When I bought my 2001 Porsche 911, the seller only had one key for the car. It’s not comforting knowing that you only have one key for your 996. If you lose your one and only key, you’ll have to suffer the inconvenience of being stranded, but also with getting your car towed to the dealership where you’ll be forced to pay whatever they charge you to get you a new key.
To avoid having to ever be in such a situation where you can’t get into your car and have no other choice but to fork over a ton of money to Porsche, consider getting a spare key. I wanted to share my experience with getting a replacement key to help others who are in the same predicament as me: trying to find an affordable option for a replacement or spare key for the 996.
Options for Getting a Replacement Key for the 996
When I first started looking into getting a replacement key, I thought it was going to be as easy as some of the other cars that I’ve had in the past. Unfortunately, it is not. Porsche makes it very difficult to get keys made yourself or even through a 3rd party.
For reference, my mid-2000 Toyota 4Runner, I was able to buy an aftermarket key with the transponder inside for about $15. I was then able to get a nearby locksmith to cut the key for another $15. And then I could program the transponder myself (using a series of actions sitting inside the vehicle with the transponder key which would be programmed in the ignition.)
Sadly, you just can’t do something as simple (nor as cheap) with your Porsche 911 996. First, the parts for either aftermarket or genuine Porsche keys are not cheap nor are they readily available for purchase. Second, each key comes with a specific tag with a unique pin code that is used to program that specific key to the VIN of the car. Third, programming the car requires Porsche software to be able to program the key, which not many people have. So if you don’t get your key programmed by Porsche themselves, you need to find a locksmith who has the hardware and software to program Porsche keys (not just any locksmith).
Porsche Dealership
It might be more feasible to have your local Porsche Dealership make your spare/replacement key. I’ll warn you right up front, the Porsche Tax is real. Call any Porsche Dealership to see how much it would cost to get a key made and you might just go into shock. You can expect to spend about $1000+ to get a new replacement key. I’ve called several Porsche Dealerships in Southern California and showed what they all quoted me below.
| Porsche Dealerships | Transmitter | Key Blade | Transmitter Programming & Key Cutting | Total Cost for Parts, Programming, & Key Cutting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche Dealership – Ontario | $610 | $238 | $299 | $1,147 |
| Porsche Dealership – Riverside | $494 | $191 | $299 | $984 |
| Porsche Dealership – Newport Beach | $543 | $210 | $360 | $1,113 |
| Porsche Dealership – Irvine | $750 (Transmitter & Key) | See left | $450 | $1,200 |
The Porsche Dealerships all had their own way of pricing out the replacement key. The price of the transmitter (remote portion of the key), the key blade, and the programming/cutting costs all varied. In the end, the total cost of it all ended up ranging from $1,000 to $1,200, all said and done. Some dealerships even offered to make 2 keys and only charge you once for the programming, to save a few hundred bucks.
All of the dealerships mentioned that in order to make a spare, they would need the key and the car there to program it, as well as proof of ownership. If you don’t mind paying the price, going to the dealership might suite you and make the process pain-free.
Permalock Hack
At this point, I just couldn’t fathom spending more than $1,000 just to get a new replacement key. So, I looked at other options. One option that some 996 owners on various forums have suggested is the “Permalock” hack. This would only apply if you already have a key, but want to make additional key(s).
What you do is take the transponder “pill” that is inside of your existing key, and secure it to the inside of your ignition key ring trim. This basically bypasses your car’s anti-theft system by always having the transponder at the ignition barrel.
The reason you might do this is because you can make as many spare keys as you want for cheap since they don’t need to be programmed (the only thing that won’t work will be the buttons on the remote part of the key.) So you can just buy the key, get it cut by a locksmith, and be able to use it without the use of the remote buttons. The downside to this method is that anyone who is able to break into your car and turn the ignition, can start your vehicle and take off with it.
Local Locksmith Who Can Program Porsche Keys
The final option and the option that I ultimately went with was to go with a local locksmith who has the ability to program Porsche keys. Depending on where you live, you’ll have to look around your area to see who has the capability to make a spare Porsche key. In my area in Southern California, there was one place called Top Tech Locksmith located in Walnut who could do it.
They offered 3 options, which depending on how much you are willing to pay, would leave you with a spare key that could start and drive your car but have no working remote buttons, or an aftermarket key or genuine Porsche key that would work fully. To me, I wanted a key with working buttons and didn’t care whether it was a Genuine or aftermarket key, so I went with the aftermarket key with working remote option. It still costed me $550, but that’s still about half the price of what I was quoted by all the Porsche Dealerships.
| Locksmith | Key, key cutting, transmitter programming, but no working remote buttons | Key, key cutting, transmitter programming, with working remote buttons (aftermarket key) | Key, key cutting, transmitter programming, with working remote buttons (genuine Porsche key) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Tech Locksmith – Walnut | $300 | $550 | $950 |
The key cutting and programming didn’t take long at all; Kirk from Top Tech Locksmith was able to do it all in less than 30 minutes. I walked out with this replacement aftermarket key, which although does feel slightly lower quality than my original Porsche key, was definitely worth getting considering my other options that would cost me a lot more money.
I hope these options that I’ve laid out have helped you with your decision as I know it can be disappointing to find out how much and how difficult it is to get a replacement key for your Porsche 911 996. At least there are some options out there besides going straight to the dealership, but you just need to pick your poison. I am happy with my slightly less expensive replacement key and can rest easy knowing that I have the extra one in case anything happens to my original.
