2-year job category analysis 
All 50 states + D.C.
Executive summary
KeyMe Locksmiths analyzed replacement key pricing from its Vehicle Product & Pricing Catalog, covering 1,463 unique
make, model, and year combinations across 26 car and truck brands, model years 1998 through 2022. The goal: identify
which brands carry the highest replacement key prices, and what separates them from the rest.
The answer is less about luxury badges than it first appears. Lexus tops the ranking, but it is followed by Infiniti, Subaru,
Nissan, and Toyota — not the traditional American luxury marques. Import brands as a group price roughly 39% above
domestic brands, and newer model years cost meaningfully more than older ones.
Key Findings
Lexus has the most expensive replacement keys among brands with meaningful catalog coverage, averaging $200.79 per model-year. All 162 Lexus model-years are priced at $199.99 or more, and 155 of them at exactly $199.99.
The top five brands are all imports: Lexus ($200.79), Infiniti ($198.63), Subaru ($187.89), Nissan ($187.24), and Toyota ($182.39). Cadillac is the highest-priced domestic brand at $153.58.
Import brands average $176.16 per model-year versus $126.56 for domestic brands — a premium of about 39%.
The single highest listed price is $359.99, for the Toyota Highlander (2016 and 2019). Toyota also has the widest price range of any brand, from $99.99 to $359.99.
Newer vehicles cost more. Model years 2020–2022 average $170.01, about 28% above the $132.60 average for 2005–2009 model years.
“What you pay tracks the key more than the badge. Lexus and Infiniti sit at the top, but so do Nissan and Subaru, while a luxury name like Lincoln lands near the bottom of the list.”
KeyMe Locksmiths Analyst
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Explore the Complete 9-Page Analysis
The complete 9-page analysis includes replacement key pricing comparisons across 26 automotive brands and 1,463 vehicle model-years, brand rankings, model-year pricing trends, key factors influencing replacement costs, consumer insights, FAQs, and a detailed methodology.
