$910 for a KEY ???

[LODGE-WAGON]

Dealer just quoted me $910 for a replacement key. I randomly picked a couple of items to see how pricing would be. They quoted $2,000 for a set of steel wheels (for my winter studs) and $910 for a new key. I think they're trying to talk me out of my order.

 

[Walter]

Dealer just quoted me $910 for a replacement key. I randomly picked a couple of items to see how pricing would be. They quoted $2,000 for a set of steel wheels (for my winter studs) and $910 for a new key. I think they're trying to talk me out of my order.

That's a real key you know....not the fake one where you have to press another button....you can really insert and turn it on...

 

[bigleonski]

But it turns on such happiness……..

 

[LODGE-WAGON]

Yes, they're not too fancy as keys go. It looks a lot like the key I had for a 2010 Volvo. These keys can't weigh more than half a troy ounce - which makes these Grenadier keys about as expensive as gold.

 

[anand]

For the steel wheels, just go to a MB dealer and pick up a set of 17" Sprinter steel wheels; last time I looked them up, they are sold for something in the neighborhood of $145/ea... Or grab a set of used steelies from someone in the classifieds section

 

[2wheelfish]

There’s no way that key should cost that much. I hope that’s not representative of replacement parts costs on the whole for this truck.

 

[Bruce]

Look around on forums for other vehicles. Dealership replacement keys are not cheap. I just had a quick poke around and saw estimates of $900 for an X5 and $1300 for a recent Disco.

 

[bikesandguitars]

Since dealers kinda have us by the short hairs on this issue, we’re vulnerable to being ripped off. And we definitely are. Granted there’s a little bit of manual labor involved but retractable key blanks with electronic FOB’s are $45 on Amazon. The markup here can’t be described as a healthy margin. It’s an outright scam. This really is an instance where I think the Consumer Protection Bureau should take a look. Shoot them an email.

How to identify and report price gouging

Absurd prices for products should not be a concern when a crisis strikes. Here's how to identify price gouging and put a stop to it.

pirg.org

 

[Shaky]

There is a guy on YouTube from Australia, who did a video recently moaning about the key, he lost his and the dealer wanted (Aus) $1200, he wasn’t happy.

Think he said a BMW key had cost him $800.

My advice, to him and everyone…buy an AirTag, much cheaper than a new key !!

 

[tristand]

My dealer (in the UK) has given me a price of around £300 which is pretty reasonable and much less that what you seem to be getting charged in US & Australia.

Tristan

 

[bigleonski]

There’s no way that key should cost that much. I hope that’s not representative of replacement parts costs on the whole for this truck.

I have grave fears your hope is in vain.

 

[Solmanic]

As a comparison, mk7 VW Golf keys, which have the same form factor and functionality, are all over the internet from A$70 - A$200-ish.

If someone dares to threaten me with a key replacement cost of over A$1000, I’ll be going straight to the ACCC.

I mean, does the Grenadier key have some kind of built in life support system, or global satellite location feature we don’t know about?

 

[Jeremy996]

In the UK there is a chain of keycutters called Timpsons, (they also do watch repairs, shoe repairs and other stuff).

As of Friday, they cannot copy Ineos keys as they don't have the specification, so the dealer is the only real source. Best guess for Timpsons was 3-6 months.

 

[Shaky]

The UK price is a lot more realistic than the US and Aus quotes.

The specialist locksmiths near me will undoubtedly have the software for them soon enough. Their machine looks as though it scans one key and uses that code to imprint it onto the new key. As long as you have a spare and you’re not in the situation where your other key is miles away then all should be good.

The disparity in prices is the most worrying thing here. I know my Ineos agent found out the hard way that the parts to turn the rear wheel covering into a locking one is ridiculously expensive and everything including bolts etc have to be ordered separately. Sure he said it was several hundred GBP to do it.

Good if you want a small part (you don’t have to buy the whole thing again), but bad if you want to convert.

 

[ADVAW8S]

I gotta ask, how often do people lose keys? Are we talking daily, by the second. I feel the way this thread is going its happening at an alarming rate that we should get the WHO, the UN, or even the key master from the matrix to take this matter up.

In my 31 years of driving and car ownership, I have lost zero keys

 

[Shaky]

I gotta ask, how often do people lose keys? Are we talking daily, by the second. I feel the way this thread is going its happening at an alarming rate that we should get the WHO, the UN, or even the key master from the matrix to take this matter up.

In my 31 years of driving and car ownership, I have lost zero keys

I agree never happened to me, I have lost a car but not the key.

I found the price for the replacement car was ridiculous, it was the same price as a new one (it’s a joke, I did find it about an hour later)

 

[anand]

In my 31 years of driving and car ownership, I have lost zero keys

I'm at 23 years of driving and also, never lost a key... The vehicle is less than a year old and fairly low production, give it time and these things will become more common place; with that being said, it wouldn't surprise me that the average vehicle locksmith/key replacement specialist wouldn't be set up for an Ineos for years, if ever.

 

[Eric]

I gotta ask, how often do people lose keys?

In my 31 years of driving and car ownership, I have lost zero keys

I bet your going to wish you hadn't said that

 

[DaveB]

I gotta ask, how often do people lose keys? Are we talking daily, by the second. I feel the way this thread is going its happening at an alarming rate that we should get the WHO, the UN, or even the key master from the matrix to take this matter up.

In my 31 years of driving and car ownership, I have lost zero keys

Exactly.
I have never lost a key either that I can recall.
I found with my Mercedes that the main key was quite worn and marked and the spare looked new.
I also discovered the battery in the spare was flat, making the key useless.
While it doesn't have a blade it still had to be inserted and turned to disable the security systems.
I had an issue with mine that Mercedes dealer updated the firmware in my car and the key that i had left with them was also updated.
This was the spare key.
When I picked up the vehicle I used my main key, which has all my other keys attached, and it wouldn't work.
They had to update that key for me.

 

[bikesandguitars]

Well, I would submit that the admins should probably close this thread as we have ascertained that no one has actually ever lost a key. . I can’t wait to tell my wife this news.

My Lexus LX470 left me stranded one time in 23 years of ownership. It would not start. I had it towed to a Toyota dealership. They called within 30 minutes to come pick it up. I asked how they fixed it so fast. They said the key had worn out. They made a new key. I believe it was in the $300-$400 range.