Chevrolet Key Replacement in Milwaukee

Chevrolet keys we make around Milwaukee

Chevrolet key replacement in Milwaukee covers a wide range of cars and trucks: Silverado pickups, Tahoe and Suburban, Equinox and Traverse SUVs, Malibu and Impala sedans, and older Cavalier and Cruze models that are still on the road. The first question is which key your Chevy uses. GM changed its anti-theft system several times since the 1990s, and the key type decides the blank, the programming, and the price.

Passlock, chip key, flip key, or smart key

Many Chevrolets from the 1990s and early 2000s use Passlock, including the 1995–2004 Cavalier, the 1997–2003 Malibu, and the 2000–2005 Impala. On these cars the key has no chip. The security sensor sits in the ignition switch, so a correctly cut key starts the car without programming, and a spare is a cutting job. When the switch itself wears out, the security light comes on and the engine can crank but not start; then the switch and the car have to be matched again, which is ignition work (ignition repair).

Silverado, Tahoe, and Suburban from the 2007 model year on use a key with a transponder chip in the plastic head. Many earlier trucks, including Silverado and Tahoe from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s, use Passlock too, so we check the key before we cut. Flip keys, with the blade folding into the remote, came with the 2010 Equinox, the 2010 Camaro, and the 2011 Cruze. Push-to-start smart keys are on many newer Malibu, Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe, and Silverado trims.

What a spare Chevy key takes at the car

With one working key, a spare is the fastest job. We cut the blade from your key or by code, then program the chip through the diagnostic port under the dash. On many GM models the car runs a security wait during programming: it counts down about 10 minutes before it accepts a new key, and on some models the wait is 30 minutes. That timer is the car's own anti-theft step, and we plan the visit around it. Most Chevy keys take 15 to 60 minutes from start to finish, depending on the key type.

A spare key starts at $69 when you have a working key (spare car key). It costs far less than a new key after the last one is gone, so a second key is worth making while the first still works.

Silverado and work truck keys

Chevy pickups do a lot of work around Milwaukee, and a truck with one key is one lost key away from a stopped crew. For a company truck, we make keys with a letter or an email from the company and a photo ID on site; see fleet keys. Silverado and the GMC Sierra of the same years use the same key and fob types, so the same blanks fit both (GMC keys).

When every Chevrolet key is lost

When there is no key at all, we open the car or truck first, the same way as a car lockout. The cuts come from decoding a door lock or from the factory key code for the VIN, which is bought from the maker after the ownership check. Then we program the new keys. On many Chevrolets the car clears the old keys when it learns the new ones, so a lost key will not start it again; we confirm what your car does before we start. All keys lost for a chip key starts at $119, and smart keys cost more (lost car keys).

Chevy remotes and smart keys

Older Chevrolets have a separate remote next to the key, and the remote and the chip are learned by the car as two separate steps. Newer models put the remote in a flip key or a smart key. A lost or broken remote is programmed from $119 (key fobs), and a push-to-start smart key starts at $159 (smart keys). Every smart key we make has a small blade inside for the driver's door.

For the other makes we cover, see car keys by make. Ford trucks follow different rules, explained on the Ford keys page, while Buick keys follow the GM rules described here.