Subaru Key Replacement in Milwaukee

Subaru keys for Outback, Forester, Crosstrek, and Impreza

Subaru key replacement in Milwaukee usually means an Outback, a Forester, a Crosstrek, or an Impreza, along with the Legacy, the WRX, the BRZ, and the Ascent. Subaru owners spend a lot of time outside, at trailheads, boat launches, and campgrounds, and that is where keys tend to disappear. We come to the car, including a lot at a park or a trail, and make the key there.

Which Subaru key you have

Subaru used several kinds of key over the last twenty years, and each needs a different blank. Many mid-2000s models, such as the 2005–2008 Forester, use a chip key with a separate remote on the ring. Many 2008–2011 models moved to a high-security blade with a chip inside the head. From about 2012, remote head keys became common, with the buttons built into the head: the 2012–2016 Impreza, the 2013–2017 Crosstrek, and the 2014–2018 Forester are common examples. Many newer Outback, Legacy, Forester, Crosstrek, Impreza, and Ascent trims use push-to-start smart keys.

A remote head key starts at $129, and a smart key at $159 (smart keys). The BRZ sports car shares its key with the Scion FR-S and the Toyota 86, which were built alongside it.

G and H chips

Subaru uses the same chip families as Toyota, known to locksmiths as G and H. G chips are in many Subaru keys from about 2012 to 2018, and H chips in many models from about 2017 on. The two keys can look the same from outside, and a G key will not start a car that expects an H chip. The year and model, or a photo of your key, tell us which one to bring. The Toyota keys page explains the same chip letters on Toyota blades.

Subaru PIN Code Access

Many push-button Subarus from about 2015 have a feature called PIN Code Access. The owner turns off the fob's keyless function, leaves the fob in the car, locks it, and later opens the doors with a 5-digit code on a small button by the rear gate. Hikers and paddlers use it so the fob stays dry and safe in the car.

PIN Code Access has two limits that matter for a locksmith call. The code only works if it was set up and turned on before you walked away. And it opens the doors, nothing more: if the fob itself is lost on the trail, the car still needs a new fob programmed to it. Owners who use the feature can still lock a working fob in the car by mistake, and then a car lockout visit is the way back in.

The key number tag

New Subarus came with a small metal key number tag, a plate with the code for the key. If you still have it, keep it at home and away from the key ring, because that code lets a new blade be cut without the original key. Send us a photo of it with your request, and the cutting goes faster.

Spare Subaru key

With a working key, a spare starts at $69 (spare car key). We cut the blade by code or from your key, program the chip, and test the start and the remote buttons. Plan on 15 to 60 minutes at the car. Many Subarus are sold used with a single key, and a second key now costs far less than a lost-key visit later.

All Subaru keys lost

With no key, we open the car first, then cut a key from the door lock or from the Subaru key code for the VIN after we see your photo ID and the title or registration. The new key is programmed through the diagnostic port, and the lost keys can be removed from the car's list so they no longer start it. All keys lost for a chip key starts at $119, and smart keys cost more (lost car keys).

Subaru remotes

Older Subarus with a separate remote need that remote programmed on its own, from $119 (key fobs). On a remote head key, a dead battery is the first thing to check when the buttons stop working, and we test it before suggesting a new key.

For other makes, see car keys by make.