Why are car keys so expensive?

Why are car keys so expensive?

Author
Discussion

Nedzilla

2,439 posts

173 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
MajorTom said:
tbc said:
Nedzilla said:
Nissan GTR intelligent key......£850+vatyikes
could you not just get one for Micra and get it reprogrammed

the boot lid thing wouldn't work but then who buys a GT-R for the boot
When you own/run a GT-R you don't worry about £850 bills.
You do when its just for a fking key!!

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

203 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
tbc said:
Nedzilla said:
Nissan GTR intelligent key......£850+vatyikes
could you not just get one for Micra and get it reprogrammed

the boot lid thing wouldn't work but then who buys a GT-R for the boot
I paid £500 for a second hand micra key






Came with a free car

mcford

819 posts

173 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
There's alot of technology in a key these days, bet you didn't give it a thought at how much the expensive key saves you your insurance premium each year.

Shaw Tarse

31,543 posts

202 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
mcford said:
There's alot of technology in a key these days, bet you didn't give it a thought at how much the expensive key saves you your insurance premium each year.
BMW?

jamoor

14,506 posts

214 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
mcford said:
There's alot of technology in a key these days, bet you didn't give it a thought at how much the expensive key saves you your insurance premium each year.
Moreso than a nexus tablet?

Nedzilla

2,439 posts

173 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
MajorTom said:
mcford said:
There's alot of technology in a key these days, bet you didn't give it a thought at how much the expensive key saves you your insurance premium each year.
Not that much technology inside mine for £850 + vat rolleyes

Tom,you should know by now......the key probably costs about £6.50,the rest is the GTR tax!

Matt UK

17,649 posts

199 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
ryanjohnstott said:
Maserati quoted me around £6500 for a replacement red service key. Apparently I would need the red service key, two new normal keys, two door locks and a new alarm/Imobilizer system plus labour etc

The car in question was a cheap 3200, I then realised why it was going cheap!
£6,500?

£6,500?!?!?

JackDaniels

410 posts

204 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
Don't normally bother commenting when dealer bashing phrases get thrown about but it is starting to annoy a bit so just to say, people really need to realise that when it comes to expensive parts/labour, this is not the dealer having your pants down / having you over a barrel / wallet raping you or any other bulls**t combinations thereof.

The RRP of the key or any other part is set by the manufacturer not the dealer.
The cost price of a key generally is about 10-20% below the RRP so not a great deal of profit there.
The equipment used to code keys into the immobiliser is especially made for that franchise and does not always do the dealer any favours, in some ways it can delve deep into the vehicles ECU and measure and change all sorts of cool stuff and help diagnose all sorts of faults, but sometimes when it comes to a simple job like coding a key it can be horribly long winded and when you get quoted 30mins to code it, it can be because it can actually take that long because the method used to do it in any quick fashion is locked out by the manufacturer who charge the dealer up to 10k for the machine and a few grand in training courses that the dealer has to send mechanics on whereas billy the yellow pages locksmith can buy a gadget that will just code keys into all sorts of vehicles for a couple of grand maybe.

The next time you feel ripped off by a dealer, even when they have done a good job (I appreciate its difficult if they have ballsed up when charging you £100ph) complain to the manufacturer ask them why parts/labour cost so much, its them creaming a fortune from everyone, the customer & the dealer, they don't do the dealers any favours at all, it costs an eye watering amount to run from showrooms/training/stock/courtesy cars/signage and a load of other things that have to be done a certain way even if it means the dealer handing a fortune over to the manufacturer.
Obviously there is a profit in it or dealers would not exist but the turnover to achieve it is massive, thats why they insist on charging at least an hour for diagnostics because they are pissed off with customers having a diagnostic done in good faith and buggering off to fred in the shed who only has to budget for turning the lights on for the repair.






MrBrightSi

2,912 posts

169 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
Mitsubishi colt. £240 central locking remote. 120 for imobiliser key. Pissed me off beyond reason being stuck at work for 5 odd hours waiting for a mobile guy to come out. Had a chewing out by management next day saying that staying at work liek that isn't on. They could of come out at any of the hours i was trapped there.

Matt UK

17,649 posts

199 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
JackDaniels said:
Don't normally bother commenting when dealer bashing phrases get thrown about but it is starting to annoy a bit so just to say, people really need to realise that when it comes to expensive parts/labour, this is not the dealer having your pants down / having you over a barrel / wallet raping you or any other bulls**t combinations thereof.

The RRP of the key or any other part is set by the manufacturer not the dealer.
The cost price of a key generally is about 10-20% below the RRP so not a great deal of profit there.
The equipment used to code keys into the immobiliser is especially made for that franchise and does not always do the dealer any favours, in some ways it can delve deep into the vehicles ECU and measure and change all sorts of cool stuff and help diagnose all sorts of faults, but sometimes when it comes to a simple job like coding a key it can be horribly long winded and when you get quoted 30mins to code it, it can be because it can actually take that long because the method used to do it in any quick fashion is locked out by the manufacturer who charge the dealer up to 10k for the machine and a few grand in training courses that the dealer has to send mechanics on whereas billy the yellow pages locksmith can buy a gadget that will just code keys into all sorts of vehicles for a couple of grand maybe.

The next time you feel ripped off by a dealer, even when they have done a good job (I appreciate its difficult if they have ballsed up when charging you £100ph) complain to the manufacturer ask them why parts/labour cost so much, its them creaming a fortune from everyone, the customer & the dealer, they don't do the dealers any favours at all, it costs an eye watering amount to run from showrooms/training/stock/courtesy cars/signage and a load of other things that have to be done a certain way even if it means the dealer handing a fortune over to the manufacturer.
Obviously there is a profit in it or dealers would not exist but the turnover to achieve it is massive, thats why they insist on charging at least an hour for diagnostics because they are pissed off with customers having a diagnostic done in good faith and buggering off to fred in the shed who only has to budget for turning the lights on for the repair.





I'm tempted to say my heart bleeds for those poor little main dealers...

Edited by Matt UK on Friday 9th November 21:24

CarlT

3,423 posts

246 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
JackDaniels said:
Don't normally bother commenting when dealer bashing phrases get thrown about but it is starting to annoy a bit so just to say, people really need to realise that when it comes to expensive parts/labour, this is not the dealer having your pants down / having you over a barrel / wallet raping you or any other bulls**t combinations thereof.

The RRP of the key or any other part is set by the manufacturer not the dealer.
The cost price of a key generally is about 10-20% below the RRP so not a great deal of profit there.
The equipment used to code keys into the immobiliser is especially made for that franchise and does not always do the dealer any favours, in some ways it can delve deep into the vehicles ECU and measure and change all sorts of cool stuff and help diagnose all sorts of faults, but sometimes when it comes to a simple job like coding a key it can be horribly long winded and when you get quoted 30mins to code it, it can be because it can actually take that long because the method used to do it in any quick fashion is locked out by the manufacturer who charge the dealer up to 10k for the machine and a few grand in training courses that the dealer has to send mechanics on whereas billy the yellow pages locksmith can buy a gadget that will just code keys into all sorts of vehicles for a couple of grand maybe.

The next time you feel ripped off by a dealer, even when they have done a good job (I appreciate its difficult if they have ballsed up when charging you £100ph) complain to the manufacturer ask them why parts/labour cost so much, its them creaming a fortune from everyone, the customer & the dealer, they don't do the dealers any favours at all, it costs an eye watering amount to run from showrooms/training/stock/courtesy cars/signage and a load of other things that have to be done a certain way even if it means the dealer handing a fortune over to the manufacturer.
Obviously there is a profit in it or dealers would not exist but the turnover to achieve it is massive, thats why they insist on charging at least an hour for diagnostics because they are pissed off with customers having a diagnostic done in good faith and buggering off to fred in the shed who only has to budget for turning the lights on for the repair.





The manufacturer does not set labour rates AFAIK !

tbc

3,017 posts

174 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
what ever happened to the good old...


anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
tbc said:
overpriced and unreliable Jaaaaaagggsss again without much hassle.
You need to do some research my friend.

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/jd-power-survey-20...

Scroll down to the manufacturer table...

vinnie83

3,367 posts

192 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
MajorTom said:
tbc said:
Nedzilla said:
Nissan GTR intelligent key......£850+vatyikes
could you not just get one for Micra and get it reprogrammed

the boot lid thing wouldn't work but then who buys a GT-R for the boot
When you own/run a GT-R you don't worry about £850 bills.
That's not true.

I still begrudge paying money I don't need to on my 911. It's not the amount of money (although £850 would hurt!) but the fact that I could be spending it on nice things that I want rather than wasting it!

I know people who are very wealthy who still don't like being ripped off!

Kolbenkopp

2,343 posts

150 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
vinnie83 said:
I know people who are very wealthy who still don't like being ripped off!
Probably part of the reason they are very wealthy in the first place...

Matt UK

17,649 posts

199 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
MajorTom said:
When you own/run a GT-R you don't worry about £850 bills.
You serious?

Wealthy people are often rather good at seeing 'value' and not spending their money where there is a lack of it. It's often how they become wealthy.

Edited by Matt UK on Friday 9th November 21:05

tommy vercetti

11,486 posts

162 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
Nedzilla said:
Nissan GTR intelligent key......£850+vatyikes
Thats madness

Chris Type R

8,018 posts

248 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
260ish for an Alfa GT. Not one that can be done on the cheap either. Rip-off and reflects badly on the brand imho.

SMcP114

2,916 posts

191 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
£25 to get a key cut for an Integra type R, using the driver's door lock. I couldn't believe it.

JackDaniels

410 posts

204 months

Friday 9th November 2012
quotequote all
CarlT said:
The manufacturer does not set labour rates AFAIK !
No they do not, but they do insist on a dealer having x number of demos/courtesy cars (that are not free or even discounted by much) or having staff attend mandatory training that can cost a few grand per staff member, or making it mandatory to have certain workshop tools that will very rarely get used that might cost £500-1xxx pounds each, or have to use software on the computers that have to be unlocked with software keys that again might be £100 pounds each per member of staff that requires access, or have to have a showroom laid out/built in a certain style with particular bespoke bits of furniture that cost a ridiculous amount of money, dealers are not given any of this, it all has to be purchased.

The list of costs is endless & all of it is audited regularly by the manufacturer so you can't skip any of it, and if you try then you get fined large amounts.

I have always avoided trying to justify main dealer costs on the internet as I am fully aware some people just don't want to know that there is a possibility that there might actually be a good reason why they charge so much and that they are much happier believing that the world is out to get them and we are all out to rob them of their money, I do appreciate they can be high but there is a reason.

God forbid we actually manage to cover our massive costs and make a bit extra in profit, I honestly believe that not far into the future dealers may not exist anymore as a separate entity and you will do everything directly with Nissan/Audi/BMW or whatever as it will become too expensive to run a dealership.