So I lost one of the two factory ignition keys to my 2007 Corolla recently. After failed attempts to find it, we went to the dealer for a replacement. $109 for a friggin' key! I couldn't believe it. They even itemized it: $59 for the key, $39 for labor [they 'graciously' removed the $5 'shop materials' charge when we questioned it].

Went home and looked around the internet for alternatives in case we ever need another one. The cheapest price I found for the key was $35. And apparently there's NO aftermarket service to program the key, so you have to visit the dealer regardless - where it will probably be 20 questions about the source of your blank key. The only alternative for programming service I found were several Chinese gray-market sites, which are selling a hardware programmer that you plug into the ODBI port. Notably, these sites do not opening disclose the selling price (call us for details), and they all had they same broken-english description of the product, which included a warning that if you make an error in the programming procedure, then "you must face the consequences".

So the lesson here is to be mindful not to lose your $109 key. Oh, and if you also happen to own a Lexus with one of those keys with the built-in fob, good luck with that.

Fortunately my keys cost $1.50 to replace.

So I lost one of the two factory ignition keys to my 2007 Corolla recently. After failed attempts to find it, we went to the dealer for a replacement. $109 for a friggin' key! I couldn't believe it. They even itemized it: $59 for the key, $39 for labor [they 'graciously' removed the $5 'shop materials' charge when we questioned it].

Went home and looked around the internet for alternatives in case we ever need another one. The cheapest price I found for the key was $35. And apparently there's NO aftermarket service to program the key, so you have to visit the dealer regardless - where it will probably be 20 questions about the source of your blank key. The only alternative for programming service I found were several Chinese gray-market sites, which are selling a hardware programmer that you plug into the ODBI port. Notably, these sites do not opening disclose the selling price (call us for details), and they all had they same broken-english description of the product, which included a warning that if you make an error in the programming procedure, then "you must face the consequences".

So the lesson here is to be mindful not to lose your $109 key. Oh, and if you also happen to own a Lexus with one of those keys with the built-in fob, good luck with that.

That's the cost of modern technology!!

 

Fortunately my keys cost $1.50 to replace.

Our Ace Hardware will do a chipped key for $69.

BobLevine is right - I just discovered the Ace Hardware service myself this past weekend. Went in to pick up a few parts and spotted the key service area - asked them if they could cut and program an '05 Corolla key...Yep - for $69. And they do many other late-model programmable keys. So there you go - a good alternative to the stealership if you ever lose your key.

BobLevine is right - I just discovered the Ace Hardware service myself this past weekend. Went in to pick up a few parts and spotted the key service area - asked them if they could cut and program an '05 Corolla key...Yep - for $69. And they do many other late-model programmable keys. So there you go - a good alternative to the stealership if you ever lose your key.

Don't worry

You have saved us a bunch of money - we won't make the same mistake

So I lost one of the two factory ignition keys to my 2007 Corolla recently. After failed attempts to find it, we went to the dealer for a replacement. $109 for a friggin' key! I couldn't believe it. They even itemized it: $59 for the key, $39 for labor [they 'graciously' removed the $5 'shop materials' charge when we questioned it].

Went home and looked around the internet for alternatives in case we ever need another one. The cheapest price I found for the key was $35. And apparently there's NO aftermarket service to program the key, so you have to visit the dealer regardless - where it will probably be 20 questions about the source of your blank key. The only alternative for programming service I found were several Chinese gray-market sites, which are selling a hardware programmer that you plug into the ODBI port. Notably, these sites do not opening disclose the selling price (call us for details), and they all had they same broken-english description of the product, which included a warning that if you make an error in the programming procedure, then "you must face the consequences".

So the lesson here is to be mindful not to lose your $109 key. Oh, and if you also happen to own a Lexus with one of those keys with the built-in fob, good luck with that.

$109!!! Yikes!

My have things changed in 10 years.

I recently bought a 1997 Corolla and needed an extra key so I went to the dealer.

They looked up the VIN# and made me a new key and it cost me about $6.

I had no idea i could go to Ace!

Thats awsome. I wonder if they can do Saab keys too. I only have 1 key...

Question about these new keys.

If i still have the chip part of the key (but no key, ie it broke off), and i leave it in the car, can i have a cheap $5 key cut, and use it to start the car?

or does it have to be connected? (ie, is the key part of a circuit)?

Reason for asking is 2 fold.

1. I am cheap!

2. I am using a "cool" looking aftermarket key on some of my older cars, and wondered if I can do something so that I can use it.

tdk

Yeah they have.

A car with a $6 key is an easy target. Your car could easily be stolen by some little punk down the street with a hammer and a screwdriver if it were left parked outside overnight.

A car with a $109 chipped key and an alarm with starter disabling and perimeter intrusion monitoring foils all but the most serious thieves and basically means the car needs towed to be stolen.

Ten years ago, I would have not thought twice about parking a car with a $6 key outside overnight in our neighborhood with the sheriff's deputies and FBI agent I have as neighbors.

Now I would have to give it a second thought. My 2008 Solara was purchased on December 19th, 2007. On December 21st, 2007 some group of disrespectful children went through the neighborhood and egged everything that was outside and not moving, including my new car. The car down the street was left unlocked and it was torn up. My car being locked in combination with my alarm is probably what kept my car from being damaged more than it was.

It used to be that in small communities such as mine, people didn't drive into the nice neighborhoods and do stupid stuff because they knew that the police would catch them while they were on patrol and they would get their ###### nailed to the wall due to the fact that the people in my neighborhood are well connected and know how to get what they want.

Now, the prospect of getting arrested for vandalism, slapped with several hundred dollars in court costs and fines and serving dozens of hours of community service isn't enough to prevent these things. Neither is suspension from school. In a world like that I'll take my $109 keys.

That sucks about what happened to your car.

It's sad that kids are the way they are these days. Parental disciplining isn't the way it is, compared to just a few decades ago, and so they know they can get away with a lot of crap because if they get a whooping it's viewed as child abuse. Hopefully, someone ratted them out and they got what they deserved.

Luckily, I have an alarm in my car, but the problem is the previous owner never left the remote for it so the only way to activate/deactivate it is by flipping the valet switch.

I'm sure I can get another one made, it's just that I need to get under the dash to find the ECM/box and get the serial number.