, a key fob is replaced with no original fob to hand on supported vehicles.
The car is opened first where no key is left, and the new fob is programmed at the vehicle. Identity and authority to request the work are checked before the fob is made.
Does a new key fob work without programming?
No, a new key fob does nothing for the car until it is programmed to the immobiliser and the central locking.
The blade of an unprogrammed fob turns a lock it has been cut for, and the engine still does not start.
Is a key fob bought online programmed to the car?
Whether a key fob bought elsewhere is programmed to the car is confirmed on the call.
A fob that looks identical on the outside differs inside between models and years, so a fob bought elsewhere does not always match the car.
How long does a key fob replacement take?
The time a key fob replacement takes depends on the fob type and the vehicle, and it is confirmed on the call from the registration.
Matt is with you within the hour in Leicester, and the same day across Leicestershire.
Does a lost key fob still start the car?
Yes, a lost key fob starts the car until it is removed from the memory of the immobiliser.
When a fob is lost or stolen, missing electronic keys are removed from the immobiliser memory where the vehicle supports it. A mechanical blade still turns a physical lock unless that lock is changed or rekeyed.
Where is a replacement key fob programmed?
A replacement key fob is programmed at the vehicle, wherever the car stands in Leicester or Leicestershire.
The car stays where it is, and the fob is tested on it before the visit ends.