Honda CR-V key replacement in Los Angeles

Honda CR-V keys by year

Which Honda CR-V key do you actually have?

The CR-V has been on the road for decades, and the key behind the badge changed more than most owners expect. Across 2000 to 2026 there are plain metal keys, fixed-chip keys, remote-head keys on two different chip families, bladed keys on a newer chip, and push-button smart fobs. Two CR-Vs that look almost the same in a parking lot can need completely different keys. The year-by-year table on this page lists the specifics. This prose explains what they mean for you.

Trim matters as much as year from 2015 on. In those years a bladed key and a smart fob were sold side by side within the same model year, depending on trim. So the first thing we ask is your year and whether the car starts with a key in a slot or a button on the dash. For the wider picture of what we do for the brand, see our Honda key replacement overview. For other makes, start at car key services.

What do 2000 to 2006 CR-Vs need?

The 2000 and 2001 CR-Vs are the odd ones. US cars of that era generally have no factory immobilizer. US key catalogs list them on a plain HD103 blank, a purely mechanical key with no chip, while European catalogs list transponders for the same years. Our data on chip claims for these two years is unverified, so we do not assume. We check the vehicle itself. On a standard US-market car, any correctly cut copy starts it and no programming is involved. If we find something unexpected, we tell you before we cut anything.

That lack of an immobilizer has a downside. These years are frequent theft targets, because a correctly cut hardware-store copy starts the car. The usual wear problems apply too: worn ignition lock wafers that make the key stick or refuse to turn, and worn blades on the door and ignition keys. A worn key and a worn lock wear each other down, so a fresh key sometimes shows that the ignition cylinder is the real problem.

From 2002 the CR-V gets a chip. The 2002 to 2004 cars take a Megamos 13 fixed chip, and cloneable HD106-PT5 blanks are cataloged for those years. European catalogs list Megamos Crypto 48 for the same years, so when someone hands us an odd key that does not match, we confirm by reading the chip instead of guessing. A copy cut without a chip opens the doors but will not start the engine. That is the most common surprise on these cars.

In 2005 and 2006 there is a mid-generation key change. Those years use the OUCG8D-380H-A remote-head key with an ID46 (PCF7936, Hitag 2) chip, so the remote and the blade live in one piece. A 2004 key and a 2005 key are not interchangeable, and that is exactly the mix-up that happens with online orders. All of these 2002 to 2006 years program through the OBD port.

What do 2007 to 2013 CR-Vs need?

The third generation (2007 to 2011) and the launch years of the fourth (2012 and 2013) share one key: the MLBHLIK-1T remote-head key with an ID46 chip (PCF7936/7961, Hitag 2). The 2012 and 2013 cars are listed under OEM part number 35111-SWA-306. These years are verified in our data against several catalogs. All of them program through the OBD port, and our data shows no NASTF or SDRM registry access required.

For owners this is the easy era. The chip family is common and a replacement is straightforward whether you have a spare in hand or not. What brings people to us is usually a cracked remote-head shell, buttons worn smooth, or a dead remote battery. A dead remote battery does not stop the car from starting, because the chip in the blade handles that. If the buttons quit but the key still starts the car, you may need only a battery or a new shell. We will tell you that rather than sell you a whole new key.

What changed from 2014 to 2022?

2014 is a boundary year. The CR-V moved to the Honda G chip (ID47, Hitag 3) on the MLBHLIK6-1T remote-head key. US vendors and the transpondery catalog agree on that, but a 2012 or 2013 ID46 key looks identical to a 2014 key. On boundary cars we confirm from the key stamp or part number instead of going by eye. The 2014 had no factory smart-key option.

In 2015 and 2016 the key depends on trim. Keyed base trims use the G-chip bladed key. EX and above offer the ACJ932HK1210A smart key (ID47) with push-button start. Both program through the OBD port.

2017 to 2022 is the stretch where people most often get it wrong. The LX keeps a keyed ignition for the whole run, using the 433 MHz MLBHLIK6-1TA G-chip remote-head key, including after the 2020 refresh. Higher trims use KR5V2X-family smart fobs (ID47) with push-button start, and all hybrids are push-button only. The cutoff moves, though. It is EX and above through 2020, but Special Edition and above for 2021 and 2022, per Honda's own feature guides. KBB's 2020 spec table shows push-button start unavailable on the LX, which contradicts some buyer guides you will find online. Because of this, we confirm trim on the vehicle before quoting. A quick check: a slot for a key means a bladed key, and a start button means a fob.

Smart-fob trims add one more headache. When the fob battery dies, the dash reports 'key not detected' and the car will not start even though the fob is not broken. Check the battery before assuming you need a replacement fob.

What about 2023 and newer CR-Vs?

The sixth generation makes push-button start standard. The fob is the KR5TP-4 on the Hitag AES 4A platform, and it hides an emergency blade that opens the door when the battery is dead. For 2023 and 2024, our data verifies the chip platform and OBD programming. Aftermarket all-keys-lost coverage for this platform arrived after launch, so we confirm tool coverage before quoting.

2025 and 2026 are a different story, and we say so plainly. They appear to be a carryover of the same Hitag AES 4A platform, but we have not verified these newest model years against a catalog. Whether an all-keys-lost job is possible is not confirmed in our data either. Aftermarket coverage for the latest production can lag behind tool releases, so for these two years we confirm chip and tool coverage by VIN before quoting. If the tools do not yet cover your car for an all-keys-lost job, we will tell you, and the dealer may be the only route until they do.

Fobs of this generation also cost more to replace than older bladed keys, and water-damaged or crushed fobs are a common reason people call.

Duplicate key or all keys lost: what is the difference?

A duplicate means you still have a working key to copy from. All keys lost means you have none. For every year from 2000 through 2024, our data says both are possible. Having a key in hand is simpler, so make a spare while you still have one. For 2025 and 2026 an all-keys-lost job is unconfirmed, which is why we check by VIN first.

Here is how a typical job goes when you call us:

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and tell us the year, the trim if you know it, and whether the car has an ignition slot or a start button.
2. We confirm the details by VIN or on the vehicle, especially for 2000 and 2001, the 2014 boundary year, and 2025 and 2026.
3. We verify that the car is yours before making a key.
4. We cut the blade to your locks, or the fob's emergency blade on smart-key cars.
5. We program the key through the OBD port where programming applies, then test starting, door locks and every remote button before we leave.

Is CR-V key programming OBD or dealer-only?

For the years we have verified, it is OBD. Every chip-equipped year in our data from 2002 through 2024 programs through the OBD port, and none of 2000 to 2022 lists NASTF or SDRM registry access as required. In practice that means we usually do the work at your car, with no tow to the dealer. The 2000 and 2001 cars need no programming at all because they have no immobilizer.

From 2023 on, the registry question is open in our data, and we do not guess. We confirm by VIN whether anything extra applies. Our data does not mark any CR-V year as dealer-only. But the newest model years can outrun aftermarket tools, and if yours is one of them, we say so on the phone instead of letting you pay for a trip that goes nowhere.

What affects the cost of a CR-V key?

We do not post numbers on a web page, because the right figure depends on your exact car. These are the things that move it:

• Key type: a plain mechanical key, a chipped key, a remote-head key and a smart fob are very different parts, and the fob costs the most to replace.
• Duplicate or all keys lost: copying from a working key is usually the more economical route compared with building a key from nothing.
• Year and trim: a 2017 to 2022 LX and a higher trim from the same year take different keys, and getting that right avoids buying the wrong part.
• Repair versus replace: a cracked shell or a dead battery may be all you need, which is the lighter-cost fix.
• Number of keys: adding a spare during the same visit saves a second trip.
• Lock and ignition condition: a badly worn ignition may need attention before any new key will work well.
• When and where: after-hours or mobile service differs from a visit to our storefront.

What goes wrong with CR-V keys most often?

The problems follow the eras, and the data is consistent about them:

• 2000 to 2006: worn ignition lock wafers that make the key stick or stop turning, worn blades that no longer turn the locks even though the chip works, and chipless copies that open doors but will not start the engine.
• 2005 to 2013: cracked remote-head shells, worn buttons and dead remote batteries, plus non-transponder copies that will not start the car.
• 2014 to 2022: the same shell and battery issues, and on push-button trims a dead fob battery that triggers 'key not detected'.
• 2023 to 2026: dead fob batteries, water-damaged or crushed fobs, and the higher cost of replacing a lost fob. The hidden emergency blade still opens the door when the battery is dead.

When should you call us instead of the dealer?

Call us when you have lost your only key, when you need a spare, or when a key or fob has broken. Wilshire Lock & Key has been in business since 1987. Our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, and our mobile vans serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. We are one company, with no dispatch middlemen between your call and the person at your car. David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year, at (213) 577-1366.

The dealer makes sense in narrow cases. One is a 2025 or 2026 CR-V where aftermarket tools do not yet cover an all-keys-lost job. We will tell you if yours falls there. Whoever you choose, ask for their BSIS locksmith company (LCO) license, because California requires one. For other questions, use our contact page or start from the Wilshire Lock & Key home page.

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