bobinyelm

I checked w/ my dealer today since I only received ONE key w/ my '02 C320 wagon when I recently bought it.

The told me the key itself is $229. If I need the emergency steel key, it's an additional $40 to have it cut, and they charge 1 hour ($125) to program the key to the car, for a grand total of $428 for ONE key.

Does that sound about right?

I was expecting about $200 to $225.

Bob

TexFinn

Even though I do not have definitive knowledge about the cost, I'd say that that kind of price doesn't really surprise me, either.

Norwichdelta06

dealers dont program keys.. they come preprogramed from texas I believe with the metal steel key for them as well. I just got a new key 2 months ago. Took about a week to recieve it but it came out to 250 on the invoice which was free for me because it was owed to me.

ukasa105

If this is in reference to a key fob, the steel metal insert key is precut for the specific car model (my dealer charged me $7 for one). The fob however needs to be programed to the specific car, but $400 is a lot for one key. My dealer quoted me a price of $200 for the fob and said they would need my car for a little to program the fob with the car. No price was given for any labor charges.

Norwichdelta06

you just stick it in and go... thats it. The dealer mailed me my key and it works fine

ambit

~$200 for my new style chrome key from the dealership about a year ago

samaritrey

When I got a new key they mailed it to me and it worked. from my understanding they want to go into star and deactivate old keys. They can't program a key to a car but star does give them access to disable old keys. So find a dealer that does not deactivate old keys and save yourself some money. Or tell them no lol

bobinyelm

OK, so the "Dealer Programming Labor and Key-Cutting Fee" is BOGUS?

If the key (the all-black plastic infrared Smart Key with the steel key snapped inside) is ready-to-go when it arrives at the dealership, I wonder if I can just ask them for it?

They said they would need my car for at least an hour, so I gather they are probably deactivating any unused old keys (as you suggest) rather than doing anything productive to make my new keys work?

Thanks for clarifying. Any money I can save is a GOOD thing.

Since I just flew to FL and picked up the car and drove it back to TX, I doubt I am at risk from having an old "lost" key floating around in circulation 1200 miles away from the car.

BTW, they say they require cars with all keys LOST to be TOWED to the dealership, so I gather they probably won't mail a key to me. In fact, they said I could not order they key at one of their dealerships and have it sent to a closer one to where I live for pick-up (even if I provide positive ID). (They have 3 MB dealerships under their name in the Dallas area).

They said it's MB policy that the key can only be sent to the physical dealership it was ordered from, and the person picking it up must have a title or registration and Gov't photo ID. So far I only have a Temp registration issued by FL since I haven't had the car smog tested and titled in TX yet, so they declined to order a key yet..

Thanks,
Bob

samaritrey

Yeah they changed the policy awhile ago. They use to just need the title and DL faxed to them and they would order them for you. Now you are correct they must have you in person to order and hand over the key as well as what you mentioned. But like I said back in 07 I just faxed a dealer that stuff and a week later the key was on my door step. I unlocked the car and started it right away with no programing or anything. I have heard that you are supposed to do something with the new key but I didn't and have no issues. Just an FYI the cars computer can only have something like 10 keys programed to it and after that you have to replace the whole computer. I doubt that will be an issue but good to know.

I am actually thinking about ordering another key for my car. When I bought the car I got the valet key (best key ever) and an old style original key. Then I ordered the old new style chrome one back in 07. Now the new key is out and I want it lol too bad i can't get it for as cheap as I did back then it was like $175 total with shipping or something like that

bobinyelm

I recently purchased my C320 Wagon 1200 miles from home w/ only one Smart Key. It's the old all-black plastic one w/ the steel door key inside.

Visited a local dealer to see about a second key and was quoted $229 for the key fob, $40 to include the cut steel "back-up" key that nests inside it, $125 for dealership "programming" so the key would work in my car, then the obligatory 8.5% sales tax for a total of $428 for a working key.

I'd been told it should cost about $200 plus tax previously.

Just wondering what other people are paying, and if it's worth going out-of-town to try to get a key (the BIG local dealer has 3 MB dealerships, so not any competition locally).

Thanks-
Bob

hcoronado

wow thats expensive.
my local dealer had a special for $198 + tax here in california

wyelit239

It should not cost more than $250. They are already programmed from Germany.

glocati

that's high..~$225.00 from dealer in Portland, OR.

ambit

Didn't like your last post.. ?
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...smart-key.html

bobinyelm

OOPS!

I thought I'd posted THIS on the OTHER MB Forum.

Bottom line, I've gotten enough replies to know that the $428 is NOT normal.

Now I need to find a dealership within a day's drive that will accept the order and maybe mail me the key, which my dealer says is not possible under their rules.

Did ANY of you have to leave your cars for programming for the new key?

If I could get the key for $250 locally, I would do that rather than drive a hundred miles to another dealer.

Bob

bobinyelm

MYSTERY SOLVED!!



In a PM (thanks, Raymond!) I was provided a source for the keys, and though MB no longer allows mailing of the keys, he gave me information where one does NOT have to program the car to accept the Smart Key (unless it's a "Keyless-Go" type).

I called another MB dealership within driving distance, and they verified that the car does NOT have to be programmed for the key (though you have to present the car for verification, along with ownership evidence and Gov't ID), and said the key is about $250 plus tax.

I called another branch of Park Place MB Dealers in Dallas to see what THEIR procedure was (thinking the first Park Place thought I had a Keyless-Go system).

The parts manager said that while it is TRUE, you do not HAVE to re-program the car, Park Place Policy states that they will only release a key AFTER the car has been put through their service department, which explains the $125 fee. He said for that fee they verify that the new key is properly "married" to the car (his words), and that the car has not had an excessive number of keys issued to it.

Thanks for your thoughtful replies!

I will now get my key from the OTHER dealership (I hope I didn't give them the idea of charging the $125 extra fee by asking.).

Bob

gtennant

Anybody have an alternative source for the electronic keys? The thought of the prices mentioned here for what we're getting nauseate.

gtennant

tommy

Just read the posts above yours. It's not possible to get a new key at anyting other than a dealer. You may be able to get better prices by calling a few local dealerships, though.

Makes me glad I was one of the first to get the new style on my early W203 - I think it was $85, though the dealership didn't even want to order it, since they said it couldn't be done.

tc1728

my dealership got me mine for $180

bobinyelm

I was thrilled to pay only $250 after every other dealer in town wanted well over $400 with tax.

I didn't start out that way, but like paying $3.50 for gasoline, it seemed cheap after finding out everyone else was paying $5!

When I expressed shock at the $400+ fee at one dealership, one parts guy actually said, "Well, You ARE driving a Mercedes Benz."

I answered, "Yep, a $10,000 one." (The dealership had several cars on the showroom floor with stickers in excess of $200,000.). Heck, the "Dealer Prep" on those cars was more than $10,000!

Bob

ncmudbug

My wife's car is a CPO and when we bought it, we also purchased an insurance policy that covered replacement keys, repairing wheels, and some other less useful stuff. For five years, we can get a key up to $399 each year if one is lost, stolen, or destroyed. What burned us up a little is that the keys they gave us with the car were pretty used up.

So we filed a claim to get our new key. I figured, we would just pick it up at the dealer... No. We had to make a service appt. When they took care of us, we had to tell them whether the key was a replacement for a key or an additional key. We said we wanted an additional key. That was fine with them. They kept the car for an hour to determine how many key "slots" there were and God knows what else (of course we got a car wash! ).

In a couple of days, they called us to say the key was ready and it would take an hour to "program" the key. So my wife had to go down AGAIN. After an hour or so, she left with new key in the ignition (and another car wash! ).

It must have ended up costing less than $399 because they didn't charge us anything. They did want our credit card number (I guess they're not sure they trust the insurance company!).

After reading this thread, I expected this to be a much simpler process. From my memory, it is pretty much what they told us when they sold us the car about a year ago. It was a huge PITA and I can't imagine what we'd have to do if we lost the key while we were out of town!

In spite of our disappointment, we really like key a lot better than the original one (the all-black kind). I'm even thinking about getting one for my car. Unfortunately, I don't have insurance for my keys.

dre5373

$180.00 for a new chrome smartkey, no programming, 2 months ago from the MB dealership...I did have to wait as it was shipped from Germany (according to them...)

ncmudbug

Where is your dealer?

TexFinn

180 bucks? Nice!

I went to Park Place MB in Grapevine, TX today to pick up my AUX cable and the parts guy told me the orders are nowadays handled by service department and will be about $220 for the key and $150, or so, for the stupid "programming".

dre5373

If you are asking me, it was R&H Mercedes in Baltimore. Walked in with my title and picked up the key 3 days later.