A 400 dollar car key!!!!

hooklahoma

hooklahoma

1,000+ Posts
WTF

My wifes purse was snatched(the old snatch the purse from over the stall trick) @BWI last week and was not recovered. Loosing the IPOD touch, palm pilot, class ring, 200 cash, and cell phone was bad enough, but I was not expecting to pay the toyota dealer 400 bucks to replace her keys. I refuse to believe that a bluetooth transponder , technology that has been around for years and can be found in a 50 dollar cellphone is worth that much.

Who the hell do they think they are......... just because were bereaved doesn't make us SAPS!!!!!!
 
it has nothing to do with bluetooth. the key has an electronic smart chip in it. i agree though, they are absurdly expensive.
 
i had no idea that keyfobs are utilizing bluetooth these days, thats pretty interesting. like you said, bluetooth chips arent exactly pricey, but im sure that just makes an expensive key that much more expensive.
 
Dealers overcharge. We got a similar quote from Jeep but found a place in Round Rock to do it for $100.
 
I researched alternatives to the dealer and didn't fare much better. Aftermarket fobs are 150-200. BUT GET THIS......THE Dealer is the only one that can program the fob.....and guess what, that will cost you 200 dollars.

As far as bluetooth is concerned, Im not positive it actually uses it since i cant find any tech specs on it anywhere.

How stuffworks.com and wiki dint have anything technically specific as well.
 
This is the price consumers are paying for the features they want on newer cars.
It is true that the keys with security chips in them help prevent car theft, but if you lose one of those suckers, it is expensive.
At first, the chip was mated to the main computer, and on some of those models, you had to replace the key and the computer to start the damn car!
Now most models have either a separate security computer, or a programmable main computer, so that a key can be reprogrammed. Most independent shops and lock shops cannot do this, so that is where the dealers really charge a lot-when they have a monopoly on a service.
On the other hand, if you have a car that does not have a security chip in the key, it is a great bargain to have the dealer parts department make a new key-they take the VIN number of the car, and can make an original key that fits exactly right in the locks, for under $10, usually. This is much better than getting a key made from an old worn out key at a lock shop, because it won't fit exactly right.
Don't ever lose your key with a chip in it. Make sure you have two, and keep the spare at home in a secure place. If you lose one, bite the bullet and go to the dealer and have a second one made.
 
My 99 ford cost 300 a key and it didn't have any bluetooth tech in it.

The dealers know they have a monopoly because only They can program the keys.
 
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