Q: Engine shutdown caused by worn out key
From what I have been told, my car’s engine shutdown was caused by a defective electronic key. I was in highway traffic when I lost power and fortunately was able to steer to the side of the road and then I restarted the engine. This became an intermittent problem in failure to be able to start my car. I was told by the BMW customer relations department that my key has a non-replaceable rechargeable battery that might ‘wear out’ and thus, not hold a charge. They told me a new key would be over 200 dollars! I read the manual and nowhere did it mention anything about keys having to be replaced, nor any information was given about keys wearing out. This is a real hazard! I was told by them that there was nothing they could do for me. Can you tell me if there are other places that sell this new type of key at an ‘affordable’ price?
Hello. Unfortunately, there is no other way to get these unless you find a BMW certified repair shop. Due to the security concerns with these vehicles it takes a special computer to be able to program new keys to it. This is still going to be an expensive replacement no matter how you look at it. Every manufacturer is like this, but most do have a replaceable battery.
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