Honda CR-V Key Replacement in San Diego

A CR-V smart key costs $239 at the car, roughly half of the $480 a Honda dealer quotes. The LX remote head key is $179.

The CR-V moved from an edge-cut chip key to a laser-cut blade in 2007, to a remote head key in 2012 and to a push-start fob with the 2015 Touring. From 2017 the fob spread to most trims.

The LX usually kept a key you turn well into the fifth generation, so two CR-Vs from the same year can need different parts at different prices. Note whether the car starts with a button and have the model year handy, and the phone quote is what you pay once the key works. For a second key in the same visit, see spare car keys. A 1997 to 2001 CR-V needs a VIN lookup before we price it, so text that over.

Honda CR-V keys by model year

Find your year, and the row shows the key it takes, what the dealer charges and what we charge at the car.

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.
Model years	Typical dealer	Value Car Keys	You keep
2002 to 2006: Transponder chip keyA plain-looking key with cuts on the edge and its chip sealed inside the head. The remote, on trims that have one, is a separate fob that can be paired during the same stop.	~~$260~~	$139	$121
2007 to 2011: High-security laser-cut keyThe third generation switched to the laser-cut blade, grooved along its face, not notched at the edge. Key kiosks mostly turn it away; we cut it in the van from your code.	~~$300~~	$159	$141
2012 to 2016: Remote head key (LX, EX and EX-L use the remote head key; the 2015 and 2016 Touring has a $239 smart key)Laser blade, chip and remote buttons in one head, so there is one part to replace instead of a key and a separate remote.	~~$330~~	$179	$151
2017 to 2022: Smart key for push-to-start (EX and higher trims use the smart key; the LX usually stayed with the $179 remote head key)A push-start fob carrying an emergency blade inside. If your CR-V has seat memory, its fobs may carry a Driver 1 or Driver 2 label; read it to us so we bring the right part.	~~$480~~	$239	$241
2023 to 2026: Smart key for push-to-startThe sixth-generation CR-V is push-start. The fob part is matched by VIN, and the blade inside it is cut to the door lock during the same stop.	~~$480~~	$239	$241

The new key next to the original.

Lost every CR-V key?

When the last CR-V key is gone, the car stays where it is. The key code is read from the VIN, the van's machine cuts the blade (or the emergency blade inside a fob), and a Honda-capable programming tool registers the new key to the immobilizer.

It is $60 over the spare-key price: $299 all in for a smart-key CR-V and $239 for the remote head key, compared with $480 plus a $125 to $200 tow at the dealer for the fob.

Proof of ownership means the registration or title, with a photo ID bearing the same name. We also clear the lost key from the CR-V's memory at no extra cost, so a key dropped at a trailhead or a beach lot cannot start it.

Honda CR-V key questions

My CR-V has a key slot, not a button. Which key do I need?

A key you turn, which on a 2012 or newer CR-V is the remote head key at $179. The LX kept that key after the EX and higher trims moved to push-button start for 2017. Older CR-Vs take a chip key without buttons in the head: $139 for the 2002 to 2006 edge-cut key and $159 for the 2007 to 2011 laser-cut key.

Does the 2015 or 2016 CR-V Touring take a different key?

Yes. The 2015 and 2016 Touring was the first CR-V with a push-start fob, while the other trims of those years kept the remote head key. The Touring fob costs $239 at your car, which covers cutting its emergency blade and programming it. Honda service departments tend to quote near $480 for the same fob before tax.

What happens to my memory seat when you program a new CR-V fob?

On a CR-V with seat memory, the new fob takes over the Driver 1 or 2 slot of the one it replaces, and the seat follows it when it unlocks the car. After programming we lock and unlock the CR-V and watch the seat move before you pay. A CR-V without seat memory uses a standard fob, which is a different part number.

Can you program a CR-V fob I bought online?

Yes, as long as it is a new fob that matches your year's part. Pairing a fob you bought comes to $79 to $119. A fob pulled from another CR-V usually refuses to pair a second time, so send a photo of the back of the fob and we confirm the fit before you order.

Why does a 2009 CR-V key cost more than a 2004 key?

Because the blade changed. The 2007 to 2011 CR-V uses a laser-cut key with a groove milled into its face, which takes a different cutter than the edge-cut 2002 to 2006 key. Ours are $159 and $139, against roughly $300 and $260 at the dealer's parts counter once programming is added.

Other Honda models

Text us your Honda CR-V year and trim

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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