2019 Fiat 500e Key Replacement

2019 500e key specs

The first 500e uses a flip key styled like the gas 500's, with lock, unlock and liftgate buttons, and a SIP22 blade that turns the ignition to switch on the electric drive system. The same remote also locks and unlocks the charge port door. Because far fewer 500e cars were built, replacement remotes are harder to source, and you shouldn't assume a part listed only for the gas 500 fits. Read the FCC ID printed inside your fob before ordering anything, or call with your VIN and let us confirm the correct part first.

What's specific to the 2019 500e

2019 was the final model year of the 500e First generation (Mexico-built), before the Second generation (Italy-built) arrived for 2024. Late-run cars occasionally pick up running changes, so we check the VIN instead of assuming a 2019 Fiat 500e matches a 2013.

A 2019 Fiat 500e is about 7 years old now. Original fob batteries are near the end of their life at this age, so weak range or a "key not detected" message is often a battery before it is a failed fob. Cars this age are often on their second owner, which is when a single remaining key and a request for a spare tend to show up.

Key options for the 2019 Fiat 500e

• Flip (switchblade) key. The hinge is the weak point on most flip keys. The pivot pin loosens, the spring loses tension, the release button sticks, and eventually the blade either won't lock open or flops out on its own. Carrying the key half-open in a pocket speeds that wear along. If the electronics are healthy, a replacement shell with a new hinge and pin often brings a 2019 Fiat 500e flip key back to crisp action: we transfer the board and chip, move or recut the blade, and test every function. If the board has broken solder joints or water corrosion, we'll show you the damage and quote a new key instead.

How the Fiat immobilizer works on the 500e

Fiat returned to the US for the 2012 model year, and every Fiat sold here since has a transponder immobilizer that must recognize the key before the engine will keep running. The Mexican-built 500 and 500c use a Philips ID46 (Hitag 2) chip in a three-button flip key, paired with a Delphi-type body computer. The Serbian-built 500L uses the same chip family but a Magneti Marelli-type body computer, so its remote is not interchangeable with the 500's. The Italian-built 500X steps up to AES encryption: a Megamos AES chip in the early flip key and Hitag AES in the push-button smart key, which is the only style Fiat's owner's manuals describe from 2017 on. The 124 Spider is the outlier, built by Mazda in Hiroshima with a Mazda-designed smart key running at 315 MHz. The first-generation 500e shares the 500's turn-key setup, while the 2024 and newer 500e uses a newer Stellantis keyless system. On the 500, 500L and 500X, the mechanical blade is the SIP22 laser-cut profile. When the chip isn't recognized, the blade can still turn the ignition, but the immobilizer will not let the engine run.

• Fiat assembled the first 500e in Toluca, Mexico, from late 2012 until mid-2019.
• Fiat sold the first 500e only in a limited number of states, mostly California, rather than nationwide.
• The key fob's lock and unlock buttons also operate the charge port door, according to the owner's manual.
• A weak 12-volt battery can make a healthy 500e key seem dead, so test it before replacing the key.

Programming a 2019 500e key

Key programming runs through the OBD-II port with Fiat immobilizer software and the security PIN, much like the gas 500. The electric drivetrain adds modules the gas car doesn't have, so we confirm tool coverage for the exact VIN first. We also keep the 12-volt battery supported during the session, because a sagging 12-volt supply is a common reason programming fails on electric cars.

Spare keys are usually possible. With low production numbers, remote availability and all-keys-lost coverage vary by VIN, so we confirm before quoting.

Lost every key to your 500e?

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. If the car is locked, we open it with non-destructive tools such as an inflatable wedge and a long-reach rod, or by picking the door lock. Some vehicles need a careful approach to avoid triggering the alarm, which can interfere with programming later.
3. Originate a new key from the car. With no key to copy, the cuts come from the vehicle itself. We retrieve the key code through manufacturer channels where possible, or decode a door lock with a pick-decoder tool. Then we cut the blade on our code machine and confirm it turns the lock smoothly.
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 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.
• Some vehicles make it hard to add a key once you're down to one. Certain immobilizer systems let an owner program an extra key on-board only when two working keys are present, so a second key preserves the easy options for later and avoids a full reset.
• 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?

The biggest difference between a dealership and a mobile locksmith is where the work happens. A dealer programs keys in its service bay, so if every key is lost, the car usually has to be towed there, and you work around the service department's schedule and the time it takes to order a key by VIN. Julian's Locksmith brings the cutting machine, key blanks and programming equipment to the car, whether it sits in your driveway, a workplace lot or a parking structure. For a 2019 Fiat 500e we can program on-site, that means no tow and no shuttle rides back and forth. The trade-off is real, though: on vehicles where only the dealer can program keys, a tow or appointment may still be necessary, and we'll say so before you spend anything on our visit.

500e key battery

A fob battery rarely dies all at once. The warning signs build: you have to get closer to the car before the doors respond, the dash shows a key battery or key-not-detected message, or the push-button start only works with the fob held near the button. Inland heat speeds that decline, especially for fobs left in a hot cabin or on the dashboard. Keep a spare CR2032 at home in a cool drawer, sealed in its original package, and buy from a busy store where stock turns over quickly. A cell that sat on a shelf for years may arrive already partly spent.

How the job works

1. Identify the exact key your 500e uses. We ask a few quick questions on the phone: the year, whether the car starts with a turn key or a button, how many keys you have left, and whether the remote still works the doors. Then we check the VIN against our programming references so the van arrives with the correct blank or fob, not a close guess.
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. A key is cut from a code, not a guess. When the factory code can be retrieved through manufacturer channels after ownership is verified, we use it. When it can't, we decode a door lock with a pick-decoder tool that reads the wafer positions without damaging anything, then work out any missing cuts.
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. With the blade done, we connect to the OBD-II port and register the new key with the immobilizer. Depending on the Fiat system, this may involve a security PIN, a timed waiting period, or on-board button sequences for the remote. On some vehicles we clone a working key's chip instead, when that's the more reliable path.
6. Test everything and clear out old keys. The last step is a short walkthrough. We show you how many keys the car now recognizes, point out the dead-fob start method for your vehicle, and hand you an itemized receipt. If a spare makes sense, it's simplest to add it during this same visit while the equipment is already connected.

What affects the price of a 500e key

• The type of key. Price follows complexity. The more the key does, the more it costs to replace: brass blade, then chip, then remote buttons, then full keyless entry and push-button start. If your 500e came with different key styles by trim, the one your car actually uses is the one that sets the quote.
• Factory or aftermarket parts. Some owners want an exact factory match; others just want a dependable key that starts the car. Both are reasonable choices. The part you pick changes the quote, so we lay out the options side by side, with the trade-offs in fit, button feel and long-term durability, before you decide.
• All keys lost or adding a key. Adding a key while a working one is in hand is the simpler job. With every key gone, we may have to open the car, decode a lock to originate the cuts, and run a longer programming routine, so all-keys-lost work takes more time and costs more.
• 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 Fiat system adds equipment time and labor to the job.

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

Common Fiat key problems

• Remote range fades as the CR2032 battery in a Fiat flip key ages, and the battery contacts in cheap replacement shells can lose tension. If a fresh battery doesn't help, the remote may need re-syncing or the board may be cracked.
• On the push-button 500X, a weak smart-key battery can bring up a key-not-detected message. Fiat's manual says to touch the back of the fob, the side opposite the emergency key, to the START/STOP button, which usually gets you home.
• Used smart keys bought online for the 124 Spider or 500X are often already locked to another vehicle and can't be reprogrammed. Buy new, or ask us to check the FCC ID and part number before you order.

Tips from a mobile locksmith

• 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.
• Learn your car's dead-fob start method now, in the driveway, rather than in a dark parking lot later. Depending on the make, you hold the fob against the start button or place it in a marked pocket in the console. Also find the hidden keyhole on the driver's door handle and practice using the emergency blade.
• Every so often, use the mechanical blade in the driver's door lock. Cylinders that go years without a key can seize from dust and dried grease, and you won't find out until the day the fob dies and the blade is your only way in. A small shot of dry lubricant keeps the lock ready.

Proof of ownership

Not every situation fits the simple case, so here's how we handle the common exceptions. For a leased or financed vehicle, a registration that lists you as the registered owner or lessee works with your ID. If you just bought the car, bring the signed title or bill of sale along with your ID. For a company or fleet vehicle, we need written authorization from the business plus the driver's ID. If the car belongs to a family member, the registered owner should be present or provide signed permission and a copy of their ID. Rental vehicles go through the rental company.

Need a 2019 Fiat 500e key?

Locked out, keyless, or just tired of a fob that only works half the time? Julian's Locksmith can help with your 500e 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.