Lost Smartkey

[szoom1]

Hi, I have a 2008 CX9 with the credit card sized smartkey. My wife lost her key, I mean totally gone, its been a few months now and we cannot find it . I called the dealership and they said it would take 1-2 hours and approximately $250 for the smartkey and manual key insert (little one that slides into smartkey) and another $200 for the labor to program "up to 8 keys" - I just need one of course . $450, cmon!!

My question is this CX9 is a 3 year lease and expires in about 16 months. I assume I can take the little manual key to about anywhere and have an additional one made if we don't mind using a manual key? But will they charge me $450 anyways when I turn in the lease and a key is missing? Anyone know a cheaper way to get the smartkey replaced? Price seems fairly absurd.

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

I'd guess they will charge you even more when you return the lease.

The $250 for the smart key and insert key isn't bad, actually, but $200 to program it? That's ridiculous. Try another dealer for that. All they do is teach it the code. That's not $200 worth of labor.

You can buy the remote section with no key here:

http://www.keylessride.com This does NOT include programming the chip or the physical key. That has to be done at the dealer.
Help may be on the way for, but not in time to help you:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/03/car_key_replacements.html


.

 

[Force-1]

I have leased 8 vehicles (my CX-9 is #8), and at each turn-in I had to provide every key and fob that came with the vehicle.

It's not just Mazda--fobs are damn expensive for many vehicles.

 

[CX9 SportOwner]

Gotta hang on to these new keys.

Hopefully the FTC will make the dealers and manufacturers release the data so third party competition will bring prices down. It's ridiculous how they get away with charging hundreds to take a few minutes and program a key code.

 

[ceric]

In the workshop menual, it mentions that if you have TWO SmartKeys, you can buy a 3rd one and program it yourself at home (very easy steps). However, in order to REPLACE a lost one, you have to go to the dealer using their computer (handheld or not). The procedure is very simple but they will charge you an arm and a leg for it...
It gets even more expensive if you lose the remaining one!!!!!

 

[jabba]

Not that this will help you, but I owned an Audi until recently, and the only recourse I would have had if I lost my key was to pay a crazy fee to the dealer to get it recut, etc. Well one Audi owner must have lost his key once too many because there was a sort of class action lawsuit where Audi now gave the option of going to approved keycutters. They even sent me an addendum to the owner's manual.

So I'm not saying you should start a class action, but once in a while it appears that the Man does lose a battle. Maybe Mazda will also see the light.