Key Fob Replacement in Los Angeles, CA

What counts as a key fob replacement?

People use the word fob for a few different things, and it helps to sort out which one you have before you call. The simplest is a remote that locks and unlocks the doors and pops the trunk, usually paired with a separate metal key that starts the car. Next is a flip key, where the blade folds into the remote body. Last is the proximity key, also called a smart key, which lets you open the doors and start the car with the fob still in your pocket or bag.

If your car starts with a push button rather than a turned key, you almost certainly have a proximity key. Push to start key replacement and push button start key replacement are the same job: a new fob has to be cut or cut-free, depending on the design, and then introduced to the car's computer so the car accepts it.

This page covers all of those: remote car key replacement, smart car key replacement, and a spare key fob when you still have a working one. If your key is an older chipped key with no buttons at all, that is a slightly different job, and we cover it on our transponder key programming page.

Why is a key fob more than just a new remote?

A fob that looks identical to yours will not work on your car until it is programmed. The car has to learn the new fob's identity, and the method for that depends on the vehicle. Some cars let a technician add a fob with a working key already present. Others need the car's computer to be accessed with diagnostic equipment. In an all-keys-lost situation, some vehicles require extra steps, and the old fobs that are missing should be removed from the car's memory so that whoever finds them cannot use them.

That last point matters. If you lose a fob in Los Angeles, whether it drops out of a bag at a restaurant or goes missing from a gym locker, a replacement does two jobs: it gets you moving again, and it can retire the lost one if the car supports that.

We want to be straight about a limit. Not every vehicle can be handled outside the dealership. Some makes and model years are dealer-only for certain key types, or need parts and codes we cannot get. We do not guess on this. When you give us the VIN, we confirm what is possible for your exact car, and if it really is a dealer-only case, we will say so on the phone instead of sending a van to find out.

How do we replace and program a key fob?

Here is the usual path from your first call to a working fob. The order shifts a little with the vehicle, but the logic stays the same.

1. You call (213) 577-1366 and give us the year, make and model, and tell us whether the car uses a push button or a turned key. If you can read the VIN from the dashboard plate or your registration, even better.
2. We tell you whether the car is something we can handle, what style of fob it takes, and whether you still have any working key. This is also where we flag any dealer-only situation honestly.
3. We come to you with a mobile van, or you can come to our storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood. Either way, we check proof that the car is yours, such as registration and ID, before cutting or programming anything.
4. We confirm the fob matches your car, cut the emergency blade if the design has one, and program the fob to the vehicle.
5. We test every button, the door unlock, the trunk, the remote start if your car has it, and starting the car with the fob. For smart keys we test the push-button start from inside the car as well.
6. If any old fobs are lost, we discuss whether they can be erased from the car's memory, and we suggest a spare so you are not down to one fob again.

What affects the cost of key fob replacement?

We do not quote numbers in a web page, because the real figure depends on the car in front of us, and a number that ignores that would just be a guess. What we can do is show you what moves the cost up or down so the quote we give you makes sense.

The biggest factor is the type of fob. A basic remote is a simpler part than a proximity smart key, and some luxury or newer models use fobs that cost much more to source. The second factor is the programming method. A car that accepts a new fob with a working key present is usually the lighter-cost job compared to an all-keys-lost situation that needs deeper access to the vehicle's computer.

• Fob type: basic remote, flip key, or proximity smart key
• Whether you have a working key to copy from, or all keys are lost
• Whether the emergency blade needs to be cut
• How complicated the car's programming procedure is
• Whether the vehicle is something we can do or a dealer-only case
• Where you are and what time you call, because mobile service means we travel to you

Is it the fob, or just the battery?

Before you pay for a replacement, rule out the cheap fix. A weak battery is the most common reason a fob suddenly stops working. Signs include shorter range, needing to press buttons several times, a warning on the dash about the key battery, or the car not detecting the fob at the push-button start. On many smart keys there is a slot in the case for a small coin-cell battery, and the owner's manual shows how to open it.

Moisture can also be a factor. Parts of the Westside get regular morning marine layer, and a fob that rides in a damp jacket pocket or sits near a bathroom sink may pick up condensation. If a fob has been dropped in water, wiped out by a washing machine, or cracked open, a battery change may not save it.

Many cars also have a backup way to start with a dead fob, such as holding the fob against a marked spot on the steering column or start button. Your manual covers this for your car. If a new battery and the backup method do not help, then the fob itself or its pairing to the car is the problem, and that is when you call us.

Should you get a spare key fob before you lose the last one?

Yes, and it is almost always the more economical route. Adding a spare while you still have a working fob is generally simpler than starting from nothing, because the car can recognize the existing key during programming. Once every fob is gone, the job tends to involve more steps and more time on site.

A spare also saves you from a bad day. If your only fob is lost, damaged or stolen, the car may not be drivable, and towing a vehicle to a dealer is a headache in a city this size. If you rely on a car for work, school or caring for family, keeping a second fob somewhere safe at home is a sensible habit.

If your car uses a basic key rather than a fob and you only need extra copies, our key duplication page explains that process. If you have already lost the only key to a vehicle, our lost car key replacement page covers that situation in more detail.

What should you watch out for when replacing a fob?

There are a few traps we see people fall into, and a plain warning can save you grief.

• Used or secondhand fobs from online marketplaces. Some are locked to another vehicle and cannot be reused, and some may not program to your car at all.
• Cheap fobs that look right but use the wrong internal parts. A case that fits does not mean the fob will communicate with your car.
• Assuming all locksmiths are the same. California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for their license number before work begins, including us.
• Phone numbers that look local but route to a call center. Ask who is actually coming and where they are based.
• Programming a fob without checking ownership. A reputable technician asks for proof that the car is yours, and that is for your protection.

Where do we handle key fobs around Los Angeles?

Our storefront is in Westwood at 10740 Wilshire Blvd, 90024, which puts us inside the city, not driving in from the outskirts. From there, our mobile vans cover Westwood, Century City, Brentwood, West Los Angeles, Sawtelle, Rancho Park, Palms, Mar Vista, Mid-Wilshire, Koreatown, Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles, along with the ZIP codes in between.

Here is how fobs tend to play out in a few of those places. Around UCLA and Westwood Village, student housing is mostly apartments, and an apartment lockout is its own call. If a lost fob is part of that story, for example the car fob went missing the same night as your apartment key, you may need both services in one visit. Our apartment lockout page covers the door side. In the Wilshire Corridor high-rises, many residents deal with building-access fobs as well as car fobs. These are different systems. We handle car fobs on this page, while building-access credentials fall under access control installation and are usually controlled by your HOA or property manager.

In renter-heavy Palms, Sawtelle and Koreatown, plenty of people share a car or inherit one from a roommate or a relative, and the original fob count is often unclear. If you have just bought a used car and only got one fob, that is a good time to add a spare and to ask whether any lost fobs can be removed from the car's memory. And if you work in a Century City tower or a Downtown office and your fob dies before the end of the day, we can meet you at the car with a mobile van instead of making you get to us. Our mobile locksmith page explains how our vans work in general.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for key fobs?

We have been in business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Los Angeles is our home base, not just one stop on a map. We operate a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd and run mobile service vans, so you can come to us or have us come to you.

When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, not a dispatch middleman who sells your job to whoever picks it up. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, which matters because most fob problems are not convenient. They happen in a parking lot after dinner or on the way to an early shift.

David is the owner and lead technician, and he oversees the work. That means the person who sets our standards is the person who stands behind how a job gets done. We confirm the vehicle by VIN, tell you plainly when something is dealer-only, and explain what drives the quote before we begin.

If you need more than a fob, our automotive locksmith page lists our other vehicle services, and our car key replacement page covers keys that are not fobs. If a fob has already been stuck or the ignition is not accepting it, ignition repair may be the right next step. If you have simply locked your fob inside the car, start with car lockout.

More locksmith help in Los Angeles

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• Car Key Replacement in Los Angeles
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• Lost Car Key Replacement in Los Angeles
• Transponder Key Programming in Los Angeles
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• All services in Los Angeles

Key Fob Replacement near Los Angeles

• Beverly Hills
• West Hollywood
• Culver City
• Santa Monica
• Marina del Rey
• Inglewood