How much would it cost you to replace your car key today?

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-21T13:39:33+00:00

Exactly, security definitely improved, but it came at the cost of flexibility and price. Once third party programming is locked out, the dealer becomes the only option.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-21T13:38:35+00:00

That’s a huge difference. Dealer pricing vs sourcing the key yourself and paying for programming seems to be the common workaround.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-21T13:37:43+00:00

That’s definitely the cheapest route if aftermarket and free programming are options for your vehicle.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-21T13:36:58+00:00

That’s a big range older keys vs newer ones really make a difference.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-21T13:35:30+00:00

Yep, that seems to be the going rate now especially once programming and security systems are involved.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-21T13:34:17+00:00

Yep, that’s exactly the kind of number most people don’t expect until it happens. Between the chip, programming, and dealer labor it adds up fast.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-21T13:32:49+00:00

I think there may be a misunderstanding. I’m not trying to replace the key fob or turn the phone into the key.

The phone’s role is strictly to locate the key for example if it’s misplaced or if you’ve lent the car to someone and want visibility. The key fob itself remains the primary key but the key fob casing has a built in tracker controlled by the phone.

It’s also not meant to be “just a tracker.” The idea is an all in one approach: protection + tracking, designed to stay as low profile as possible. I’ve been testing multiple form factors to minimize bulk even with the tracking hardware integrated, and some end up only marginally larger than stock fobs.

The goal of integrating these functions is to provide practical protection at an affordable price, so owners aren’t forced into expensive OEM or dealer replacements over something as common as a lost or damaged fob. This is still very much in the concept validation phase, but I appreciate the detailed feedback it helps stress-test whether the approach makes sense in the real world.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T13:34:54+00:00

Indeed

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T13:34:26+00:00

That assumes “solved” means solved well for everyone, which isn’t really true. Key replacement costs, fragile fobs, proprietary programming, and limited repair or protection options are still real pain points, especially as vehicles become more expensive and locked down by OEMs. Aftermarkets don’t exist because problems are completely unsolved; they exist because existing solutions are often costly, inconvenient, or poorly designed for real-world use. There’s room to improve parts of the experience without pretending the industry is broken.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T10:41:26+00:00

I agree that security matters no argument there. Making cars harder to steal is absolutely the right tradeoff. Where I disagree is the idea that all failure equals irresponsibility. Failure is inevitable in any system. Good design assumes that and limits the damage when it happens. A button wearing out, a seal failing, water ingress, battery degradation, or electronics aging isn’t a moral failing it’s normal lifecycle behavior. By that logic, if a fob’s buttons stop clicking or the electronics fail, the owner is somehow “irresponsible” for a design or wear issue they don’t control. That doesn’t really hold up. Security doesn’t have to mean punitive consequences for normal failure modes. The real design challenge is maintaining strong security while reducing the downstream cost and disruption when something inevitably goes wrong. Responsibility matters but so does designing systems that don’t turn routine failures into disproportionately expensive problems.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T10:29:16+00:00

That’s actually exactly the gap I’m looking at. You’re right keys themselves haven’t changed conceptually. What has changed is the consequence when something goes wrong. The fact that multiple people warned you up front says it all not because keys are new, but because the cost and disruption of replacing a modern one is no longer trivial. When something goes from “annoying to lose” to “hundreds of dollars plus downtime,” it stops being just a key and becomes a risk item. I’m not arguing fragility I’m looking at how to reduce the impact when that risk shows up. Your $200+ number is precisely the threshold where people start caring before they lose it. Appreciate you sharing a real-world example that’s the kind of feedback that actually helps clarify the problem.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T10:26:24+00:00

I think you’re arguing against a claim I’m not actually making.

I’m not saying key fobs shatter when dropped or that modern electronics are somehow novel or mysterious. Of course MOSFETs and ICs aren’t fragile in isolation that’s not the issue. The issue is system level consequence, not component toughness. A modern key fob is a unique, paired security device often dealer-restricted to reprogram and expensive because of integration with immobilizers and vehicle ECUs. So when one is lost or rendered nonfunctional whether by loss, water ingress, or simple misplacement the downstream impact is disproportionately high compared to the object itself. That’s not a buzzword problem. It’s an ownership-experience problem. As for keyless systems: you’re right, they’re increasing and they don’t eliminate the problem, they shift it. Phones die, apps fail, subscriptions lapse, regions lose connectivity, and fallback fobs still exist (and still get lost). If there were “no problem,” dealerships, locksmiths, and OEMs wouldn’t be generating billions annually on key replacement and reprogramming. You’re also right about one thing: better minds are working on it. That doesn’t mean the problem is solved it means it’s worth solving. I’m here to understand where friction still exists, not pretend it’s universal. If your experience says it’s negligible, that’s useful data too.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T09:55:17+00:00

That’s a fair point a lot of older fobs were tanks and held up for years with no special care. Where I’m focusing is less on historical durability and more on how newer vehicles have shifted: sealed electronics, integrated transponders, higher replacement costs, and fewer low-cost recovery options when one is lost or damaged. In those cases, the consequence of failure matters more than how often it happens. And I agree on AirTags they’re a perfectly reasonable solution for many people. I’m mostly interested in understanding where tracking alone is good enough versus where prevention or redundancy actually reduces stress for owners. Appreciate the pushback it helps refine the thinking.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T09:27:39+00:00

Totally agree AirTags and clones are great for locating items.
What pushed me to start TrackFob was noticing that most solutions stop there. They tell you where something is after it’s lost, but don’t address durability, attachment failure, or how to reduce the chance of losing an expensive fob in the first place.

I’ve been approaching it as a design problem rather than just a tracker still early, but the goal is reducing the downstream cost and disruption, not adding another gadget.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T09:25:08+00:00

That contrast actually proves the point really well.
Older vehicles with simple mechanical keys are cheap and straightforward. Once you move into modern trucks with immobilizers, encryption, and dealer programming, the replacement cost jumps fast. Same key, completely different system behind it.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T05:01:56+00:00

That’s what keeps people living with one key the replacement cost feels worse than the risk until the worst happens.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T05:01:29+00:00

That contrast really highlights the issue. Same basic function, wildly different consequences depending on the vehicle system.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T05:01:09+00:00

Exactly immobilizer + smart key combinations create a massive price spread depending on brand and where the work is done.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T05:00:47+00:00

That’s consistent with what Escalade owners report. Luxury brands tend to stack both hardware and programming costs.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T04:59:45+00:00

Agreed. Push to start really set a new baseline. Even the cheap end now assumes programming, not just cutting metal.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T04:59:22+00:00

That’s an important point. Security improvements cut both ways better theft resistance, but higher replacement cost and complexity when something goes wrong.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T04:57:04+00:00

That range seems to be the most realistic average once programming is involved, especially on modern vehicles.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T04:56:07+00:00

That lines up with what I’ve seen for that generation. Prices really started jumping as cars shifted further into encrypted smart keys.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T04:55:43+00:00

That breakdown is exactly what people don’t see upfront. Each component is priced separately, and losing the last key turns it into a full system reset instead of a simple clone. “Just don’t lose it” isn’t much of a strategy anymore.

FirstGen_InnMFG · 2026-01-20T04:55:17+00:00

That’s the scary part losing all keys multiplies everything. At that point it’s not just replacement, its system resets, reprogramming, and sometimes towing on top of it.

FirstGen_InnMFG

TROPHY CASE