Jeep Key Replacement in Milwaukee

Jeep keys for Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, and Cherokee

Jeep key replacement in Milwaukee covers a lot of different vehicles under one badge: Wrangler and Gladiator, Grand Cherokee and Cherokee, Compass and Renegade, and older Liberty, Patriot, and Commander models. Jeeps get driven to the lake, onto trails, and through every Wisconsin winter, and keys get lost in all of those places. We come to the Jeep, wherever it is parked, and make the key there.

One brand, three kinds of Jeep key

Jeep used three very different keys over the last twenty years, and the first thing we ask is which one you have.

Many Wrangler, Liberty, Patriot, and Compass models from 2007 to 2017 use a remote head key: a regular blade with the lock and unlock buttons built into the plastic head. The 2008–2013 Grand Cherokee and the 2008–2010 Commander use a Fobik instead. A Fobik has no blade sticking out; you push the whole fob into a slot in the dash and turn it, and a small emergency key hides inside it for the driver's door. The Grand Cherokee and the Cherokee moved to push-to-start smart keys from 2014, and many newer Compass, Renegade, Wrangler, and Gladiator trims use them as well.

A photo of your key, or just the year and model, tells us which one to bring. A remote head key starts at $129, and a smart key at $159 (smart keys).

The security gateway on newer Jeeps

From the 2018 model year, most Jeeps have a security gateway module between the diagnostic port and the rest of the vehicle. A few models got it earlier, including the 2016 Renegade and the 2017 Compass and Cherokee. The gateway lets a scan tool read trouble codes, but it blocks writing to the key list from the port. A locksmith reaches the key list in one of two ways: with a tool registered and logged in through the automaker's access program, or with a cable connected behind the gateway under the dash. Both are normal parts of the job on a newer Jeep, and the same gateway sits in 2018 and newer Dodge, Ram, and Chrysler vehicles (Dodge keys).

A spare key for your Jeep

If one key still works, a spare is the quickest and least costly job: from $69 for a chip key (spare car key). We cut the blade, program the chip or the fob, and test both keys at the Jeep. Plan on 15 to 60 minutes, depending on the key type and whether the gateway step is needed. Many used Jeeps change hands with one key, so a second key is worth making soon after you buy one. Keep the spare at home, not inside the Jeep.

When every Jeep key is lost

A lost key on a trail or at a beach is a common Jeep story. With no key left, we open the Jeep first (car lockout). For a bladed key, the cuts come from decoding a door lock or from the factory key code for the VIN, bought from the maker after we check the title or registration. Many Jeeps ask for a 4-digit security PIN during programming; our tool reads it from the vehicle on most models, and a few older ones need an extra step at the immobilizer module. Then the new keys go in, and the lost ones are removed from the Jeep when the system allows it. All keys lost for a chip key starts at $119; Fobik and smart keys cost more (lost car keys).

Wrangler, Gladiator, and work Jeeps

Wranglers and Gladiators often have removable doors and tops, and their owners tend to carry the key in a pocket all day outdoors, which is exactly how keys get lost. For a Jeep that belongs to a company, a letter or an email from the company and your photo ID let us make the key on site (fleet keys). If you bought a used Jeep with a key the last owner kept, we can remove that key from it (erase old keys).

For other makes, see car keys by make. Ram and Chrysler keys follow the same family rules (Ram keys, Chrysler keys).