So ya now every time I start my car i have to fiddle with the key for like 10 minutes flipping it over bending it etc to get it to turn... also it no longer works at all for any of my doors or glovebox ( which I have $500) locked in and can't get out now.... wtf.... that was my only original and now is screwed up any suggestions?
Warning do not get keys cut at walmart they screwed up my original and copy
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Hello. . . maybe try a locksmith? (self serving, I know)
We charge about $3 for a non-sidewinder, non transponder Subaru key. $5 if you want one with a plastic head.
Dealer should charge less than $20 even if they sell you the OEM blank, which I'm willing to bet you a Starbucks house brew they also keep Curtis (or some other aftermarket) blanks that usually go for less than a ten-spot even if they hate you. When I worked at Subaru in the late 90's I think we charged $2 per key.
Wal-mart and most hardware stores usually suck at cutting keys. . but the margins are good enough that even if they have to remake 3 of 4 they're still turning a profit.
Any locksmith worth his brass scrap should be able to decode and recut a key to factory spec. . .better still if you have a keycode, which most dealers will give you for the asking, no charge. You will have to ask in person, with proof of ownership and positive ID at the parts counter, however.
We charge about $3 for a non-sidewinder, non transponder Subaru key. $5 if you want one with a plastic head.
Dealer should charge less than $20 even if they sell you the OEM blank, which I'm willing to bet you a Starbucks house brew they also keep Curtis (or some other aftermarket) blanks that usually go for less than a ten-spot even if they hate you. When I worked at Subaru in the late 90's I think we charged $2 per key.
Wal-mart and most hardware stores usually suck at cutting keys. . but the margins are good enough that even if they have to remake 3 of 4 they're still turning a profit.
Any locksmith worth his brass scrap should be able to decode and recut a key to factory spec. . .better still if you have a keycode, which most dealers will give you for the asking, no charge. You will have to ask in person, with proof of ownership and positive ID at the parts counter, however.
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Old subaru that wasn't one of these fancy fob keys the local dealer cut me one for about $5. If you have a fancy fob key all bets are off the last one we replaced was on a 2001 Jetta cost us over $300 by the time the key was paired with the car.
2001 Jetta is a transponder, high-security "sidewinder" cut, and a switchblade remote. Triple whammy. We sell them for about $175 programmed. The machine to cut them costs $17,000 (they're down to about $9k now that almost every automaker uses those types of keys) . . . one thing that definitely contributes to the cost.
How did they mess up the original? It doesn't go anywhere near the cutting wheel on my machine...someone would have to REALLY not know what they're doing!
The dealer or a locksmith will often be able to code-cut it as well, which is better than copying a worn original. A nearby dealer cut my father a key for his Outback by code on an Ilco blank for a few bucks.
Definitely go to a real locksmith or dealer. Department stores usually don't have very well-calibrated machines...good enough for a cheap-o Kwikset lock that the average person would have on their front door, but not too much else. A few months ago, someone where I work took a bunch of blanks and various original keys to one of the buildings to a hardware store to have duplicates cut. They ended up with about 90% of them not working because they cut everything a little too deep...they had a locksmith do it the next day and they all worked beautifully. Bit of a shame...they burned through a whole bunch of restricted blanks which, while not expensive, they had to jump through hoops to order them.
The dealer or a locksmith will often be able to code-cut it as well, which is better than copying a worn original. A nearby dealer cut my father a key for his Outback by code on an Ilco blank for a few bucks.
Definitely go to a real locksmith or dealer. Department stores usually don't have very well-calibrated machines...good enough for a cheap-o Kwikset lock that the average person would have on their front door, but not too much else. A few months ago, someone where I work took a bunch of blanks and various original keys to one of the buildings to a hardware store to have duplicates cut. They ended up with about 90% of them not working because they cut everything a little too deep...they had a locksmith do it the next day and they all worked beautifully. Bit of a shame...they burned through a whole bunch of restricted blanks which, while not expensive, they had to jump through hoops to order them.
The local Walmart managed to break the key to my mom's Saturn off in the ignition, messing up the lock. It took most of the day, but Walmart paid GM to come out to fix it and make two new keys. They ended up towing it up to the dealership to replace the ignition. So a little reasonable pressure and Walmart can be very 'helpful.'
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