2004 Chrysler Concorde Key Replacement

2004 Concorde key specs

The Concorde's ignition key is a Y159-keyway blade with a 4D64 transponder in the head, sold as the Ilco Y160-PT blank. Keyless entry uses a separate four-button fob: FCC ID GQ43VT9T for 2000 and GQ43VT17T for 2001–2004, both powered by CR2016 batteries and both with lock, unlock, trunk and panic buttons. If your Concorde never had a fob, only the transponder key is needed to drive it.

What's specific to the 2004 Concorde

2004 was the final model year of the Concorde LH (2nd generation). Late-run cars occasionally pick up running changes, so we check the VIN instead of assuming a 2004 Chrysler Concorde matches a 2000. A 2004 Chrysler Concorde is about 22 years old. Original keys are often worn smooth, and some factory remotes for cars this age are discontinued, so we may suggest a quality aftermarket remote or a separate fob. Because older immobilizers are simpler, all-keys-lost jobs on cars this age are usually more straightforward than on late models.

If a newly cut key turns the 2004 Concorde's ignition but the engine cranks and dies, the transponder isn't recognized yet; that's a programming step, not a cutting problem, and it's handled at the car.

Key options for the 2004 Chrysler Concorde

• Transponder (chip) key. Transponder chips come in families, such as Texas Instruments 4C and 4D, Philips 46, Megamos 48 and the newer 128-bit AES types, and a Chrysler Concorde only accepts the one its immobilizer was built around. That's why a hardware-store blank that looks right often won't start the car. We match the blank to the vehicle's chip and keyway before cutting. One more practical note: the chip lives in the plastic head, and when that head cracks, the chip can fall out or shift away from the antenna. If the car starts some days and not others, a damaged head is a frequent reason, and replacing the key before it quits entirely costs less than an all-keys-lost visit.
• Key with separate remote fob. Separate remotes are easy to find online, which is exactly why they cause trouble. A listing can show the same shell as your Chrysler Concorde remote while hiding a different FCC ID, frequency or internal chip, and some used remotes are locked to the first vehicle they were paired with. We're glad to look at one you've already bought, and we'll tell you honestly whether it can be paired before charging you to try. If the remote side of your setup has become unreliable, it's also worth asking whether a fresh remote and a newly cut key, matched together, would cost less than chasing repairs on aging parts.

How the Chrysler immobilizer works on the Concorde

Chrysler began fitting its Sentry Key Immobilizer System (SKIS) in the late 1990s, and by the 2001 model year most Chryslers in our range used it. The first wave of keys carried a Texas Instruments 4D64 chip in a head cut for the Y159-family keyway, sold as the Ilco Y160-PT blank. From about 2004 the chip changed to a Philips ID46, and most cars paired it with a remote-head key that put the transponder and the keyless entry buttons in one piece. For 2008 the 300 and Town & Country moved to the fobik, a blade-less remote that turns inside a wireless ignition node (WIN), with a proximity version for push-button start. The 2011 redesign of the 300 added a proximity smart key, and the Pacifica minivan, the 2015–2017 200 and the 2019–2023 300 use fobs with Hitag AES encryption. Vehicles from 2018 on also carry a secure gateway module that limits what aftermarket tools can write. Two models break the pattern: the Mitsubishi-built Sebring coupe uses a 4D61 chip and a Mitsubishi blade, and the Mercedes-based Crossfire uses an HU64 flip key with Mercedes immobilizer electronics.

• Supplier fitment for the Y160-PT transponder key covers the 1998–2004 Concorde, matching the 300M.
• The 2001–2004 GQ43VT17T remote is shared with the 300M, the 2001 LHS and the Sebring sedan and convertible.
• The Concorde ended after 2004 and was succeeded by the rear-drive 300.

Programming a 2004 Concorde key

Programming runs through the immobilizer module via the OBD-II port and needs the 4-digit PIN, which current tools can usually pull on this platform. The 2001–2004 remote supports an on-board learning sequence when you already have one working fob. Without any working key, we cut a blade by code or from the door lock and program it on site.

Lost every key to your Concorde?

1. Gather your documents and the VIN. Find your registration or title and a government photo ID in the same name. Note the VIN, which is printed on the driver's side of the dashboard and usually on your insurance card. If the paperwork is locked in the car, tell us; we'll open the vehicle first and check it there.
2. Get into the vehicle without damage. Entry comes before key-making because we need access to the ignition, the OBD-II port and sometimes the documents in the glove box. We take care with weather stripping, door frames and paint, and we confirm the dash VIN matches your registration before going any further.
3. Originate a new key from the car. Originating a key means building it without a sample. The door lock usually reveals most of the cuts; any it doesn't are worked out by test-cutting and trying the ignition or a second lock. The finished blade should feel like a factory key, not a forced fit.
4. Program the key to the immobilizer. Next, the new key is introduced to the car's security system. Many vehicles allow this through the OBD-II port with a PIN or security procedure. Some all-keys-lost cases require reading a module on the bench, and a few platforms only allow dealer programming, which we'll tell you up front.
5. Erase missing keys and add a spare. A lost key's metal blade can still open your doors even after its chip is erased. If the keys disappeared along with something showing where you live or park, consider rekeying the car's door lock cylinders too. We'll also recommend leaving with two working keys, not one.

Why a spare key pays for itself

• A spare turns a future all-keys-lost emergency into a simple add-a-key job. With one working key in hand, programming is quicker, and the chip or fob can often be paired without decoding locks or reading modules, which keeps the cost of a lost key far lower.
• A spare stored safely at home rescues you from a locked car with the fob sitting on the seat, a key dropped somewhere along a hiking trail, or a fob that stops responding on a busy morning. Keep it indoors, never in a magnetic box under the bumper.
• When you sell or trade in the vehicle, buyers and dealers expect two keys. A missing key can come up during an appraisal or a private-sale negotiation, so having both on hand keeps the conversation about the car, not about what it will cost the next owner to replace one.

Dealer or mobile locksmith?

Price and parts are the other half of the comparison. Dealers typically sell factory keys only and charge their posted service rates for programming. We offer factory keys where it matters and quality aftermarket alternatives where they perform well, and the quote covers cutting, programming and the trip, with nothing tacked on at the end. Timing differs too. Dealer service departments generally keep business hours, while we take automotive calls every day from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., which covers early commutes and late evenings. We're closed overnight, and we'll be upfront if your timing means the dealer or a next-day visit is the better plan. Neither option is wrong; the right one depends on your Concorde and your schedule.

Concorde key battery

Battery details for the 2004 Concorde: CR2016 (remote). Swap cells one at a time and match each one exactly; if a key still fails with a fresh battery, the board, buttons or programming may be the problem, which we can test on site.

How the job works

1. Identify the exact key your Concorde uses. Every job starts with the VIN, the trim and a look at any key you still have. From those we confirm the keyway, the transponder or smart-key chip, the remote frequency, the FCC ID and the button layout. Two Chrysler Concorde keys that look identical can carry different electronics, so this step keeps the wrong part from ever reaching the car.
2. Verify ownership before any work. California holds licensed locksmiths responsible for knowing whose car they're making keys for. We record your name, the VIN and the plate on a work order. If you aren't the registered owner, you'll need the owner's written authorization along with your own photo ID before we begin.
3. Get the key code or decode the lock. If you still have a working key, we can read its cuts directly and check them against the factory depths for the Chrysler keyway. A worn key gets corrected back to spec during this step, so the new key turns crisply instead of reproducing years of wear in a fresh piece of metal.
4. Cut the blade on-site. Our van carries a code-cutting machine that handles both traditional edge-cut blades and the laser-cut, side-milled profiles common on newer keys. The blade is cut to the code, then test-fitted in a door lock and the ignition or emergency keyhole to confirm smooth operation before any programming begins.
5. Program the chip, remote or smart key. Programming tells the car's computers that the new key belongs to the vehicle. Transponder chips are added to the immobilizer, remote buttons to the body control module, and proximity fobs to the keyless system. If a step requires dealer-only access on your Concorde, you'll have heard that before we arrived, not halfway through the job.
6. Test everything and clear out old keys. Before we leave, every function gets checked: doors, trunk or liftgate, panic button, remote range, engine start, and the emergency blade in the driver's door. If keys are missing, we delete them from the car's memory where the system allows, so a lost key can no longer start the engine.

What affects the price of a Concorde key

• Factory or aftermarket parts. Factory keys and fobs carry the manufacturer's part number and usually the highest parts cost. Quality aftermarket keys use compatible electronics at a lower price and work well on many vehicles. We tell you which options we trust for your car, and where an aftermarket version has known range or fit issues, we steer you to OEM.
• All keys lost or adding a key. On some vehicles, losing the last key changes the programming entirely, from a quick add-key procedure to a full immobilizer reset or a module read on the bench. That extra labor shows up in the price, and it's the strongest argument for keeping a spare in the house.
• Programming complexity and security access. Some immobilizers accept a new key with a few on-board steps. Others need a PIN code, a timed security wait, manufacturer online access, or removing a module to read its data. Every extra layer of security on the Chrysler system adds equipment time and labor to the job.
• Travel, timing and extra repairs. Because we come to you, the distance from our San Bernardino base and the time of the call play a part. So does anything we find along the way, such as a worn ignition cylinder or a seized door lock. You hear about each item and get a quote before we start work.

Call (951) 903-3193 with your VIN and the keys you still have, and we'll quote the job before any work starts.

Common Chrysler key problems

• Worn Y159 ignition keys on older minivans, PT Cruisers and LH sedans can stop turning smoothly or bind in the cylinder. Copying a worn key copies the wear, so we cut replacements to the original code rather than tracing the old blade.
• Remote-head keys from the 2004–2014 era often crack where the blade meets the plastic head. A new shell can save the electronics, but the transponder chip has to move with them or the car will not stay running.
• On 2008–2016 Town & Country vans and 2008–2010 300s, a fobik that will not turn or is not recognized may be a worn fob or a failing wireless ignition node. We test with a known-good fob before anyone replaces parts.

Tips from a mobile locksmith

• When a key's head cracks or its blade bends, replace it before it fails. A transponder chip can slip out of a split head, and a bent blade can break off inside the ignition or door lock, turning a simple key replacement into an extraction and repair job. Small symptoms are the inexpensive time to act.
• Never hide a spare key or fob on the outside of the car. Magnetic boxes in wheel wells and under bumpers are the first places a thief checks, and with a proximity fob, a hidden key can let anyone open the doors and drive away. Keep the spare at home or with someone you trust.
• Make the spare before you need it. Adding a key while one still works is quicker and less expensive than starting from nothing, and it keeps the simpler programming options available. Good moments are right after buying the car, or as soon as one of your two keys goes missing.

Proof of ownership

Before we cut or program a key for any vehicle, we verify that you have the right to it. Please have two things ready: the current registration or the title, and a government-issued photo ID with a matching name. We also check that the VIN on those documents matches the VIN plate on the dashboard. If the registration is locked inside the car, that's fine; we open the vehicle first, check the paperwork in the glove box, and only then make the key. If something doesn't line up, we stop and sort it out before any key is made.

Need a 2004 Chrysler Concorde key?

Locked out, keyless, or just tired of a fob that only works half the time? Julian's Locksmith can help with your Concorde in Southern California. Have your registration and photo ID ready, call (951) 903-3193, and we'll give you an honest answer about what we can do on-site and what it will cost before we head your way.