Subaru Key Replacement in Tampa
Whether your Subaru starts with a key you turn or a button on the dash, we cut and program Subaru keys for most models. Drive it to our South Tampa shop, or we'll come to the car, whether that's an Outback in the driveway or a Crosstrek at a boat ramp.
Three Kinds of Subaru Key
Subaru has kept more than one kind of key in use at the same time, so the key for your car depends on its age and often on its trim. Many older Subarus use a chip key: a cut blade with a transponder in the head, with the lock and unlock buttons on a separate remote that rides on the key ring. Later key-start models moved those buttons into the head of the key itself. And many Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, and Ascent trims with push-button start use a smart key that stays in your pocket, with a mechanical key tucked inside it.
Chip Key
A cut blade with a transponder chip, often paired with a separate remote. A plain copy can turn in the ignition and still not start the engine until the chip is programmed. See transponder key programming.
Remote-Head Key
Blade, chip, and buttons share one head. We cut the blade and program both the chip and the buttons, so a single key opens the doors and starts the car.
Smart Key
For push-button Subarus. Unlock by touching the handle, start with the button, and the blade inside is cut to your door. See key fob and smart key replacement.
How to Tell Which Key Your Subaru Takes
Two Subarus of the same model and year can leave the factory with different keys, because the push-button smart key often comes with the upper trims while the base trims keep a key you turn. Here's the quick check before you call. A start button on the dash means you have a smart key. A slot you turn a key in means you should look at the key itself: buttons on the head make it a remote-head key, and a plain head with its own remote on the ring makes it a chip key.
The VIN settles it either way. It's printed on your registration and insurance card, and on a plate you can read through the bottom corner of the windshield on the driver's side. Read it to us on the phone and we confirm the key before anyone cuts anything.
Lost a Subaru Key at the Beach or the Boat Ramp
Subarus tend to end up at kayak launches, boat ramps, and beach lots on the Pinellas side, and that's where keys go missing: dropped in the sand, left in a backpack, or zipped into a bag that rode home with someone else. If the car is stuck where you parked it, we come to it, cut the blade, and program the new key right there, so it never has to be towed back to town. Our lost car key replacement page lists what to have ready.
If a smart key went into the water, take the battery out as soon as you can. A soaked fob occasionally recovers once it's dry; if yours doesn't, we replace it and program the new one to the car. Down to your last key? Have a spare made before the next trip, and keep it somewhere other than the car.
What to Have Ready for a Subaru Key
- The year, model, and trim of your Subaru, whether it starts with a button or a key, and the VIN if you can get to it.
- A photo ID and proof the car is yours: the registration, title, or insurance card. If that paperwork is locked inside the car, say so when you call.
- Any key or remote you still have for it, even one that has stopped working.
What a Subaru Key Costs, and When the Dealer Makes Sense
We quote every Subaru key by phone, free, instead of posting a price list, because the type of key does most of the deciding. A chip key with a separate remote, a remote-head key, and a smart key are three different jobs, and replacing your only key takes more steps than adding a second one.
The dealer can make a Subaru key as well, usually by appointment with the car on their lot. For most Subaru models we do it at our shop at 4556 S Manhattan Ave or wherever the car is sitting. If yours is a very new model whose key has to be ordered, you'll hear that on the first call, not after we've driven out. Close to the shop? See our South Tampa locksmith page.
How It Works
- Step 1
Tell Us the Subaru
Call (813) 832-4777 with the year, model, trim, and VIN, or drive it to the shop.
- Step 2
Hear the Price
We confirm which key your Subaru uses and give you a free quote before anything is cut.
- Step 3
Cut & Program
At the shop or where the car is parked, the blade is cut and the chip, remote, or smart key is programmed.
- Step 4
Try Every Key
Each key has to lock, unlock, and start the car before the job is closed out.
Need a Subaru Key?
Call with your year, model, and trim. A real locksmith answers Monday through Saturday, 8am to 8pm, and gives you the price before any work begins.
Call (813) 832-4777Subaru Key Questions
Can you replace a Subaru smart key for push-button start?+
Yes, for most models. We program the new smart key to your Subaru and cut the mechanical key inside it to fit the driver's door. If every smart key is gone, the car can't be driven anywhere, so we come to it.
My Subaru key has a separate remote on the ring. Can you replace both?+
Usually, yes. The key itself carries a chip that gets programmed after the blade is cut, and the separate remote is programmed on its own. Bring both if you still have them, along with the car, and tell us which one is lost or broken.
How can I tell which key my Subaru uses?+
Check the dash. A start button means a smart key. A key slot means either a remote-head key (buttons on the key) or a chip key with a separate remote. The trim often decides it, so the VIN is the surest answer, and we check it when you call.
I lost my Subaru key at the beach. Can you come to the car?+
Yes. We come to where it's parked and make the key there, so there's no tow. Have a photo ID with you, and if the registration is locked inside the car, tell us when you call and we'll explain what we need.
How much does Subaru key replacement cost?+
It depends on the key, so we quote it instead of posting prices. A chip key, a remote-head key, and a smart key are priced differently, and so is a spare versus your only key. Call for a free quote and you'll have the number before any work begins.
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