Hyundai and Kia EV Key Replacement Cost in Frisco, TX (2026)

Hyundai and Kia EV Key Replacement Cost in Frisco: The Short Answer

As of October 2026, replacing the smart key on a Hyundai IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, IONIQ 9, Kia EV6 or Kia EV9 in Frisco generally costs $120 to $500 for a programmed proximity key. A spare added while you still hold a working key lands at the lower end; an all-keys-lost visit lands at the upper end. Setting up the phone digital key costs nothing with us, because it is done through your own account. Module-level faults are quoted separately at $200 to $800.

That is the answer most owners are searching for. The rest of this guide explains where your particular car falls inside those bands, which "dead key" complaints on these cars turn out to have nothing to do with the key, and what a complete quote should list before you agree to it.

Frisco Car Key is a fully mobile automotive locksmith. We work at the car, whether that is a driveway in Phillips Creek Ranch, a charger at Stonebriar, or an office garage along the Dallas North Tollway. Reach us at Frisco Car Key, (469) 402-9781, contact@friscocarkeys.com.

Why These Five Cars Share One Cost Guide

The IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, IONIQ 9, EV6 and EV9 are all built on the Hyundai group's dedicated electric platform. From a key and security point of view they are siblings: the same family of proximity smart keys, the same general approach to card keys and phone keys, the same smart key control logic, and the same 12-volt architecture that wakes the car before the big battery ever gets involved.

That shared engineering is why the pricing bands are the same across the five. A spare for an EV6 and a spare for an IONIQ 5 are essentially the same job with a different part number. What moves the quote is not the badge on the tailgate. It is the scenario you are in, the model year, and how many credentials you want working when we leave.

The Kona Electric and Niro EV are a different story. They are electric versions of vehicles that also come with engines, and their key systems follow the gasoline cars more closely. We cover them in our guide to the Kia Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric spare key. Genesis, the group's luxury brand, has its own guide as well: the Genesis key replacement cost guide and the article on the Genesis Electrified GV70 and G80.

The 2026 Price Table

These are the bands we quote from. They describe our own pricing. They are not a claim about what a Hyundai or Kia dealer charges, and we do not publish invented dealer numbers.

Job on an IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, IONIQ 9, EV6 or EV9	Our price band	Typical on-site time	What decides the number
Spare smart key, one working key in hand	$120 - $500	30 - 60 min	Fob variant and model year; spares sit low in the band
Smart key replacement, all keys lost	$120 - $500	45 - 90 min	Upper end of the band; proof of ownership required
NFC card key added or replaced (where the car supports it)	$120 - $500	30 - 60 min	Priced like a spare; some model years are dealer-only
Emergency blade cut (the metal key inside the fob)	$50 - $300	20 - 40 min	Cut to code; no programming
Phone digital key set up or moved to a new phone	$0 with us	Owner does it	Done through your Hyundai or Kia account and the car's menus
Smart key module or immobilizer programming	$200 - $800	1 - 3 hours	Only when the fault is in the car, not the key
Start button or power-on fault diagnosis and repair	$150 - $550	45 - 90 min	Diagnosis first; often not a key problem at all
Lockout, key or phone inside the car	$75 - $200	15 - 30 min	Damage-free entry only

Two caveats belong next to that table. First, the newest model years in this family are the ones most likely to be restricted to dealer tooling for all-keys-lost or card key work. We check the VIN before anyone drives out, and if your car is restricted you hear that on the phone, not in your driveway. Second, a price band is not a quote. The firm number comes after we know the year, the trim and whether a working key exists.

What Actually Moves the Quote

1. One working key, or none

Nothing changes the price more. When you still have a working smart key, the car is already willing to talk to us. We enroll the new key alongside the old one, confirm both start the car and both lock and unlock it, and leave. With no key at all, the car has to be opened without damage, the security system has to be brought to a state where it will accept a new key, and the whole process takes longer and carries stricter proof-of-ownership requirements.

The practical advice is blunt. If your IONIQ or EV came with two fobs and one has gone missing, replace it now. The second key you buy while the first still works is the cheapest key this car will ever have.

2. Which credentials you want working

These cars can carry more than one kind of key. Depending on model year and trim, an owner may have a proximity smart key fob, an NFC card key, and a digital key on a phone or watch. Each is enrolled separately. A quote that just says "new key" can leave out work you assumed was included.

Tell us on the first call what you had and what you want back. A household where two adults each used a phone key and shared a single fob needs a different visit from a single driver who lost the only fob they ever used. We break the idea of physical versus digital credentials down further in our digital car key cost guide.

3. Fob variant

Not every fob for the same car is the same part. Higher trims on several of these models carry extra buttons for features such as remote parking, and the IONIQ 9 and EV9 fobs differ from the earlier cars. The right part has to match the car's equipment, not just the model name. An aftermarket fob that looks identical but carries the wrong frequency or the wrong button set will either refuse to program or program and then leave features dead. We confirm the correct part against the VIN.

4. Model year

The early cars in this family and the most recent ones are not programmed the same way. Newer model years have added security steps, and a few scenarios now require secure online authorization. That is not a reason to worry; it is a reason to give the VIN before asking for a price. Our article on the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 key goes through those two cars model year by model year, and the IONIQ 9 spare key guide covers the newest of the group.

5. Where the fault really is

This is the variable owners least expect, and on these particular cars it matters more than on almost anything else we work on. A large share of "my key stopped working" calls on the IONIQ and EV family are not key faults. They are 12-volt faults. The next section is devoted to that, because it is the single most common way an owner of one of these cars pays for a key they did not need.

The 12-Volt Problem That Looks Like a Dead Key

Every electric vehicle has two batteries. The large high-voltage pack moves the car. A small 12-volt battery, much like the one in a gasoline car, runs the door locks, the smart key receivers, the screens and the computers that have to wake up before the big battery is even connected. If the 12-volt battery is flat, the car will not see your key. It does not matter that the main pack shows a full charge.

From the driver's side of the door this looks exactly like a failed fob. You press unlock and nothing happens. You pull the handle and nothing happens. The natural conclusion is that the key has died. It has not.

The Hyundai group's electric cars have a specific history here. The component that charges the 12-volt battery from the main pack has been the subject of safety recall campaigns on several of these models, because when it fails the 12-volt battery stops being topped up and eventually goes flat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists open recalls by VIN, and checking yours takes about a minute at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If your IONIQ or EV has an open campaign on its charging unit, get that done at the dealer. It is free, and no key replacement will fix it.

Here is how to tell a 12-volt problem from a key problem before you spend anything.

Does anything in the car respond? If the interior lights, the charge port light and the screens are all completely dead, suspect the 12-volt battery, not the key.

Do both keys fail? Two fobs do not die on the same morning. If neither key, nor the card, nor the phone gets a response, the fault is in the car. Our guide to both key fobs stopping at the same time walks through that diagnosis in order.

Did it follow a software update or a long park? A car that sat at the airport for two weeks, or one that was mid-update when something interrupted it, can come back confused about its keys without any key being faulty. We wrote about that pattern in EV key stopped working after a software update.

If the 12-volt battery is the cause, the right first call may be roadside assistance for a jump or a battery, or the dealer if a recall applies. We would rather tell you that on the phone than charge you for a key. If you are locked out while the 12-volt is flat, that is a different job, and we cover it in our guide to EV lockout cost in Frisco.

Smart Key, Card Key, Phone Key: What Each One Costs to Get Back

The smart key fob

This is the credential that carries the cost. It is a proximity transmitter with a small metal emergency blade inside it. Replacing it means supplying the correct part, cutting the blade, and enrolling the fob to the car. That is the $120 to $500 line in the table. It is also the credential every other one depends on: on these cars, setting up a phone key again after a phone change generally requires an enrolled physical key to be present.

The NFC card key

Several models and trims in this family support a thin card you tap on the door handle and rest on the wireless charging pad to drive. Where the car supports it and the model year allows independent enrollment, adding one is priced like a spare. On some of the newest cars, card enrollment is tied to the dealer. A card is a good wallet backup. It is not a replacement for a second fob, because a card cannot do everything a fob can.

The phone digital key

Hyundai and Kia both offer a digital key on these vehicles. Depending on the model year and the phone, it works either by tapping the phone on the door handle or, on newer cars and phones, by simply walking up with the phone in your pocket. It is set up through the manufacturer's app and the car's own menus, and it can be shared with family members from the app.

We do not charge for it, and neither should anyone else, because the work is yours to do through your own account. What we can do is make sure the physical key the digital key depends on is in place. Our guide to the Kia EV9 digital key and spare explains that dependency chain in detail, and the same logic applies across the family.

"On the IONIQ and EV cars, the phone key is the cheap part and the fob is the expensive part, and people tend to protect them the wrong way around. They guard the phone and leave the only fob in a gym bag." - a Frisco Car Key technician who handles most of our Hyundai-group electric vehicles

What a Complete Quote Looks Like

The Federal Trade Commission's consumer guidance on service pricing comes down to one idea: you should know the total before the work starts. The Associated Locksmiths of America gives similar advice for choosing a locksmith. For one of these cars, a complete quote states the following.

• The total price, not a call-out fee plus an open-ended "programming" line.
• The exact part: original equipment or quality aftermarket, and which button set.
• Each credential being enrolled: fob, card, and whether existing keys will be re-verified.
• Whether lost keys will be removed from the car's memory. On an all-keys-lost job this matters. A key that is merely lost can still start the car unless it is erased.
• What happens if the diagnosis changes. If we arrive and find a flat 12-volt battery or a module fault, you get a new conversation before any further work.

If you are comparing quotes and one of them cannot answer those points, keep asking.

Removing a Lost Key From the Car

When a smart key is lost rather than destroyed, the old key is still authorized until someone removes it. That is true of any modern car, but it is easy to overlook on an EV because so much of the security conversation is about phones and apps.

During an all-keys-lost job, we enroll your new keys and the keys that are no longer present are dropped from the car's list. If you still have one working key and are simply replacing a lost second key, ask for the lost one to be removed as part of the visit. It is a small addition to the job and it closes a real gap.

Phone keys are handled on your side. If a phone with a digital key on it is lost or stolen, remove that key from your account straight away. If you bought the car used, it is worth checking that no previous owner still has access; we cover that in removing a previous owner's key access from a used EV.

When the Problem Is the Car's Module, Not the Key

A smaller group of calls end up in the $200 to $800 module band. These are cases where the key is fine and the 12-volt battery is fine, but the part of the car that manages keys has lost its stored keys or stopped communicating. The usual triggers are a deep 12-volt discharge, a jump start that went wrong, water intrusion, or collision repair.

The signs are different from a simple dead fob. The car may power up but refuse to go to ready. The dash may show a smart key system warning even with a known good key held against the start button. All enrolled keys fail in exactly the same way. On Hyundai-group cars this often comes with a specific message, which we cover in our guide to the Check Smart Key System warning. For the background on how the group's immobilizer developed, see Hyundai and Kia SMARTRA immobilizer module programming.

Module work sits in our ECU and module programming service. It is quoted only after diagnosis, because selling a module repair on a guess is as bad as selling a key on one.

Mobile Service on an EV: What Is Different

Working on an electric vehicle at the curb is mostly the same as working on any other modern car, with three differences worth knowing.

The car needs stable 12-volt power during programming. Key enrollment is a conversation between our equipment and several of the car's computers. If the 12-volt battery sags in the middle of it, the procedure can fail. We support the 12-volt system during the job. This is one of the quiet reasons a properly equipped locksmith matters on these cars.

The car does not need to be charged. The state of the main battery has almost nothing to do with key work. A car at ten percent can have a key programmed. A car plugged into a charger usually can too, though we may ask you to unplug it.

A tow is rarely necessary. With all keys lost, the alternative to mobile service is a flatbed to the dealer and a wait for a service slot. EVs should be moved on a flatbed, not dragged, which makes the tow itself more of an event. In most cases we can have the car driving again where it sits.

We serve owners across Frisco, Plano, Prosper, McKinney, Allen and The Colony.

Proof of Ownership

Every all-keys-lost job starts with proof that the car is yours or that you are authorized to have a key made: a photo ID that matches the registration, title or insurance. The National Automotive Service Task Force runs the framework that lets vetted security professionals obtain vehicle security information, and the whole point of that framework is that keys are made for owners and not for thieves. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's theft research is a useful reminder of why immobilizers and controlled key access matter. If a company offers to make a key for your EV without asking who you are, treat that as a warning.

Texas locksmith companies are licensed through the Department of Public Safety's Private Security Program. Asking a company how it is licensed is a fair question before anyone arrives.

How to Keep the Cost Down

• Add the second fob while the first one works. This is the whole game.
• Check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls, especially anything involving the 12-volt charging system.
• Change the fob's coin cell every couple of years. AAA's roadside guidance lists weak fob batteries among the routine causes of no-start calls.
• Keep the emergency blade usable. Know where the hidden key cylinder is on your driver's door, and try the blade once so the first time is not in a parking lot at night.
• Do not rely on phones alone. A phone key is a convenience. A physical key is the backup that makes the phone key recoverable.
• Give the VIN on the first call. It turns a range into a number.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to replace a Hyundai or Kia EV key in Frisco?

As of October 2026, a programmed smart key for an IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, IONIQ 9, EV6 or EV9 generally costs $120 to $500 with us. A spare made while you still have a working key sits at the lower end, and an all-keys-lost job sits at the upper end. An emergency blade alone is $50 to $300, and module-level work is quoted separately at $200 to $800. We confirm the figure against your VIN before dispatch.

Is a Kia EV6 key cheaper than a Hyundai IONIQ 5 key?

Not in any meaningful way. The two cars share a platform and the same family of smart keys, so the job is nearly identical. The real differences in price come from whether you still have a working key, which fob variant your trim needs, and the model year.

My EV will not unlock and the key does nothing. Do I need a new key?

Often not. On these cars a flat 12-volt battery produces exactly that symptom, because the 12-volt system powers the locks and the key receivers. If the interior lights and screens are dead and neither key works, suspect the 12-volt battery before the key. Check your VIN for open recalls on the charging system as well.

Does it cost anything to set up the phone digital key again?

Not with us. The Hyundai and Kia digital key is set up through your account in the manufacturer's app and the car's menus. It usually needs an enrolled physical key present, so if you have lost every physical key, that is the part we handle.

Can a locksmith program an IONIQ or EV key, or is it dealer only?

For most model years a properly equipped mobile locksmith can supply and program the smart key on site. Some scenarios on the newest model years, particularly all keys lost and card key enrollment, are restricted to dealer tooling. We check your VIN first and tell you before dispatch if your car is one of them.

Will my lost key still work after I get a new one?

It can, unless it is removed. During an all-keys-lost job the missing keys are dropped from the car's memory. If you are only adding a replacement for one lost key, ask us to erase the lost one in the same visit.

Does the car need to be charged for key programming?

No. Key work depends on the 12-volt system, not the main battery. We support the 12-volt system during programming so the procedure is not interrupted. The main pack's state of charge does not affect the job.

References

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - recall lookup by VIN and vehicle safety guidance: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
• National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) - secure vehicle security data access for vetted professionals: https://www.nastf.org
• Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) - consumer guidance on choosing a locksmith: https://www.aloa.org
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) - vehicle theft and anti-theft technology research: https://www.iihs.org
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - consumer guidance on clear, up-front pricing: https://www.ftc.gov
• AAA - roadside assistance and key fob battery guidance: https://www.aaa.com
• Texas Department of Public Safety, Private Security Program - locksmith licensing in Texas: https://www.dps.texas.gov

Need a key for an IONIQ or a Kia EV in Frisco? Call Frisco Car Key at (469) 402-9781 or email contact@friscocarkeys.com with your VIN and tell us whether you still have a working key. For pricing across other makes, see our car key replacement and smart key programming services.