Replacement Keys Priced High

The high cost of replacing vehicle keys has drawn the ire of the Center for Auto Safety
(CAS), a consumer-defense group. CAS charges that modern keys, often embedded with
electronics, have become too costly to replace. Some new keys cost hundreds or even
thousands of dollars, if electronics in the car must be replaced as well. In a petition to
the Federal Trade Commission, CAS claims the auto industry’s resistance to releasing codes
stored in keys to locksmiths is an unfair trade practice.