Honda car key replacement, every model and year

Honda models in the guide

• Accord
• Civic
• CR-V
• Fit
• HR-V
• Odyssey
• Pilot
• Ridgeline

How did Honda keys change over the years?

Honda did not add immobilizers to every car in one year. The company rolled them out model by model, so the key your car uses depends on the model and the exact year, not just the badge on the trunk. That is why the first thing we ask is not 'Do you have a Honda?' but 'Which Honda, and what year?'

Some Hondas stayed on plain mechanical keys well into the early 2000s. The Civic had no transponder through 2000, and the CR-V went without one through 2001. Those cars start with any correctly cut key, which is a big reason those years still show up on theft lists.

The first chip era used a fixed-code Megamos 13 chip. That covers the Accord from 1998 to 2002, the Odyssey from 1999 to 2004, the Civic from 2001 to 2005, the CR-V from 2002 to 2004, and the Pilot from 2003 to 2004.

Next came the Philips ID46 (Hitag 2) chip: the 2003 Accord, the 2005 CR-V, Odyssey and Pilot, the 2006 Ridgeline and Civic, and the 2009 Fit. After that Honda moved to the Honda G chip (ID47, Hitag 3), starting with the 2013 Accord and spreading through the 2014 to 2017 redesigns.

Smart proximity keys, the push-button-start kind, became standard at each model's next redesign. The newest platform uses Hitag AES '4A' fobs: the Accord from 2018, the Civic from 2022, and the CR-V, Pilot and HR-V from 2023. The Odyssey and Ridgeline still catalog as ID47 smart keys through 2026.

One caution if you shop online: European-market catalogs list a different chip (Megamos Crypto 48) for several late-1990s and early-2000s models. US cars follow the eras above, and we confirm the details for your exact year before we cut or program anything.

What does replacing a Honda key involve for each era?

The work changes a lot depending on where your car falls in that timeline. Here is the plain version.

• Pre-immobilizer cars (Civic through 2000, CR-V through 2001): this is a cutting job. There is no chip to program, so a properly cut key is the whole job.
• Megamos 13 cars (roughly 1998 to 2005, depending on the model): the key needs a matching chip, and the chip is programmed to the car. These are the earliest chip cars, so the all-keys-lost caveats in the next section matter most here.
• ID46 (Hitag 2) cars: a cut blade with a transponder, plus remote functions on remote-head keys, all programmed through the OBD-II port.
• Honda G chip (ID47) cars: the same overall process with the newer chip. On the Civic, the bladed keys with this chip cover 2014 to 2015 and the 2016 to 2021 LX.
• Smart fobs: no cut blade is needed to start the car, but the fob has to be registered to the vehicle. It also carries a hidden emergency blade for the door lock.
• Hitag AES '4A' cars: the newest platform. Adding a key when you still have a working one is generally straightforward. Coverage when all keys are lost is where the newest model years can get complicated.

How does it work when you call us?

We keep the process simple, and we tell you what we find before we do the work.

1. Call (213) 577-1366 any hour of the day or night. A real person answers, and David oversees the Honda work.
2. Tell us the model, the year, and whether you have any working key. If you can read the VIN from the dash or the door jamb, that helps a lot.
3. We tell you which key type your car uses and whether we expect any complications. If your car is one of the cases where we need to verify coverage first, we say so before we quote.
4. A mobile van comes to you with the equipment. The key is cut on-site if your car uses a blade.
5. We program the key through the OBD-II port with professional equipment, then test it. That means starting the car, locking and unlocking it, and running the remote buttons.
6. You leave with working keys. If you have only one key left, we suggest making a spare while we are there, because that is the easiest time to do it.

What if you have lost every Honda key?

Honda cars are among the more locksmith-friendly vehicles. Every immobilizer era programs through the OBD-II port with professional equipment. On most models no PIN code is required from the manufacturer. Honda also does not generally require NASTF SDRM credentials for aftermarket immobilizer work. In practice, most lost-key jobs on a Honda can be finished at the curb.

There are honest limits, though. On the earliest Megamos 13 cars, roughly 1998 to 2004, some all-keys-lost jobs need extended OBD procedures. A few need bench work on the immobilizer unit or the ECU. That takes longer than a routine job, and we tell you up front if your car looks like one of those.

Driver 1 and Driver 2 memory-linked keys on Odyssey, Accord and Pilot trims have to be matched to the correct memory slot. If it is done wrong, the seat and mirror memory does not follow the right key. We take care of that as part of the programming.

The newest platform needs the most honesty. On Hitag AES '4A' cars (Accord from 2018, Civic from 2022, CR-V, Pilot and HR-V from 2023), aftermarket all-keys-lost coverage arrived later than add-a-key. Current professional tools, such as the Autel IM-series, cover most of these vehicles. But the newest model years can still be dealer-only until tool support catches up. We confirm coverage for your car before we quote, so you are not told yes and then told no after we arrive.

If your car does turn out to be a dealer-only case, we will tell you that plainly rather than start a job we cannot finish.

What affects the price of a Honda key replacement?

We do not publish numbers here because the cost really does depend on the car. The factors below are what move it.

• Key type: a cut-only key for a pre-immobilizer Civic is a different job from a transponder key, and both differ from a smart fob.
• Era and platform: the older fixed-code chips, the ID46 and ID47 chips, and the newest Hitag AES platform all need different equipment and different amounts of work.
• All keys lost or add-a-key: when you still have a working key, the job is usually simpler and the lighter-cost route. When every key is gone, more steps are involved, and on a few early or newest cars the job is more involved still.
• Remote functions: a key with lock, unlock and trunk buttons costs more to supply than a plain transponder key.
• Number of keys: making a spare in the same visit usually costs less than coming back later, because the setup and travel are already done.
• Location and hour: we come to you, so the distance and the time of day or night can play a part.
• Special cases: bench work on an immobilizer unit, or memory-slot matching on certain trims, adds time.

What goes wrong with Honda keys most often?

Most calls about Hondas fall into a handful of patterns. If yours is on this list, the fix is usually less dramatic than people fear.

• Worn ignition lock wafers on 1996 to 2014 Hondas: the key sticks, needs jiggling, or stops turning. Often the problem is the lock, not the key, and a new key alone will not fix it.
• Pre-immobilizer Civics and CR-Vs, through 2000 to 2001: these are frequent theft targets, since any hardware-store copy starts them. If you own one, the key is only part of the picture.
• Cracked remote-head key shells, broken keyring holes and worn buttons on 2005 to 2015 models: the electronics inside often still work, and a new shell or a fresh key solves it.
• Dead smart-fob batteries: the dash reports 'key not detected,' but the hidden emergency blade still opens the door. Start by replacing the battery before assuming the fob is dead.
• Hardware-store copies cut without a transponder: they open the doors but will not start the engine.
• Low-quality cloned or aftermarket chips that fail intermittently: the key works on Monday and not on Tuesday. A properly programmed key is the cure.
• A flashing green key (immobilizer) light: this can come from an antenna-ring or chip fault, so we diagnose it before deciding what to replace.

Should you use a mobile locksmith or the Honda dealer?

Both can solve the problem, and sometimes the dealer is the right call. Here is a fair comparison.

A mobile locksmith comes to you. If you are stranded with no key, that means you do not have to arrange a tow. For most Honda eras, from the first Megamos 13 chips through the ID47 smart keys, we can cut and program on the spot. We can also usually take care of the whole job in a single visit, which is often the more economical route once towing is counted.

The dealer is the right answer in a few situations. The newest model years on the Hitag AES platform can be dealer-only for all-keys-lost until aftermarket tool support catches up. If that is your situation, we say so and do not pretend otherwise. A dealer may also be a sensible choice if your car is under a warranty or service plan that covers keys, or if the vehicle needs other dealer-only work at the same time.

Whichever way you go, ask the same questions. Does the key get a real transponder or a clone? Will the remote work? Will a spare be made? A locksmith that cuts corners on chips is the source of many of the intermittent-failure calls described above.

What about Civic keys by generation?

The Civic shows how much the key can change inside a single model name. Our Civic key page goes deeper, but here is the outline.

The 6th generation (1996 to 2000) has no factory immobilizer on US trims. The plain mechanical key is a main reason those years still top theft lists. This dataset covers 2000.

The 7th generation (2001 to 2005) is the first Civic immobilizer era. US catalogs cut Megamos 13 fixed-chip keys from the HD106 blank family. European catalogs list Megamos Crypto 48 for the same years, but US cars follow the Megamos 13 listings.

The 8th generation (2006 to 2011) made the ID46 (Hitag 2) chip standard, with the MLBHLIK-1T remote-head key on most trims.

The 9th generation (2012 to 2015) keeps the ID46 bladed key (MLBHLIK-1T) for 2012 and 2013. It then moves to the Honda G chip, ID47 (MLBHLIK6-1T), for 2014 and 2015. Push-button smart keys appear on 2014 and 2015 EX trims and above.

The 10th generation (2016 to 2021) has two key types. The LX keeps a keyed ignition with the 433 MHz MLBHLIK6-1TA G-chip remote-head key. The EX and above use the KR5V2X smart fob (ID47) with push-button start.

The 11th generation (2022 to 2026) has push-button start on every trim with the KR5TP-4 smart fob on the Hitag AES '4A' platform. That is the newest platform, so we confirm coverage before quoting any lost-key job on it.

Which Honda model do you drive?

The eras above apply across the lineup, but each model has its own changeover years. We have a page for each of the main ones:

• Accord keys: Megamos 13 from 1998 to 2002, ID46 from 2003, the G chip from 2013, and Hitag AES from 2018. Driver 1 and Driver 2 memory matching applies on some trims.
• CR-V keys: no immobilizer through 2001, Megamos 13 from 2002 to 2004, ID46 from 2005, and Hitag AES from 2023.
• Pilot keys: Megamos 13 from 2003 to 2004, ID46 from 2005, and Hitag AES from 2023.
• Odyssey keys: Megamos 13 from 1999 to 2004, ID46 from 2005, and ID47 smart keys cataloged through 2026.
• Fit keys: ID46 from 2009.
• HR-V keys: Hitag AES from 2023.
• Ridgeline keys: ID46 from 2006, and ID47 smart keys cataloged through 2026.
• Not a Honda? Our wider car key service covers other makes.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a Honda key?

We have been in business since 1987. We run a storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, Los Angeles, CA 90024, plus mobile service vans, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. When you call, you reach us, not a dispatch middleman who sells the job to someone else. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.

David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. That matters on a Honda, where the details are in the era and the model year.

One thing to check with any locksmith, including us: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask to see it. A company that hesitates to answer is telling you something.

If you are not sure which key your Honda uses, call us and read us the year and model. If you would rather reach us another way, our contact page has the details. You can also see everything we do on the Wilshire Lock & Key home page.