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Should a used Jeep come with a spare key?

6K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  robertssteve3 
#1 ·
Hi, I just bought an 06 Commander in mint condition with only 74K from one original owner, however the dealership only gave me one key. "We'll try to get the spare from the owner if they still have it"

I feel they should cough up the money for the spare key as a dealership, seems like the decent thing to do. Just wondering what is common practice for used vehicles? It's a general question but I'll be back with my mod questions to change the wood panel console.. lol
 
#2 ·
All vehicles are sold with at least two keys, it is common sense to expect two with a purchase and I would demand the dealer provide you with a second key. Since you only have one you cannot program a replacement key and I would hate to be stranded without a key because you lost your only one someplace.
 
#4 ·
why can you not get a second one programed?
 
#5 ·
It takes 2 keys to program another key if you do it yourself. With one key you have to have the dealer do it and it is big $$$.
 
#8 ·
I'll bet only about twenty percent of trades come with both keys.

Most of the time, the person trading it can't even remember where they put the second key, let alone have presence of mind to bring it with.

Responsibility......thats a rough call.....most dealers will just shrug their shoulders and say that is the way it was traded in.

In the majority of cases, the dealer will get a second key to close a deal but the cost eats into the profit and they rarely take the second key into account when making the appraisal.

Do they owe it to you?
Not really, it's a second hand car.
But, if they take pride in their used car business, they should, but that is my opinion.

Good luck and welcome to the forum

Rob
 
#9 · (Edited)
Thanks Rob! I guess I look at it like this.. as a realtor if my clients don't have two sets of keys to their new OR old home or need a cleaning service because it was left a mess etc., I'll cough up the money to close the deal on a kind note to make them happy. It just seems like the decent thing to do. I was just wondering if it was common practice or just something extra that some dealerships are willing to do to separate themselves from the shady car salesmen (like bad realtors that give us a bad name!). I get if most people don't want a spare key but if someone requests it like I did, I don't think that's too much to ask and costs them less than for me to do it myself! Not to mention it wasn't a trade in at another dealership, it was at JEEP.. I just find it extremely tacky
 
#10 · (Edited)
Ask the dealer for a price quote to make an extra key? The Fobik costs about $450 and only the dealer can do it. The earlier transponder keys may be cheaper, but easily into several hundred dollars I'm sure.

Starting in 2009 Chrysler started removing the self-programming feature for keys, by 2010 MY, the Commander no longer has the Customer Key Self-Programming Feature, you have to bring it to the Dealer to have spare keys made.

Sure, in the past, when the Dealer could cut a spare key at cost for a couple of bucks, they would provide you two keys whether the original owner had them or NOT. But today, when the original owner learns that it will cost $450 to replace the key they lost, they make do with one key and trade it in with just one key. The dealer to make a spare key, even at cost is several hundred dollars, sorry, they ain't going to provide you a second key for a full set, unless you pay for it.

I've seen it posted on another forum from a guy at a company that makes the keys says they supply them to Chrysler at $7 a unit, but ask at the parts counter and they'll list at least $350 a unit, and then charge $105 service to program it.

So, you see why what robby says is true, only about 20% of used car buyers are getting two keys.

Its this and other Chrysler Corporate scams/schemes that has made this life long Chrysler only customer, that has never been happier with the engineering and quality of their new cars, to probably never buy Chrysler again. I'm sick of putting up with an Auto Manufacturer that is modeling itself after COMCAST.

You may be able to get a new key off ebay for a lot less than what the dealer charge, you'll need the part number to make sure you get the right one, and watch out for scams, once a key has been programmed it can never be reprogrammed for another vehicle, so it has to be a new, never used key that works for your vehicle. Since you only have one key, you'll have to have the second programmed by the dealer, call around and comparison shop, some may only charge a half hour labor for the 5 minutes of work, others will charge the full hour, and don't be surprised if they refuse to do it for a key you bring them. I still had to wait around for an hour and half, even with an appointment, for them finally to get to my vehicle and do the 2 minute procedure.

Once you've got a 2nd key, you can program more yourself with 2 keys, only the 2010 Commanders had this feature removed by Chrysler.
 
#11 ·
Insist the 2nd key be part of the deal. They should come with a 2nd
key unless you are getting it from a buy pay here.

They may want to charge you 450 but it doesnt cost them 450.
my dealer wanted $50 to program the key. But the key I had was
devective (Gray key) so I didnt pay anything. I would not have paid
50 for a key program but I had $50 in the keys.....now I have $50 in
keys that wont program. But it will unlock the glove box.
 
#12 ·
They may want to charge you 450 but it doesnt cost them 450.
Yes, its the cost to the dealer for the key provided by Chrysler Corporate and 5 minutes by a tech with a starscan tool to do the programming.

But, if the key is listing as $350 in the Chrysler Supply system, I know the Dealer isn't paying a whole $350 for it, but he likely is paying $200-$300 for it at least. That is likely why the Dealers are reneging on providing a 2nd key if they don't have it, its cuts into their profit margin quite a bit.

Although you can't trust someone posting on an internet forum, claiming they work for the supplier and Chrysler pays $7 a unit, open up a Fobik Key and look inside ($10 transistor radios are more complex, RFID chips are throw away items) and look on ebay and see how many brand new keys are selling for $25. It lends credence to claim, and its reasonable to suspect Chrysler is making an ungodly profit on them.

Yes, I agree you should get two keys with a veicle, even a used vehicle purchase. But, considering the situation, I suspect you won't get a second key unless you make it a stipulation to the deal up front, and don't be surprised if the dealership passes and goes with another buyer, or plays games and jacks up the price of the vehicle by the cost of the key. If you're asking for the 2nd key after the fact, good luck, I suspect you'll only get satisfaction if you make a big enough of a fuss that it is worth the couple hundred bucks to get you off their back.
 
#13 · (Edited)
$450 for a FOBIK? No way. I found one new in wrapper from a "remote type store" for $100. I hope it's real.

At least I hope they aren't $450. I just purchased my 08 Limited from CarMax and insisted on two keys. They said "of course, it's our policy." I guess they may regret that since they gave me one FOBIK and a valet key. When I reminded them that the valet key won't operate the vehicle, they said they'd get and program a new remote for me. Looks like they may shell out some money for that one.

I believe having two keys is pretty important.
 
#14 · (Edited)
$450 for a FOBIK? No way. I found one new in wraqpper from a "remote type store" for $100. I hope it's real.
Are you sure you weren't looking at a Remote Key Fobe? The Fobik is the RFID chip unit that is teardrop shaped and just has a black plastic block on the end that you insert in the ignition to turn and start it. It has the remote buttons on it also, but NO key blade, besides the emergency (if the battery goes dead) key hidden inside it that just unlocks the door.

If it was a real Fobik, then its good to see the aftermarket is being able to offer Fobik keys for less then the Dealer. Like I said, you can find tons of them on ebay, brand new, for as little $25 each, you can't do that as much as being done, if the real value of the parts and labor in the key is around $350, so its kinda bogus the dealer is charging $350 for them. Then a lot of dealerships charge $105 for an hour of labor, even though it only takes 5 minutes to program them. Some dealers will charge only a half-hour of labor and you can have it done for around $50.

It used to be $5, maybe as much as $10 at the dealer, for a key copy to be made and you only had to wait a few minutes. Now, its a big complicated process, waiting for an hour and half in the waiting room, while the vehicle is inducted into service, and they charge hundreds of dollars to have a spare key made.

Ok, I can understand the technology is more advanced and its much harder to steel the vehicle, BUT, this is NOT progress, $25 for a spare key and waiting at the dealer parts counter for 15 minutes is reasonable, NOT what they have set up now for the Key system in Chrysler vehicles.
I believe having two keys is pretty important.
Actually, with Chrysler's new key system its very important to have 3 keys. You need 2 valid keys to be able to program new keys yourself, so if you only have 2 keys and lose one, then you'll have to go to the Dealer and pay the outrageous fee for programming and wait around for an hour and half for them to get to you for another spare.

Of course, if you have a 2010 Commander, you're screwed, the only way to get spare keys is to have the Dealer make them, no self-programming keys for you!

Yea, one key is a disaster waiting to happen, you lose the one key, the Dealer can't make a copy without the vehicle, you'll have to pay for a tow to the dealership. And then, since you can't wait for a key to come from ebay, they'll have you over a barrell to spend the $450 for that new key.
 
#15 ·
OK here's a dumb question since I don't know anything about the process. One of our key fobs just went down. I popped it open and the battery "envelope" broke apart from the board. One too many drops I guess.

My question is: can I still purchase and program a third with my two original keys, given I have no power on one of them?
 
#19 ·
To whoevers remote broke. The metal piece that holds the battery can be soldered back on. Go to an auto parts store and find a cheap solder iron with a fine tip. Should bebetween 10-20 dollars. There are three solder points. I did all three. The big one in the center might be enough to fix it. The two smaller points need soldered from the underside. I just bought a commander and this happened to me. Costs me $9.00 and ten minutes. Works like new. While I was at it I ordered new rubber buttons for $5.00. Works like new.
I also was cheated out of a second key and had to spend almost $200 on a new one (06). I am going to order one of the cheap keys with no remote buttons($20) so I dont have to get ripped off by a dealer again.
 
#24 ·
You can have a regular made for the off chance you lock the key in your XK. The standard key will set-off the alarm, but you can reset it once you are inside. You only need the programed key to start your XK and keep it running, a non programed key causes the car to shut-off in a few seconds.
 
#25 ·
My wife lost my 2nd FOB and then spent 250 for the key+programming before telling me about it. We then found the 2nd one so the 3rd FOB was effectively for nothing. This is the one area that seems like highway robbery. My Saturn has windshield wipers that I can't find at any auto store so at least with the Chrysler I potentially will only get ripped off once.
 
#26 ·
Second Key

Mine came with only one key and to get a second one cost me $125 and that was family dicount from another dealer. They were saying $165. Now thanks to my lovely wife, we only have one again b/c she keeps getting it wet or thinking its cute to let the infant slobber all over it. So you need a second one and it will cost you.
 
#27 ·
I purchased my 2007 Jeep Commander used with only one key/keyless entry. I purchased a transponder key with no keyless entry on eBay for less than $7.00 including shipping and had a local locksmith to program it for $30.00. I later purchased another transponder key with no keyless entry on eBay, had the key cut by a local locksmith and was able to program it myself within a couple of minutes.
 
#28 ·
Once you "self"program a new key, do all the lock/unlock/trunk/panic functions on the Sentry key work??

If so, theoretically I could "upgrade" to the sentry key with the remote starter button integrated into it and then train my mopar starter to "listen" for it? Thoughts??
 
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