It’s one thing when you lose your keys to your house and you suddenly find yourself in the precarious position of having to change out the locks. What do you do? You call a trusted locksmith who will arrive in no time and save the day. But what happens when you lose or destroy the only key you have left for your Jeep Wrangler? It’s not just a key that locks and unlocks the car doors, but it’s also required to start and stop the engine. Without the key, the Jeep is just a useless hunk of metal, plastic, rubber, and glass. Lets find out how to find the replacement keys here.
Say the experts in a recent article, it’s only human nature to lose your Jeep keys. In fact, you might be the type who’s prone to misplace things like keys. You might have been off-roading or cruising the dunes on a beach when suddenly, you notice the only key you own to your Jeep Wrangler is missing (because naturally, you lost the spare key a long time ago).
The obvious questions to ask yourself are these: Where can I get a new key? Get it fast? And how much am I going to have to pay for it? You can get a new ignition key for as little as $10 to $15, or you can go direct to the dealer who will probably gouge you for as much as $250, based on the kind of key you need and want for your Jeep Wrangler.
The fact of the matter is that there is no real way to provide an exact estimate of how much a new Jeep key will cost. It is however possible to determine how quickly you can get a key. According to Car Keys Pro, a 24-hour emergency automotive locksmith, you can get your new Jeep Wrangler key immediately so long as you contact an outfit that works 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, including major holidays. These locksmiths are highly mobile and carry all the necessary equipment it takes to cut you a brand new ignition key (with or without the fob) or even repair a jammed ignition and/or door lock.
All this said, here are some other options for replacing the Jeep Wrangler key you absentmindedly misplaced.
Ignition Key Only with No Fob
Believe it or not, if you are only in need of an ignition key without the fob, you can easily pick up a spare at the local Ace Hardware or Home Depot. This will also be your most inexpensive option by far.
It’s a great option for Jeep Wrangler owners who haven’t lost their master key and are just in need of a spare. It’s also not a bad idea to pick a spare key up even if you don’t need one just in case you happen to lose one while off-roading out in the middle of nowhere.
How much will it cost?
Cost: You can pick up a no fob key in some instances for as little as five bucks.
Replacing the Ignition Key
If you’ve lost all your keys including the master, and you’re on a limited budget, you can purchase an ignition key without the fob. However, if you drive a newer model Jeep Wrangler, getting a simple ignition key might not be possible since new keys required an electronic fob-chip replacement. If you’re wondering precisely what type of key is required for a replacement, just check the model and make of your Jeep Wrangler. You can do this with a simple Google search or in the owner’s manual.
How much will it cost?
Getting hold of an ignition key, minus the chip/fob, is very affordable. Your options are to order online or head to the local hardware store which might be able to cut a key without the having the master to work with. But if time is of the essence, you need to call emergency 24-hour automotive locksmith.
The cost should be anywhere from $25 to $125.
Ignition Key and a Spare Key Fob
Maybe you’re looking for both a spare ignition key plus a keyless entry key fob. This can be accomplished fairly cheaply and conveniently at a hardware store, but less cheaply at the dealership. Your best bet is to make a few phone calls to the right locksmiths to get an idea of your options.
How much will it cost?
The least costly way to obtain a new key fob for your Jeep Wrangler is to order it online and then have it programmed at a hardware store or locksmith that’s capable of performing this kind of work. If you purchase a key fob from the dealership, it’s going to cost you a lot more.
The cheaper alternatives will run you about $100. But a dealership will cost you around $250, which means, if possible, try to avoid them at all costs.
