The price of automotive remotes and emergency keys are to say the least expensive. I was talking with a locksmith from the East Coast who purchased some used remotes for a 2011/12 Toyota Sienna for between one and two hundred dollars. He said how happy he was and that he had sold them for a good profit.
This led me to check out the price of Toyota remotes and emergency keys. I called a number of Toyota dealerships in California and the surrounding states. The first dealer called is charging $336.00 over the counter, just the fob not including the emergency key. Programming is an additional one hundred dollars plus. More than one dealer would not sell a fob without programming.
The cost of the emergency key at another Toyota dealership is $125; other dealerships were higher or lower. Just as a note, an aftermarket key blank manufacturer is in the process of manufacturing a Sienna emergency key blank.
In the age of fobs and even remote head keys, the replacement costs can be significant. On some vehicles, a mechanical key with transponder can still be used as an alternative. However, who wants a "key" without pushbuttons when that is what you are accustomed to using to gain access and lock the vehicle.
As always, what do you think?
