Chevrolet Car Key Replacement in San Diego

Chevy keys run $125 for a chip key and $229 for a push-start smart key, programmed at the car. Chevrolet dealers usually quote about $230 and $440 for those same keys.

A 2002 Chevy key and a 2020 Chevy key have almost nothing in common: one is plain metal, the other never touches the ignition. We identify yours from the year and VIN on the phone, so the right key rides in the van.

This page covers the cars and family SUVs: Malibu, Cruze, Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe, Camaro and Bolt. Silverado keys share their parts with the Sierra, so the GMC page handles pickups, vans and work fleets. Whichever you drive, expect OEM or OEM-grade parts with GM's chip type, cut, programmed and tested beside the car during a single visit.

The new key next to the original.

What a Chevrolet key costs at your car

A spare Chevrolet key with a working key present. The dealer figure is what a San Diego Chevrolet dealer typically quotes for the same key, before tax.

Prices as of 2026-09-30. Every price includes the drive to you anywhere in San Diego County. There is no trip fee and no after-hours rate inside our open hours. All keys lost adds $60.
Key or job	Typical dealer	Value Car Keys	You keep
Transponder chip key, 2004 to 2018Metal key with a chip. Circle Plus keys on Malibu, Impala, Tahoe, Suburban and Traverse, then a newer blank on 2014 to 2018 trucks and SUVs.	~~$230~~	$125	$105
High-security laser-cut key, 2010 to 2019Button-free chip key on the grooved HU100 blank: the plain spare for the Camaro, Cruze, Equinox, Malibu and Impala years that came with the flip key below.	~~$270~~	$145	$125
Remote head key, 2010 to 2019Flip key on the HU100 high-security blade: Camaro, Cruze, Equinox, Malibu and Impala of those years.	~~$300~~	$165	$135
Smart key for push-to-start, 2015 and newerOn push-start trims: Tahoe and Suburban from 2015 on upper trims; Malibu, Camaro and Cruze from 2016; Bolt from 2017; Equinox and Traverse from 2018.	~~$440~~	$229	$211

All keys lost. The dealer column adds a typical $150 tow, because a dealership programs only with the car in the bay.
Key or job	Typical dealer	Value Car Keys	You keep
Chip key, all keys lost2004 to 2018	~~$230 plus a tow~~	$185	$195
Laser-cut key, all keys lost2010 to 2019	~~$270 plus a tow~~	$205	$215
Remote key, all keys lost2010 to 2019	~~$300 plus a tow~~	$225	$225
Smart key, all keys lost2015 and newer	~~$440 plus a tow~~	$289	$301

Chevrolet models with their own page

Known Chevrolet key and ignition problems

Faults that come up on Chevrolet models often enough to have their own page, with the years, the fix and the dealer figure next to ours.

GM theft deterrent no-start

Many Chevy and GMC cars and trucks that show Service Theft Deterrent System and won't start clear with a free 10-minute relearn.

Chevy and GMC truck ignition repair

Chevy and GMC trucks and SUVs from 1999 to 2014 wear out ignition cylinders and keys until the key stops turning.

Car key problems by make, and what each dash message means

Which Chevrolet key do you have?

Plain metal key, no chip: early 2000s Malibu, Impala, Cavalier

These cars use GM Passlock. The anti-theft part lives in the ignition, where a sensor reads a magnet in the lock cylinder as the key turns, so the key carries no chip at all. A new one is cut by code with no programming, priced as a basic key at $49 to $89. Malibu through 2003, Impala 2000 to 2004 and Cavalier through 2005 work this way.

A circle with a plus sign stamped on the key

That is GM's Circle Plus transponder key. It runs through the 2004 to 2012 Malibu, the 2006 to 2013 Impala, the Tahoe and Suburban from 2007 to 2014 and the Traverse from 2009 to 2017. On most of them the remote is a separate fob on the ring. The key is $125, and we program it on site.

Blade swings out of the remote: 2010 to 2019

The flip key rides on GM's HU100 blade, grooved on both faces instead of notched. You find it on the 2010 to 2015 Camaro, 2011 to 2016 Cruze, Equinox through 2017, 2013 to 2016 Malibu and 2014 to 2019 Impala. Push-start versions of some of those cars use a flip key that looks identical and will not swap. $165, or $145 for the same blade and chip without buttons.

Push-button start with the fob left in a bag

A smart key. The Tahoe and Suburban offered it from 2015, standard on the LTZ. Malibu, Camaro and Cruze offered it from 2016, the Bolt had it from its first year in 2017, and the Equinox and Traverse followed in 2018. The fob hides a steel emergency blade that opens the driver's door. $229 at the car.

Lost every Chevrolet key?

With no key left at all, the new one is still made beside the car. The cuts come from the VIN, the chip is programmed new, and the missing key is wiped from the car's memory for free. The lost-key surcharge is $60, added to the key price; keep the title or registration and your ID nearby.

Passlock cars are the easy exception: with no chip to program, losing every key to an early 2000s Malibu or Impala means one key cut by code. On many Circle Plus models, GM's own relearn adds about 30 minutes of waiting with the ignition on; that timer comes from GM's procedure, not from us.

What the dealer charges, and why

A Chevrolet service department adds $100 to $180 of programming time to the price of the part. That lands near $230 for a chip key and $440 for a push-start fob, before tax, with one to three days added if a Traverse or Equinox fob has to be ordered. They need the car in their bay, so a car with no key starts with a tow.

Two things we say on the phone first

An early 2000s Malibu or Impala that cranks but will not start, with the security light flashing, rarely needs a key. The Passlock sensor in the ignition is the usual cause. We will say so on the phone and point you to ignition repair rather than sell a key that changes nothing.

Used flip keys and fobs from online sellers are a gamble on GM cars, because push-start and keyed versions share a shell. Read us the FCC ID printed on the back before you pay anyone to program it.

Chevrolet key questions

Why does my 2002 Malibu key have no chip?

Because that Malibu uses GM Passlock, where the anti-theft part sits in the ignition cylinder instead of the key. A replacement is cut by code, needs no programming and is priced as a basic key, $49 to $89. If the car cranks without starting and the security light flashes, the cylinder or its sensor is at fault, not the key.

Can I add a key to my Chevy myself with one working key?

On many Circle Plus models from the 2000s, yes. With the working key, switch the ignition on and then off, insert the new cut key within ten seconds, and leave it on until the security light goes out. Flip keys and smart keys on newer Chevys usually need a programming tool. Your owner's manual lists the routine for your year.

Will a used Equinox flip key bought online work on my car?

Sometimes, if it is the same version. GM built push-start and turn-key versions of the flip key for the Equinox, Cruze and Malibu, and they look identical from outside. Compare the FCC ID on the back with your original. If it matches, pairing a fob you supply runs $79 to $119. A new key from us is $165 with a one-year warranty.

How much does a Traverse or Tahoe key cost?

A Circle Plus key for a 2009 to 2017 Traverse or a 2007 to 2014 Tahoe is $125, and a smart key for a 2018 or newer Traverse or a push-start Tahoe is $229. A Chevrolet dealer typically quotes about $230 and $440 for those keys, before any tow. Every one of our prices includes the drive to your car.

My Tahoe says no remote detected. Is the fob dead?

Most often it is the fob battery. The Tahoe can still start: set the fob in the backup transmitter pocket, which GM places in or near the center console, then press the brake and the start button. Swap the coin battery afterward. If the new battery changes nothing, the replacement fob is $229, programmed at the vehicle.

Do you make keys for the Camaro and the Bolt?

Yes. A 2010 to 2015 Camaro uses the HU100 flip key, $165, and the 2016 and newer Camaro moved to a smart key, $229. The Bolt has used a smart key from its first model year, also $229. Both are programmed through the OBD port while we are parked beside the car, with the same chip type GM installs at the factory.

Where we make Chevrolet keys

Any Chevrolet parked anywhere in San Diego County, with no trip fee. Cities where we cut Chevrolet keys most often:

Related services

Text us your Chevrolet year and model

Call or text (619) 340-1518 with the car's year, make and model. If a dealer already quoted you, send that quote over for our answer on the same key.

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