Ford and Chevy Key Replacement Cost in Dallas (2026): F-150, Silverado, Explorer, Tahoe

Quick Answer

As of October 2026, a Ford or Chevy key replacement in Dallas costs $120 to $200 for a basic transponder key, $160 to $280 for a remote head key, $180 to $320 for a flip key and $250 to $500 for a smart push-button fob. If every key is lost, add $75 to $250. Which row you are in depends on the trim and model year, not on the badge: the same F-150 or Silverado can take any of the first three, or a smart key. Call (469) 896-4128 with the VIN and we quote one flat price. Most people who ask "who does Ford and Chevy keys in Dallas, and what is fair?" are paying too much only when the dealer's tow is involved.

Why This Page Is Priced by Key Type, Not by Model

Ford and Chevrolet sell a lot of trucks and SUVs in Dallas, and owners reasonably expect a single price for "an F-150 key." There is no single price, because both companies spent the last fifteen years changing the key inside the same model name. A 2012 F-150 uses a plain chip key. A 2017 F-150 may use a remote head key or a push-button fob depending on the trim. The same is true of the Silverado, the Tahoe and the Explorer.

So this page prices the key types that Ford and GM actually use, then tells you how to work out which one your truck has before you call. Doing that yourself in two minutes is the best way to avoid being quoted the wrong job. It is also the main reason two Dallas neighbours with the same truck can be quoted very different numbers.

Ford and Chevy Key Cost in Dallas by Key Type (2026)

Key type	Where you see it	Spare, working key present	All keys lost
Transponder (chip) key, no buttons	Older F-150, Ranger, Silverado, Express, base trims	$120 – $200	$195 – $450
Remote head key	Many F-150, Explorer, Silverado, Equinox, Traverse	$160 – $280	$235 – $530
Flip key	Some Chevy cars and crossovers, some Ford trims	$180 – $320	$255 – $570
Smart push-button fob	Higher-trim F-150, Expedition, Tahoe, Suburban, Explorer, Traverse	$250 – $500	$325 – $750
Program a fob you supplied	Any, if the part is unlocked	$75 – $250 labour	n/a
Dealer path, any key type	Fob, programming, tow, queue	$700 – $1,100+ for the push-button cars	same

Prices as of October 2026 for the Dallas metro, quoted flat from the VIN. They are the published bands from our car key replacement cost guide: transponder $120 to $200, remote head $160 to $280, flip $180 to $320, smart fob $250 to $500, and all keys lost adding $75 to $250. The all-keys-lost columns are the key band plus that add-on.

How to Tell Which Key Your Truck Has

You do not need a technician to know which row you are in. Three checks cover almost every Ford and Chevy on the road.

Is there a start button? If the truck starts with a push button and you carry a fob in your pocket, you are in the smart-key row. Skip to the last row of the table. There is no key to insert, and a fob with no working copy means the vehicle will not move.

Does the key have buttons? A key with lock and unlock buttons set into the head is a remote head key. A key that is only a plastic-headed blade, with no buttons, is a transponder key. If the blade folds into the fob, it is a flip key.

Does the truck have a keyed ignition at all? Many base-trim F-150s and Silverados still do, which is why they are the cheapest jobs. The trim levels where an owner paid for the "keyless" package are the ones that move up a row.

If you are unsure, the quickest way to settle it is to send a photo of the key and the VIN. We tell you the row and the number before anyone is dispatched. The longer version of that same sorting is on the proximity fob versus transponder key cost page.

What Changes the Price

Trim and model year

On both brands the trim decides the key. A 2018 Silverado WT and a 2018 Silverado High Country are different jobs even though the badge on the tailgate is the same. The same applies to an F-150 XL and a King Ranch. When you give us the VIN, the build data tells us which key the truck left the factory with, and that is the reason we quote from the VIN rather than from the model name.

Spare versus all keys lost

This is the largest swing, and it is the one owners control. With one working key, a new key is paired to the truck using that key's authority, and the visit takes 30 to 45 minutes at your curb. With no working key, the truck's immobilizer has to be accessed directly, which adds $75 to $250. On Fords that is the PATS system, described in our Ford PATS module programming and PCM relearn guide. On GM it is the body control module and the vehicle's anti-theft logic, which is why the GM all-keys-lost job is quoted per VIN.

Original, aftermarket or one you already own

Ford and GM parts are the easy case for aftermarket quality. Good aftermarket remote head keys and flip keys exist for most trims, and an owner who wants a spare for a truck that is a work vehicle is often better served by one. Push-button fobs are a little different: the original-specification fob behaves more predictably with passive entry and remote start. We tell you which applies. The detailed comparison is in aftermarket versus OEM car key fobs.

If you already own a fob, bought used or from a previous truck, programming it is labour only, $75 to $250. Used Ford and GM fobs are frequently locked, and a locked one cannot be written to another vehicle. We check before any charge. The details are on the key programming only cost page.

Remote start and extra functions

Some Ford and Chevy fobs have remote start, a power tailgate button or a panic function. Those buttons are only useful if the truck is equipped for them, and a cheaper fob that lacks a button can be a false economy on a truck where the owner uses remote start every summer afternoon. Say so on the call and we match the fob to how you use the truck.

After hours

Mobile key work is flat-priced from the VIN, but a dispatch at 11 p.m. is a real cost to run. The published after-hours lockout scale, $125 to $275, shows how after-hours work is treated; the day scale is $85 to $200. A spare made at a convenient time is the cheapest version of every job on this page.

The Models Dallas Drivers Ask About Most

Ford F-150. The most common truck in the metro. Older and base trims use a chip key or remote head key; the higher trims use a push-button fob. Because of that spread, an F-150 can land anywhere from the $120 to $200 row to the $250 to $500 row. Our F-150 and Expedition ignition switch repair page covers the case where the key is fine and the ignition is the problem, and our Ford Explorer and Escape fob programming page covers the SUVs.

Chevrolet Silverado. The GM truck equivalent, with the same trim spread. The Silverado spare key guide describes the key types by generation, and it is the page to read if you are deciding whether to make a spare now.

Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. Almost always push-button. They sit in the smart-fob row, and a lost-key job on one needs the vehicle's anti-theft system accessed. The Tahoe and Suburban spare key guide has the details, and the same logic applies to the Cadillac versions in the Escalade all keys lost page.

Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Traverse. Family SUVs where the key type varies by trim, like the trucks. They are common in Plano, Frisco and Allen, often with one fob that has been through several children.

Dealer Versus Mobile on a Ford or Chevy

For these two brands the dealer is a more reasonable choice than it is for the European cars, because the parts are plentiful. The cost difference is still mostly the tow and the labor rate. A truck that has lost its only key has to be flat-bedded to the dealer, and that charge sits on top of the fob and the programming. A mobile technician avoids the tow, and avoids the second trip when the dealer has to order a fob for your trim. The wider comparison is in auto locksmith versus the dealership and the quick side-by-side is in the auto locksmith cost guide.

Honest limits: a dealer is the right call for a truck under a warranty or service contract that requires it, and for the rare VIN whose security needs a franchise-only step. We check that on the phone.

Lost Your Only Key and No Spare?

If you are in that position right now, the first useful move is to confirm the key is actually lost and not just misplaced inside the truck: a truck with a push-button start and a fob left in the cab will often refuse to lock, and one with a remote head key can leave it in a jacket pocket. If it is truly gone, lost car keys in Dallas walks through the process, and the page most owners find useful first is where to get a replacement made quickly. Both describe how a new key is generated at the truck without a tow.

Where We Work

Trucks and SUVs are everywhere in Dallas, and the job is mobile. Common calls include a work truck in a Garland or Mesquite lot at the start of a shift, a family SUV in a Plano or Frisco driveway, and a pickup at an office park in Irving or Las Colinas. The service runs around the clock and arrives with the equipment to cut and program on site.

For brand-level context, our Ford brand page and Chevrolet brand page list the models and service types, and the car key replacement service page describes the process that applies to all of them. Texas licenses locksmith companies through the state private security program; verify any company at the Texas DPS private security site before you let it near your truck.

How to Keep the Bill Down

A few habits matter more than any negotiating. Make the spare while one key still works, because the all-keys-lost add-on of $75 to $250 is the difference you pay for waiting. Have the VIN and registration ready, because a quote from the VIN is accurate and a quote from the model name is a guess. Keep the spare outside the truck. And replace the battery in a push-button fob once it starts needing two presses, because a dying fob is the usual precursor to a stranded one. The summer pattern is covered in summer heat and key fob failures in Dallas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much does a Ford or Chevy key replacement cost in Dallas? A: As of October 2026, $120 to $200 for a transponder key, $160 to $280 for a remote head key, $180 to $320 for a flip key and $250 to $500 for a smart push-button fob. All keys lost adds $75 to $250. The price is flat, quoted from the VIN, and includes cutting the blade, programming and a test of every button.

Q: Why do two F-150s or Silverados get different quotes? A: Because the key depends on the trim and model year, not the model name. A base F-150 or Silverado with a keyed ignition takes a chip or remote head key; a higher trim with a start button takes a smart fob. The smart fob sits in the $250 to $500 band, the others in $120 to $320. We settle it from the VIN or a photo of the key.

Q: Is a locksmith cheaper than the Ford or Chevy dealer? A: Usually, mainly because there is no tow and no queue. A mobile locksmith programs the key at your truck, while a dealer path for a push-button truck commonly runs $700 to $1,100+ once a flatbed is added. A dealer is still the right choice when a warranty or service contract requires it or a VIN needs a franchise-only step.

Q: What does it cost if I lost every key to my Silverado or F-150? A: The key price plus $75 to $250. A remote head key job is about $235 to $530 in total and a smart-fob truck is about $325 to $750. The truck's immobilizer is accessed directly and a new key is generated and paired at your location, so a tow is normally not needed.

Q: Can you program a used Ford or Chevy fob I bought online? A: Sometimes. Labour for a customer-supplied fob is $75 to $250 when the part matches the truck and is not locked to another vehicle. Used fobs are often locked and cannot be rewritten. We check the part before any charge and tell you plainly if it will not work.

Q: How long does a Ford or Chevy key replacement take? A: A spare with a working key present usually takes 30 to 45 minutes at your curb. An all-keys-lost job takes longer because the immobilizer has to be accessed before any key is generated. Either way the work is done where the truck is parked, in Dallas or the surrounding suburbs, at any hour.

The Bottom Line

A Ford or Chevy key is a $120 to $200 job on the simplest trucks and a $250 to $500 job on a push-button one, with $75 to $250 added when every key is lost. The trim decides the key, so the VIN decides the price, and the sooner a spare is made the closer you stay to the bottom of the band.

Call (469) 896-4128 with the VIN, or a photo of the key. We will tell you which row your truck is in and give one flat price before anyone is dispatched.