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This is my first post so I apologise if this subject has been discussed before now. I searched the subect but only found comments on how to obtain replacements.

My concern relates to the poor quality of the plastic casing of key fobs. The plastic case on on one of my keys broke in the lock !!! Fortunately there was enough plastic on the metal key to remove it from the ignition. The service desk quoted £80 for a replacement key fob even though the electronics still worked. Customer "Care" at Lexus UK were blunt and unhelpful advising me that key fobs were obtained as a complete assembly and I could not order the plastic shell.

My local Toyota/Lexus garage told me that, whilst blank key fobs could be purchased on eBay or the Internet, they could not be calibrated nor could the blank key be cut by the garage. So a £20 wasted purchase was avoided. The garage manager suggested that I wrap the plastic casing (3 winds) with electrical tape. This works well but it was necessary to press the tape firmly in place after each wrap.

Another Lexus garage phoned to invite me to special sales initiative with 2 years service thrown in with any purchase. Wow !!!

Not very generous. I mentioned my key problem. I was advised that a new expensive key fob was the only solution. Incidentally the salesman did mention that on several occasions the keys returned on part exchanges had taped repairs so I would guess that my my problem occurs quite often.

How can Lexus use such a cheap brittle plastic and then charge £80 for a replacement when a new plastic case would probably cost a few pence to manufacture ?

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  • 1 month later...

I need to do this as the casing for one of my Master keys has snapped. The blade and the internal part seem OK, it's just that the plastic just in between the lock button and the blade has snapped, so I'm hoping that just replacing the casing will be sufficient. I still have the other Master and one of the non-Master keys, so I'm not panicking just yet.

I looked on eBay but they all seem to be going for about £15 which I thought was a bit steep and I was sure I could get it cheaper. After a few minutes I found this American site which has them for $3.44 or £2.25 including free shipping, so I figured it's worth a punt...

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16361

I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting this site - please remove the URL if I am. Just thought it might be useful to someone, seeing as how it seems a fairly common problem with the Lexus keys.

I'll update this post if it actually arrives and works OK :)

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the casing normally breaks because the small retaining screw has become loose allowing the plastic case to flex - its not cheap materials, its user error..... sorry to be blunt!

the dealer is talking complete crap, you can buy the blank cases and then get them cut quite easily - all you do is swap over the key internals.

BUT be aware that some keys have longer blades so measure yours and check the blade on the key you are bidding on.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I'll update this post if it actually arrives and works OK :)
Well, the key fob arrived about a week after I ordered it... no problems there. Finally found time today to take it to a local keysmiths to get it cut... and the muppets messed it right up. I'm not sure if it was a work experience kid doing the work or if he is partially blind, but it looks nothing like the original.

I should've gone to Lexus to get it cut all along... anyone near Swindon that has to get their blade cut should steer clear of Timpsons.

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the casing normally breaks because the small retaining screw has become loose allowing the plastic case to flex - its not cheap materials, its user error..... sorry to be blunt!

After hearing and seeing how easily these case break, i've always been cautious when turning my key and holding it close to the blade. But I just checked my screw and it was loose :ohmy:

Thanks for the heads up, just tightened now B)

Well, the key fob arrived about a week after I ordered it... no problems there. Finally found time today to take it to a local keysmiths to get it cut... and the muppets messed it right up. I'm not sure if it was a work experience kid doing the work or if he is partially blind, but it looks nothing like the original.

Apart from this kid being an idiot, was it hard to find someone to cut a Lexus key, and was it cut on one of the usual key cutting machines, or a special fancy one ?

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  • 1 month later...

I got the same problem on the RX key and it is because its cheap plastic - the screw wouldn't become loose if it was a proper designed key anyway -

My 17year old LS keys are both still A1, so why do the new Lexus keys break so quickly and easily at the same point????? Because it is cheap plastic.....they feel and look different to the old LS keys

and i see the guy who started it said £70.....my god its now between £170 and £230 depending what dealer i go to.....how can they all charge different amounts and give different time scales?

How did you sort it in the end fella?

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Thanks King85. Will try the Clicky. Have you tried it yourself ?

Best wishes,

Peter

Buy this Clicky

Take the internals and blade out of your old one, stick them in there, wham bam thank you mam.

You won't need to recalibrate anything as the internals haven't changed.

Clicky don't work mate.. you get this error..: "This listing (230330821528) has been removed, or this item is not available"....

Col...

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thanks to Gareth W for the american link.

Ours is just the 2 button one which on that site unfortunately just has the Toyota badge, the Lexus key fobs have 3 buttons - but at that price who cares?

I was just informed the new key is already paid for & on its way to Lexus so we missed out big time (glad i didnt pay!!!)

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I was a bit wary about orderin g from the American site, so, you reckon it is genuine and no risk? Also do you have to pay for postage and packing??

Col.. :winky: :) :)

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I got the same problem on the RX key and it is because its cheap plastic - the screw wouldn't become loose if it was a proper designed key anyway

The screw won't come loose if it is tightened correctly. Some people don't use a correctly fitting screwdriver so it isn't tightened enough, other overtighten and strip the thread. The plastic itself is of good quality.

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Hi Col...

If she hadnt already paid Lexus for an original copy, I would have definatley bought the case from the yanks.

We only broke the casing, so why do Lexus need to re-program a new chip and cut the new key??????

I reckon if we just put our old key and electronic insides into the new case we would have a perfectly working new key - logic makes it so simple.

Go for it mate, even with the postage from the u.s.a. (it should be just envelope sized anyway) it wont be expensive - much less than the £220 one Lexus dealer wants...£170 off another, but they're 50 miles away so it will cost £20 fuel for the round trip anyway...

I feel a bit abused and I haven't even paid for the key

The only fault can be if the new key is fixed into the casing - its hard to tell as all ours have shattered, but even so, the thing is screwed together, so a botch job to get the new blank key out neatly should be ok.........but only if you can be bothered, if not then you have to dig deep into those pockets - but try to hold on to your pants as Lexus will swiftly be taking them down. :unsure::blink:

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you won't need the new key programmed, you just transfer the transponder to the new key. In fact you shouldn't have ordered a complete key with transponder just the key blank.

The key will have to be cut because the new one will be blank and metal 'key' isn't detachable from the plastic handle.

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you won't need the new key programmed, you just transfer the transponder to the new key. In fact you shouldn't have ordered a complete key with transponder just the key blank.

The key will have to be cut because the new one will be blank and metal 'key' isn't detachable from the plastic handle.

thanks colin,

I didn't think the metal was detachable is was hard to tell as our keys shattered. I didnt confirm the order, it was my mothers car and she just rang and paid for it???????????????? :blink: exactly!

I did tell her but....hopefully all these posts will save someone else a small fortune.

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I wrapped mine in self amalgamating tape rather than plain old insulation tape, then trimmed it using a scalpel so the rubber didn't impinge on the ignition keyhole. Works a treat, once it's all melded together. I have to re-do it every 6 to 8 months or so, but the cost is peanuts and a few minutes of my time now I am getting good at reshaping it.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I wrapped mine in self amalgamating tape rather than plain old insulation tape, then trimmed it using a scalpel so the rubber didn't impinge on the ignition keyhole. Works a treat, once it's all melded together. I have to re-do it every 6 to 8 months or so, but the cost is peanuts and a few minutes of my time now I am getting good at reshaping it.

Lol, thats what i had to do with hers for a 10 days while lexus got a key sent to them and had someone available to cut it.....

I soon realised there was an art to the tape wrapping as i had extreme difficulty getting the key out at 1st as the tape would not allow the slight inward movement the key needs to release..... :tsktsk:

I too got my mate stanley to do a job on the tape and after 3 attempts, i also had a normal working key for a day, then lexus phoned with the new key and proceeded to rip my mum off......i wouldnt of stood for that when i was a lad i tell you

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  • 10 months later...

Hi Folk's,

seem's that I am not the only person that has had the Lexus 3 button keyfob break - I am currently using the 2 button backup keyfob but I have just found on e-bay a seller that sells the 3 button keyfob with a blank blade for 4.80 GBP and 0.60 GBP P&P ...

just after getting 2 in case, as per a previous member states, that the blank key cutter makes a b@!!s of the cutting :D

the link is as follows for those interested ...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LEXUS-3-BUTTON-REMOTE-KEY-FOB-CASE-/250638623205?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a5b39e1e5

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  • 3 years later...

right this is what i did I got a case and blade from eBay then took it and my original to Guardian security, totally wonderful people, they scan your old one then merged your old one with their one on file as obviously you will have slightly warn barrels so a merged one will fit tightly and smoothly.

And voila.

I actually bought a second hand key on eBay as well with a second hand chip,

I chucked the second hand barrel and put the chip in the newly cut key with both keys i programmed in the second hand chip to my car now I have 2 keys.

Stay away from Timpson, shoe people should stay shoe people!!!

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