The 2016–2022 7 Series uses the same key setup, so everything on this page applies to those years too. The full picture is on the BMW 7 Series key guide.

2018 BMW 7 Series: key facts

Key type: Smart / proximity key
Push-to-start: Yes
Transponder chip: ID49 (PCF7953P, Hitag Pro)
Programming: OBD
All keys lost: Requires dealer involvement

G-chassis BDC2 car: add-a-key is possible for specialists with a working key (Autel BDC02 licenses; Xhorse's BDC2 bench adapter explicitly cannot do all-keys-lost). True all-keys-lost is dealer territory on these cars — the one advertised aftermarket AKL route (Yanhua ACDP) carries the vendor's own warning that it locks the BDC2 against future dealer keys, so we do not offer it.

Same key system as the 2016–2022 7 Series

BMW kept the 7 Series's key system unchanged across 2016–2022, so everything about replacing a 2018 key — blanks, programming, and what happens if every key is lost — matches the rest of that run. The full year-by-year breakdown lives in our BMW 7 Series key guide.

What drives the price is the key type, whether you still have a working key, and where the car is parked. There's more on BMW programming in general on our BMW key page.

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Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.

Last updated 2026-10-11.

2018 BMW 7 Series key replacement

2018 BMW 7 Series: key facts

Same key system as the 2016–2022 7 Series

We cover all these cities