I just got my first car (used). I want to get a replacement key but my partner says I have to go to the dealership. Why can’t I just rekey my existing key at Home Depot? What’s this chip thing in keys that I heard about?
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Well… The big question is what car do you have? Like specifically, what year and model? You don’t necessarily need to tell us, but it is something you can google.
Because if you have an older car with a simple metal key, that’s just a piece of metal that can be copied and cut. It’s not a big deal.
If your key does have a “chip” inside it, that means it has some kind of electronic anti-theft mechanism built into it and the key is “talking” to the car electronically. So if you want a replacement key, it’s not as simple as getting the metal key cut… You also need the chip part that talks to the car programmed.
Depending on the year/make/model, you don’t necessarily need to go to the dealer. A competent locksmith can often do this, but it’s still a real thing.
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