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Recently when I went to use my new C-Class I found I had the slim metal emergency key on my key ring but no electronic KeyFob. The latest generation of C-Class & S-Class cars have a new design of key & KeyFob, with a silver button that is easily knocked or depressed (see photo). When the button gets depressed the KeyFob separates from the emergency key. The problem is that it’s the emergency key that is attached to my key ring. And whilst the emergency key lets you gain access to the car, it does not allow you to drive the car.
So I went to my local Mercedes Dealer, who are charging me £232 for a replacement KeyFob, and another 100 pounds to program it. Needless to say, the replacement KeyFob is on back in Germany, so it’s going to be nearly a month before I get a replacement.
I feel that there is a design fault with the new KeyFob, in that the silver button on the back can all to easily get knocked, and then key and KeyFob become separated. I know previous generations of Mercedes KeyFobs have had, a button to release the emergency key, but the button is much smaller, and more recessed. Hence, I feel that I have lost my KeyFob because of poor design with the latest generation of KeyFob. Hence I feel the Mercedes Dealer should make a good will gesture, and refund part of the cost.
What are your thoughts? Have others had similar experiences?
I haven't had any issues with my key fob; indeed I only just now experimented with the emergency key release while reading your post. It does seem to take a fairly determined push of the silver button to release the emergency key. That said, I don't put any other keys on my key ring and the key fob typically shares a pants pocket only with a Chap-Stick. There aren't any real opportunities there for the release button to be hit accidentally. Any chance that the rest of the fob is in the car, or in a pocket or purse, or elsewhere around home or your usual daily haunts? Just asking to see if you've searched for it in the places any of us would usually check. Good luck!
I haven't had any issues with my key fob; indeed I only just now experimented with the emergency key release while reading your post. It does seem to take a fairly determined push of the silver button to release the emergency key. That said, I don't put any other keys on my key ring and the key fob typically shares a pants pocket only with a Chap-Stick. There aren't any real opportunities there for the release button to be hit accidentally. Any chance that the rest of the fob is in the car, or in a pocket or purse, or elsewhere around home or your usual daily haunts? Just asking to see if you've searched for it in the places any of us would usually check. Good luck!
I've searched everywhere of it, sadly with no joy. With the one remaining KeyFob I have glued an Apple AirTag to it, so at least it should be easier to find! Unfrotuantly makes it very bulky and ugly. On the remaining KeyFob the, I feel the botton can quite easily be depressed. It only needs to move about 1 mm to release the key. I tend to have a lot of other keys on my key ring. Hence why I see it as a design fault. Plus TBH not that pleased with the attitude of Mercedes. Not sure I'd buy another Merc.
Mercedes-Benz does exhibit a considerable level of what is typically seen as German arrogance. They can't help themselves, it seems, even in places where Germans aren't directly running the show like in the USA. We live in the Pacific Northwest, where steady winter rains and mountain snow is typical. We ordered our C300 as RWD, because we know how to drive (we used to autocross regularly) and have found that such cars to just fine in snow with proper winter tires fitted. Our old C230 never missed a beat in up to ten inches of the stuff on the rare occasions when we experienced it. When our new car was delivered, we noticed that it was a 4Matic and asked why. The response was along these lines: MBUSA won't send RWD cars to your geographic area because you get real winter and customers want all wheel drive. So that's what they sent. Admittedly, we aren't their typical customer; we bought the car outright rather than lease it. I don't doubt for a moment that CPO and used buyers looking for a 2-3 year old car prefer AWD so the dealer would order for stock accordingly. But despite having a firm sold order for an RWD car, the top brass in their infinite wisdom refused to build it that way. Typically German...
Honestly, neither the dealership nor MB is responsible for customers losing their belongings. Key fobs fundamentally shouldn't really be kept on a key ring with other keys, because that way you can easily accidently press one of the buttons and unlock your car, open the windows or trunk w/o noticing. Just recently somebody reported they came back to their parked car and found the windows and sunroof open. Likely cause was their other keys press down on the unlock button just long enough to open the windows while they were walking away. Not to mention that all these other keys scratch up the key fobs pretty badly over time. That hole in the physical key is primarily there to attach a tag when it's in for service or at most an AirTag.
FWIW, I don't even carry keys anymore. Except for the car key fob all my other keys are digital now and I leave the key fob at home unless I leave by car. Most days I don't drive, so it stays mostly at home. My phone is the key to my house and elsewhere and I have keypads on my house locks in case I don't have my phone on me. I often don't even carry my wallet anymore, because everything I need such as digital credit cards for contactless payment, transit cards etc. are on my phone, so I only have to keep track of one thing and if I lose my phone I can track it and/or remote wipe it to avoid unauthorized use, and w/o unlocking it nobody can actually use it. A lost physical key can be used by whoever finds it.
Anecdotally, my wife once locked herself out because she forgot her keys at work and I was abroad. She had to call a friend late at night to see if she could stay at her place, because she couldn't retrieve her keys until the next day. That was kind of the trigger moment to ditch physical keys for me. Just waiting for MB to adopt digital keys like BMW and others have already done.
Last edited by superswiss; May 18, 2023 at 03:39 PM.
Honestly, neither the dealership nor MB is responsible for customers losing their belongings. Key fobs fundamentally shouldn't really be kept on a key ring with other keys, because that way you can easily accidently press one of the buttons and unlock your car, open the windows or trunk w/o noticing. Just recently somebody reported they came back to their parked car and found the windows and sunroof open. Likely cause was their other keys press down on the unlock button just long enough to open the windows while they were walking away. Not to mention that all these other keys scratch up the key fobs pretty badly over time. That hole in the physical key is primarily there to attach a tag when it's in for service or at most an AirTag.
FWIW, I don't even carry keys anymore. Except for the car key fob all my other keys are digital now and I leave the key fob at home unless I leave by car. Most days I don't drive, so it stays mostly at home. My phone is the key to my house and elsewhere and I have keypads on my house locks in case I don't have my phone on me. I often don't even carry my wallet anymore, because everything I need such as digital credit cards for contactless payment, transit cards etc. are on my phone, so I only have to keep track of one thing and if I lose my phone I can track it and/or remote wipe it to avoid unauthorized use, and w/o unlocking it nobody can actually use it. A lost physical key can be used by whoever finds it.
Anecdotally, my wife once locked herself out because she forgot her keys at work and I was abroad. She had to call a friend late at night to see if she could stay at her place, because she couldn't retrieve her keys until the next day. That was kind of the trigger moment to ditch physical keys for me. Just waiting for MB to adopt digital keys like BMW and others have already done.
Whilst I can see the argument that it's not MB/Dealer fault if a customer looses their KeyFob, I think in this case it is made much more likely by the latest KeyFob design. Over the last 30 years I've had many other cars (including MB) with KeyFobs and never had such a problem. The whole point of keeping my keys together is I'm less likely to loose them. Of course if they easily get separated then this does not hold true. Personally I'm not that bothered if the KeyFob suffers from some cosmetic ware & tare as long as it keeps working. Given how complicated the electronics are in the latest generation C-Class I can't see myself keeping it outside the 3 year warranty period. So I suspect scratches will be kept to a minimum in that time. Note Most days I do drive so I need to keep car keys with my other keys. Not sure about attaching an AirTag to the emergency key, given how easily it can separate from the KeyFob. At the moment as I only have one Key Fob, it has the AirTag stuck to the fob rather than the emergency key. I do like the idea of a digital key. Perhaps next time I'll get a BMW!
Not sure about attaching an AirTag to the emergency key, given how easily it can separate from the KeyFob. At the moment as I only have one Key Fob, it has the AirTag stuck to the fob rather than the emergency key. I do like the idea of a digital key. Perhaps next time I'll get a BMW!
Yeah, so the thing with that is if you have a key ring, then the fob is the part hanging on it and generally you hold on to the key ring. If you carry the key fob by itself and have an AirTag hanging from it, you'll likely hold on the fob when grabbing it. If you think about it, the fob is the valuable part, so that's where you should always grab and hold it. If the emergency key falls out that's less of a deal than if the fob falls off.
Perhaps something to consider is a key fob shell if you must carry it on a key ring such as this one:
Recently when I went to use my new C-Class I found I had the slim metal emergency key on my key ring but no electronic KeyFob. The latest generation of C-Class & S-Class cars have a new design of key & KeyFob, with a silver button that is easily knocked or depressed (see photo). When the button gets depressed the KeyFob separates from the emergency key. The problem is that it’s the emergency key that is attached to my key ring. And whilst the emergency key lets you gain access to the car, it does not allow you to drive the car.
So I went to my local Mercedes Dealer, who are charging me £232 for a replacement KeyFob, and another 100 pounds to program it. Needless to say, the replacement KeyFob is on back in Germany, so it’s going to be nearly a month before I get a replacement.
I feel that there is a design fault with the new KeyFob, in that the silver button on the back can all to easily get knocked, and then key and KeyFob become separated. I know previous generations of Mercedes KeyFobs have had, a button to release the emergency key, but the button is much smaller, and more recessed. Hence, I feel that I have lost my KeyFob because of poor design with the latest generation of KeyFob. Hence I feel the Mercedes Dealer should make a good will gesture, and refund part of the cost.
What are your thoughts? Have others had similar experiences?
OP, does your keyfob have the red panic button as well or it is exactly as pictured in the illustration you found online?
Yeah, so the thing with that is if you have a key ring, then the fob is the part hanging on it and generally you hold on to the key ring. If you carry the key fob by itself and have an AirTag hanging from it, you'll likely hold on the fob when grabbing it. If you think about it, the fob is the valuable part, so that's where you should always grab and hold it. If the emergency key falls out that's less of a deal than if the fob falls off.
Perhaps something to consider is a key fob shell if you must carry it on a key ring such as this one:
The key fob does not have a red panic button - it just looks like the one in the photo. There is a panic button inside the car - just st above the rear view mirror. I believe this is required by EU law.
The key fob does not have a red panic button - it just looks like the one in the photo. There is a panic button inside the car - just st above the rear view mirror. I believe this is required by EU law.
I see, I wonder if it is an option then (the panic button on the fob itself I mean) even for EU markets?
Recently when I went to use my new C-Class I found I had the slim metal emergency key on my key ring but no electronic KeyFob. The latest generation of C-Class & S-Class cars have a new design of key & KeyFob, with a silver button that is easily knocked or depressed (see photo). When the button gets depressed the KeyFob separates from the emergency key. The problem is that it’s the emergency key that is attached to my key ring. And whilst the emergency key lets you gain access to the car, it does not allow you to drive the car.
So I went to my local Mercedes Dealer, who are charging me £232 for a replacement KeyFob, and another 100 pounds to program it. Needless to say, the replacement KeyFob is on back in Germany, so it’s going to be nearly a month before I get a replacement.
I feel that there is a design fault with the new KeyFob, in that the silver button on the back can all to easily get knocked, and then key and KeyFob become separated. I know previous generations of Mercedes KeyFobs have had, a button to release the emergency key, but the button is much smaller, and more recessed. Hence, I feel that I have lost my KeyFob because of poor design with the latest generation of KeyFob. Hence I feel the Mercedes Dealer should make a good will gesture, and refund part of the cost.
What are your thoughts? Have others had similar experience
. I have a GLC 300 2023 lost the fob but luckily it fell in the footwell, my husband lost his and it was in his jacket. Told mercedes the key is totally useless the only way to stop it falling apart is our thick tape over the button.
Key Fob 2023 C300 Design FLAW! Fob detaches from key
Originally Posted by C-Class_Driver
I've searched everywhere of it, sadly with no joy. With the one remaining KeyFob I have glued an Apple AirTag to it, so at least it should be easier to find! Unfrotuantly makes it very bulky and ugly. On the remaining KeyFob the, I feel the botton can quite easily be depressed. It only needs to move about 1 mm to release the key. I tend to have a lot of other keys on my key ring. Hence why I see it as a design fault. Plus TBH not that pleased with the attitude of Mercedes. Not sure I'd buy another Merc.
Just bought a 2023 C300. I put the key on my keyring. Never had this type of key fob from Mercedes. Within 24 hours it obviously became detached from the skeleton key and was lost unbeknownst to me. I was unaware that the silver button so VERY easily detached from the fob, just by rubbing up against other keys on the key ring. Called the dealer. They are charging me $1000 to get another key and have it reprogrammed. I feel completely ripped off! There was no warning that the key dislodges so easily. Don't think I'll buy another Mercedes. The sales experience was great and left with a very good feeling. Not so much, now...
What are your thoughts? Have others had similar experiences?
Yes, it has happened to me and I agree that it is a terrible design. Luckily for me, it has detached in the pocket or fallen on a hard floor so I could hear it. Not adding Key Fob to your key ring is a workaround for a terrible design, not a solution. My experience with Mercedes Customer Service on other issues has been dismal as well, it is amazing to me how they have deteriorated over the years. For example, my "MercedesMeh" app wouldn't sync with my car for days sometimes, would not send destination to Navigation for hours. Car status was never accurate. They admitted to me over email that this is a known issue and that they are working on a solution. In the meantime, my MercedesMeh subscription came up for renewal and I asked them if they would comp it until they found a solution and they refused!
My previous model (W205) had a similar design but it never fell off during the 10 years that I owned it.
My overall sense is that the W206 designers traded function for form across much of the user interface. The result is most unfortunate.
This will probably be my last MB.
Sadly.
Recently when I went to use my new C-Class I found I had the slim metal emergency key on my key ring but no electronic KeyFob. The latest generation of C-Class & S-Class cars have a new design of key & KeyFob, with a silver button that is easily knocked or depressed (see photo). When the button gets depressed the KeyFob separates from the emergency key. The problem is that it’s the emergency key that is attached to my key ring. And whilst the emergency key lets you gain access to the car, it does not allow you to drive the car.
So I went to my local Mercedes Dealer, who are charging me £232 for a replacement KeyFob, and another 100 pounds to program it. Needless to say, the replacement KeyFob is on back in Germany, so it’s going to be nearly a month before I get a replacement.
I feel that there is a design fault with the new KeyFob, in that the silver button on the back can all to easily get knocked, and then key and KeyFob become separated. I know previous generations of Mercedes KeyFobs have had, a button to release the emergency key, but the button is much smaller, and more recessed. Hence, I feel that I have lost my KeyFob because of poor design with the latest generation of KeyFob. Hence I feel the Mercedes Dealer should make a good will gesture, and refund part of the cost.
What are your thoughts? Have others had similar experiences?
First of all, I'm sorry that happened to you. I had the previous gen key for around 6 years and the new gen you've pictured above for about 5 years now. I've never experienced an issue with the fob falling off the key before.
If it softens the blow, a key replacement in the US costs around 600-700.
Ironiocally, I have three key fobs. A week after I purchased my 2024, I got a call from my salesman to confirm that he had given me two keys.
When I confirmed that I had two, he said, "Well, there's another one waiting for you at the parts counter. I have no idea why they ordered but, please pick it up and consider it a gift."
Ironiocally, I have three key fobs. A week after I purchased my 2024, I got a call from my salesman to confirm that he had given me two keys.
When I confirmed that I had two, he said, "Well, there's another one waiting for you at the parts counter. I have no idea why they ordered but, please pick it up and consider it a gift."
Recently when I went to use my new C-Class I found I had the slim metal emergency key on my key ring but no electronic KeyFob. The latest generation of C-Class & S-Class cars have a new design of key & KeyFob, with a silver button that is easily knocked or depressed (see photo). When the button gets depressed the KeyFob separates from the emergency key. The problem is that it’s the emergency key that is attached to my key ring. And whilst the emergency key lets you gain access to the car, it does not allow you to drive the car.
So I went to my local Mercedes Dealer, who are charging me £232 for a replacement KeyFob, and another 100 pounds to program it. Needless to say, the replacement KeyFob is on back in Germany, so it’s going to be nearly a month before I get a replacement.
I feel that there is a design fault with the new KeyFob, in that the silver button on the back can all to easily get knocked, and then key and KeyFob become separated. I know previous generations of Mercedes KeyFobs have had, a button to release the emergency key, but the button is much smaller, and more recessed. Hence, I feel that I have lost my KeyFob because of poor design with the latest generation of KeyFob. Hence I feel the Mercedes Dealer should make a good will gesture, and refund part of the cost.
What are your thoughts? Have others had similar experiences?
So glad I came upon this post- I thought I was going crazy. In the past 30+ years, I have owned five C-classes. Until I got my current 2024, I had never lost a key fob. With this new fob design, I have so far had 2 occasions when I looked down to find that the fob has been released from the valet key. Unfortunately when this happened recently, I was unable to find the fob. On both occasions, I had not touched the release button. I am now told by the dealer that it will cost $1,000 to replace the missing fob (would have been more had I not had possession of the other fob). I agree with some of the posters here that it appears that it takes quite a lot of pressure on the release button to disengage the fob when I intentionally test it. However, somehow, lifting my keys out of my purse has twice proven that sometimes normal contact is enough to release the fob. It really stinks that the new design has now led me to put black electrical tape on the button and across the top of the fob to prevent losing fob#2. Shopping Amazon for cases now.
So glad I came upon this post- I thought I was going crazy. In the past 30+ years, I have owned five C-classes. Until I got my current 2024, I had never lost a key fob. With this new fob design, I have so far had 2 occasions when I looked down to find that the fob has been released from the valet key. Unfortunately when this happened recently, I was unable to find the fob. On both occasions, I had not touched the release button. I am now told by the dealer that it will cost $1,000 to replace the missing fob (would have been more had I not had possession of the other fob). I agree with some of the posters here that it appears that it takes quite a lot of pressure on the release button to disengage the fob when I intentionally test it. However, somehow, lifting my keys out of my purse has twice proven that sometimes normal contact is enough to release the fob. It really stinks that the new design has now led me to put black electrical tape on the button and across the top of the fob to prevent losing fob#2. Shopping Amazon for cases now.
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Key Fob 2023 C300 Design FLAW! Fob detaches from key
