Cost of a chipped Volvo key?

That's a little high. Two years ago I had a chipped key made at my Volvo dealer for about $120.

I can get regular Volvo keys made for $10 - $12 (eg. 850, 940).

Non-chipped keys -- pretty much anywhere. The chipped keys -- only at the dealer.

Beverly

"max" wrote

Depends on what you mean by "normal." It's totally outrageous, but you can't get them anywhere else so they can pretty much charge whatever they want. I'm in the same boat with a 2000 V40 that I just bought last week. Smith Motors (only dealer within a reasonable distance for me) wants $48 for a key, $88 for labor, and $30 if I need a software update. Says he won't know about the software until I get there. The labor charge is their flat rate for an hour. This for a job that's going to take maybe ten minutes tops. If I want to include a replacement remote to go with my key, I'm looking at over $300.

What really burns me up is that I bought my Volvo used from a Ford dealer and after I got it home I found some service receipts in the glove compartment with the previous owner's name and number on them. I called and asked if he happened to have a spare key, and he said he gave the Ford salesman two sets. Nobody at the Ford dealership knows what happened to the other set. I'm sure they have $300 worth of key and remote for my car stuck in a desk drawer or sitting in a stray key bucket somewhere over there, but I can't get it and they don't seem too concerned.

The up side, I guess, is that the previous owner said he never had any trouble with the Volvo, just wanted something bigger, so he traded it in on an Explorer.

Okay guys here is the skinny!!!

If you want to have a car that is virtually impossible to steal then when you loose a key or remote then expect to pay huge. The technology that goes into stopping thieves from taken your car is costly. If you have a problem with the costs associated with Volvos then buy a G M and shut up!!! This kind of theft prevention comes with a cost, but you should be happy that Volvo's can not be stolen unless they have a key!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Gaz" wrote

The "chip" in our keys is a rfid device. Similar to the little disposable gadgets that Wal Mart eventually plans to put into everything they sell. I should be happy paying $50 for this?

I should be happy being charged an hour's labor for a five minute job? (Impressive use of the exclamation mark key, btw.) Oh, and about this being the ultimate in security:

Dang - now we are going to have graduate cryptographers stealing our cars ;-)

Mike

"Michael Pardee" wrote

Yeah, those sleazy bastards.

ROFL, two words TOW TRUCK.................... GONE in 60 seconds chip or NO chip.

There is NO way to stop a thief if he wants your car! However, the key thing is B.S. down here in Miami they want $85.00 labor, $72.00 for the key and another $40 to program key. Also, if your car has more than 3 (or 6) already on it then it will cost you another $85.00!

Ahh... with prices like those, who needs thieves?

BTW, pulling in forward and turning the wheel far to one side when parking is an effective deterrent to tow trucks, since they rely on rapid hook and run. They can find easier cars to steal than ones that try to drive off the side of the road. It's all about reducing opportunity and increasing risk of getting caught.

Mike

"Michael Pardee" wrote

Indeed.

For the benefit of anyone who might be following my saga, I just got an apologetic message from a guy at the Ford dealership saying he could get the Volvo dealer to sell me a key at the price they'd charge him. (I may save about $10.) I had contacted this guy by email ten days ago and never heard back. Curiously the reply came right after I sent another message, cc'd to everybody at the dealership, bemoaning the lack of so much as a courtesy reply and suggesting that the "Customer Relations Manager" title was largely ceremonial.

Hey, dude...there's not need to get all bent out of shape about someone balking about the high price of a key. The price of virtually everything on a current-model Volvo is abominably high. Just think of the cost of replacing the viscous drive on my XC once it reaches ten years old. I can see the number of Volvos in junk yards tripling in the next ten years due to the costs of replacing a component. My strut inserts on my XC are already shot and not under warranty because they are "not broken", (leaking). So, when I pick up my car tomorrow, after lightening my wallet for over $600.00 USD (Not done at Volvo of Las Vegas), I'll have new front shocks. Maybe you should make yourself a nice cup of Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer Ultra!!!

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Typical, YES.

Acceptable, NO!

The abusive parts prices for nearly all of the European makes have really turned me off from them.

John