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The Fobik: Chrysler's Bladeless Dash Key, Replaced at Your Car

A fobik is the bladeless Chrysler-family fob you push into the dash and twist like a key. For a Dodge, Jeep or Ram we charge $189 at the vehicle; their dealers quote about $350.

The name is Chrysler's, a blend of fob and key. It looks like a chunky remote with no blade showing, and in place of a lock cylinder the dash has a socket that reads its chip once the fob is seated and turned.

It sat between two eras: bladed keys in the steering column before it, push-button smart keys after. From roughly 2008 to 2018 it was the middle step on minivans, muscle cars, Jeeps and Ram pickups, and plenty still park on streets around the county.

A replacement takes three things: the right fob for your VIN, the vehicle's security PIN, and a programmer connected at the vehicle. All three come to where it is parked, and our one-year warranty covers the key, the remote and the programming.

A smart key being paired at the car.

How to tell you have one

No blade, and it goes into the dash

A fobik is a rounded rectangle of plastic with a narrow tongue at one end and no metal showing. The tongue fits a socket on the dash, usually just right of the steering column, and the whole fob turns there. A key with an exposed blade that enters a cylinder is a remote head key, priced on the same row.

A latch that frees an emergency blade

Look for a small release on the fob's body. It lets a short metal key slide out to open the driver door if a battery dies. That key starts nothing, since the dash has no cylinder for it. A new fobik ships with the blade blank, and it gets cut to your door before we leave.

Count the buttons, then read the back

Three buttons (lock, unlock, panic) is the basic fobik. Minivans with power sliding doors and a power liftgate carry more, and others add remote start or a trunk button. The layout and the FCC ID printed on its case decide which fob fits, and two that match in a photo may be separate part numbers, so we order by VIN.

Why a key kiosk cannot copy it

Key machines cut blades, and the only blade here is the emergency key, which opens a door. Starting depends on the node behind the dash slot reading the fob's chip and recognizing it. Getting a new chip recognized takes the vehicle's PIN and a programmer, which a hardware counter does not have.

Makes and years

Dodge used it most. The Grand Caravan had one for its whole 2008 to 2020 run, the Challenger from 2008 to 2014, the Charger from 2008 to 2010 and the Durango from 2011 to 2013, plus the Dart and turn-key Journeys. At Jeep it was the Grand Cherokee from 2008 to 2013 and the Commander from 2008 to 2010.

Ram pickups carried one from 2013 to 2018, and the 1500 Classic kept it after the 2019 redesign. Chrysler used it in the Town and Country minivan and on many 300 sedans, and the Chrysler-built Volkswagen Routan shared the minivan's fob family. The JK Wrangler, Liberty and Patriot never had one. A keyless-start trim may carry a look-alike fob that also works from a pocket; that one is priced as a smart key.

How it is programmed

At the vehicle the blade is cut first, by code. The programmer then goes on the diagnostic port, reads the four-digit security PIN from the vehicle on most models, and uses it to open key learning in the wireless ignition node, the module behind the dash slot. The new fobik is seated and its chip enrolled, and on most models the remote buttons come along in the same pass.

Later vehicles, the 1500 Classic among them, may add a security gateway step. A dealer does the same work on its factory scan tool, pulling the PIN by VIN from its own system. What differs is the setup: the fob comes from the parts counter, the service department puts $100 to $180 of labor on the ticket for the enrollment, and with no working fobik a tow, $125 to $200, brings the vehicle in.

What it costs

Fobiks sit on our remote head key row: $165 to $259 at your vehicle, against $300 to $450 at a dealer. Dodge, Jeep and Ram fobiks are $189, where their dealers ask about $350, and a Chrysler or Routan fob is quoted inside the same range once we have the VIN. With no working fobik left, add $60, so $249 for a Dodge, Jeep or Ram.

Prices as of 2026-09-30. Your exact price is confirmed on the phone before we drive.
Key or jobTypical dealerValue Car KeysYou keep
Remote head keyA chip key with lock and unlock buttons built into the head, including flip keys. $300 to $450 $165 to $259 $135 to $191
Remote head key, all keys lostA chip key with lock and unlock buttons built into the head, including flip keys. $300 to $450 plus a tow $225 to $319 $75 to $131

Questions people ask

What does fobik mean?

It is Chrysler's own coinage, fob plus key, for a remote that doubles as the ignition key. The fob itself goes into the dash slot and turns. Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Chrysler vehicles used it from roughly 2008 to 2018, and a Dodge, Jeep or Ram replacement is $189 at your vehicle.

Will a fobik with a dead battery still start the engine?

Yes. The battery runs only the remote buttons. Once the fob is seated in the dash slot, the ignition node powers and reads the chip on its own, so the engine starts as usual. Getting in is the snag: open the driver door with the emergency blade hidden in its shell. A fresh coin cell, usually a CR2032, brings the buttons back.

My fobik will not turn in the dash. Is it the fob or the car?

It can be either. The fault can sit in the fob's chip or in the ignition node it plugs into, and a new fob only cures the first. We test both before selling anything. A new fobik for a Dodge, Jeep or Ram costs $189; a worn-out node is a separate repair at $279 to $695, explained on the page for that fault.

Is a fobik the same as a smart key?

No. A fobik has to be pushed into the dash slot and turned before the engine starts, while a smart key starts the engine from a pocket with a press of the button. They can look alike, so we check the VIN. For Dodge, Jeep and Ram, the fobik costs $189 here and the smart key $249, where dealers ask about $350 and $460.

What should I check before buying a fobik online?

Match three things to your current fob: the FCC ID on its case, the part number and the button layout. Buy it new, because most fobiks lock to the first vehicle that learns them. Text us a picture of its back before you order. Pairing a fob you bought costs $79 to $119 where the vehicle sits; see fob programming.

Prices by make

Jeep keys

from $145 at your car
Keep up to $211 vs the dealer

Ram keys

from $145 at your car
Keep up to $211 vs the dealer

Dodge keys

from $145 at your car
Keep up to $211 vs the dealer

Volkswagen keys

from $169 at your car
Keep up to $291 vs the dealer

Get the dealer's key without the dealer's bill

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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