Ford keys - If your vehicle is over 10 years....

[crazyoildude]

Lock smiths do this all the time i asked my friend and he says he usually gets $240.00 for this $170.00 for the car dealers and does many fords.. Easy money he says.
He has a place he gets codes and even if the locks were changed he gets it by something called progression. All automotive locksmiths should be able to do this with ease although some of them are expensive.. When they first came out it was over $500.00 now everyone does it.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Fords are engineered for ease of constuction and sale. They are NOT built to be maintained


As compared to what brand? I don't know of any modern vehicle brand that uniformly prioritizes maintenance over ease of manufacture and sale. Some have excellent support for some of their older models, if there is demand for that support, but none of them are Unicef.

As stated by bdcardinal, parts availability is generally just a matter of simple supply and demand. If it's worthwhile for suppliers to meet the demand, the demand will be met, whether it's through OEM or aftermarket channels, or both. For example, even though I do not have one in stock now, I can have a GM Genuine steering column rack kit for a 1980s C/K truck by noon tomorrow. It won't even have dust on the bag and will be recently manufactured. But, I cannot get a GM Genuine PS cooler/hose assembly for a V8 Colorado no matter how hard I try. I followed up with GM over months trying to get one until one day they called me and pretty much just said it wasn't happening, sorry. I told the customer that there was nothing I could do but sell them an aftermarket section of the assembly from O'Reilly's, but they wanted the whole part. All of those Colorados are out of warranty that would cover the PS, so GM isn't interested in getting a supplier to make a small batch, and there's just not enough demand yet for the aftermarket to cover more than one section of hose. Sucks for the owner of the truck for sure, but the demand just isn't there. If V8 Colorados started catching on fire from power steering cooler leaks, it would be different.

I bought a drum brake backing plate from the Ford dealer for my 1994 Ranger a few months ago. The 1994 backing plate was obsolete, but 1995 was close enough and still available. I had it the next day. Not bad IMO.

That said, their key code policy is pretty nuts. Currently GM has key codes back to about 1991/92 for most vehicles, but it varies. They start dumping RPO info from VINs around the same age in the catalog. It will pull up the basic vehicle, but there will be a message that "no RPO content exists for this VIN" and there will be no build sheet.

 

[PeterPolyol]

Heh. Ford.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: exranger06
I had a bad ECM on my Explorer, so I replaced it with a junkyard ECM. Then I had to tow it to the Ford dealer to have it programmed to accept my key. Dealer charged $190 for this. I also had to pay $35 for another key (you need at least 2 keys for this, and I had only one.) Total out the door cost including taxes and shop fees was $246. (not including tow; I towed it myself)


So that will end up being like $500.00 CDN, based on my dealer experience here

Plus whatever the locksmith charges, so I'm looking at $1K likely.

Rural Ford Dealer (hariston ON) charged me $35 to program a key, took about 20 min

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Bluestream

Rural Ford Dealer (hariston ON) charged me $35 to program a key, took about 20 min


Was the vehicle over 10 years old?

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Originally Posted By: Kestas
With the average age of cars being 11 years old, this suggests that half the Ford vehicles on the road are not supported for key replacement at the dealers.
Fords are engineered for ease of constuction and sale. They are NOT built to be maintained


While not really true- when I was hunting some parts of our old cavalier/Cobalt I couldn't help but notice this yard had a few more 2008-2012 cars/trucks here. And we're not talking about smashed up ones, but ones that were simply dead. And 2 Focuses with dead trans (though both were a bit up there in miles (88k, 167k)

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Bluestream

Rural Ford Dealer (hariston ON) charged me $35 to program a key, took about 20 min


Was the vehicle over 10 years old?


I don't think that should matter, that's for parts. The last time I did one, it cost me around $40 but that was 10+ years ago and they basically charged me a 1/2 hour labor to program the key. I told them I already had a cut key and just needed it added to the system. It was done in 20 minutes. If you went in needing a key cut and programmed, they'd probably charge you an hour for labor. I believe the system can store up to 8 keys.

 

[bdcardinal]

I don't charge to cut keys, especially if I am just tracing a key or the customer already has a key code like one today. If I have to go through all the ordeal of getting a key code now, takes about a half hour, the customer pays a fee, usually $25 or so just to cover having the parts manager down.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Fords are engineered for ease of constuction and sale. They are NOT built to be maintained


Quote of the year right there, coming from someone who's had to replace 2 heater cores and a set of valve seals on a 4.6L 2V in Panther platform applications.

I accidentally locked my keys in the Grand Marquis when the entire drivetrain was out, so there was no way I could use the keypad. My first reaction was to get a key cut to code by VIN, which the dealer told me they couldn't do "because the car is over 10 years old". I keep my cars a very, very long time and I'm keeping that in mind next time I decide to pay a visit to a Ford showroom for a new car. My friend can still get GM parts for his '89 Caprice, which by Ford's standards would have been discontinued - such as springs. Having said that, I had to jimmy the door after which I had 2 additional copies made of the key and programmed to the PCM.

In your case, the best option will probably be a locksmith.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Bluestream

Rural Ford Dealer (hariston ON) charged me $35 to program a key, took about 20 min

Was the vehicle over 10 years old?

I don't think that should matter, that's for parts.

Well, it matters in the context of the thread, as the 10 year rolling VIN key spec disposal rule is what prevents my Ford dealer from making me a new key for the Expedition

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
You are screwed if you end up losing both keys.


How far back does this security shenanigans go?

I can't find the keys to the '97 that's in the backlot at the warehouse of junk.

Am I also screwed?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Win
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
You are screwed if you end up losing both keys.


How far back does this security shenanigans go?

I can't find the keys to the '97 that's in the backlot at the warehouse of junk.

Am I also screwed?


Started in 1996

 

[Win]

Guess I better find those darn keys.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Bluestream

Rural Ford Dealer (hariston ON) charged me $35 to program a key, took about 20 min

Was the vehicle over 10 years old?

I don't think that should matter, that's for parts.

Well, it matters in the context of the thread, as the 10 year rolling VIN key spec disposal rule is what prevents my Ford dealer from making me a new key for the Expedition

You're missing a key. If you already have the key, it's not a parts issue, they just need to add the key to the car. They do that by programming the key to the car. Doesn't matter how old it is because they don't have to look up any key info. If you're the original owner, you also get key tags with the key codes on it. Usually when you buy it used you don't end up with that.

Just be thankful it's not a Mercedes. They make you prove ownership and then a key gets made somewhere in Texas and they send the key back to you. And then it'll be $300-$500 for a key depending on the type.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Ford wont or cant sell ANY parts to a car over 10 years old.


That's just plain stupid. There aren't many cars built in the last 20 years that weren't/aren't still on the road after 10 years.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl

parts availability is generally just a matter of simple supply and demand.


I think the automaker's definition of "demand" keeps changing, and for the worst for consumers. To them demand means people standing in line to buy replacement parts. That isn't going to happen with 10+ year old vehicles...

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Not for a Ford over 10 years it can't unfortunately. Though apparently as noted in the thread, some smiths have access to old versions of the Ford database which allow them to do that. Ford dealerships only have access to the 10 year rolling list, which is ridiculous.

As you mentioned, storage space is so ridiculously expensive and hard drives still fill warehouses, right?

 

[javacontour]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL


So that will end up being like $500.00 CDN, based on my dealer experience here

Plus whatever the locksmith charges, so I'm looking at $1K likely.


I don't think you'll need to replace the PCM with what modern locksmiths can do today.

It would certainly be more than the $70 or whatever I paid to have a locksmith copy my one remaining key and then erase all keys and add these two back in.

You would have the added charges to create a key from the ignition lock cylinder and then make and add TWO keys to the car.

I'd like to think it could all be done for under $500.

Have you even called a locksmith, explaining the situation and requested a quote for on-site service?

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: grampi
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Ford wont or cant sell ANY parts to a car over 10 years old.


That's just plain stupid. There aren't many cars built in the last 20 years that weren't/aren't still on the road after 10 years.

Yeah, it's so stupid it's NOT TRUE. That was the most ridiculous thing I read today. I had no problems buying parts for my 1994 Bronco two years ago at a dealer.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Ford wont or cant sell ANY parts to a car over 10 years old.


Yep, that's a pretty crazy statement. I picked up a Teflon washer for my power steering pump for a Ford that was 15 years old earlier this year. There was still a recall on it, but I never got it done, I had already replaced the part under recall but it was still marked active in their system. (Bad front springs, their solution was a shield to prevent tire puncture, I just replaced the spring.)