2018 Nissan Versa Key Replacement

2018 Versa key specs

The second-generation Versa sedan arrived for 2012. Most of these cars use a conventional ignition with an ID46 remote head key, three or four buttons and FCC ID CWTWB1U751, or a plain chipped key on base cars without keyless entry. Some higher trims could have an Intelligent Key with push-button start. If you own a 2012 hatchback, it is still the first-generation design and uses those keys instead, and the Versa Note hatchback that joined for 2014 is listed on its own page.

What's specific to the 2018 Versa

The 2018 Nissan Versa is the seventh of 8 model years in the Versa N17 (second-generation sedan) (2012–2019), so it shares its key system with the rest of that run, which makes replacement parts easy to source. At roughly 8 years old, a 2018 Nissan Versa has usually seen real wear. Ignition and door cylinders on high-mileage cars wear along with the key, so we cut new keys to factory code rather than copying a worn key. Fob cases crack, buttons wear through and solder joints loosen at this age, so a new shell or a replacement remote often beats repairing the old one. Many have changed hands more than once, so erasing keys you can't account for is worth doing during the visit.

Smart-key cars like the 2018 Versa can be targeted with relay attacks that extend the fob's signal from inside your home, so keep fobs away from exterior walls or in a signal-blocking pouch, and have any missing fob erased from the car.

Key options for the 2018 Nissan Versa

• Transponder (chip) key. There are two ways to give a new transponder key the right identity. Cloning reads the chip in a working key and writes that same ID onto a special cloneable chip, so the car can't tell the two apart. Programming adds a brand-new key ID to the immobilizer's memory through the OBD-II port, sometimes after entering a security PIN tied to the VIN. Cloning is handy when you have a working key and the chip family supports it. Programming is the better choice when keys are lost, because it also lets us remove keys you no longer control from the car's memory. For your Nissan Versa, we'll explain which method fits and why.
• Remote head key. Remote-head keys look similar across many vehicles, but the electronics inside are not interchangeable. Getting the right one for a Nissan Versa means matching the FCC ID and part number printed on the back or inside the case, the operating frequency, which is commonly 315 MHz on US-market cars, the transponder type, and the button layout. A trim with remote start or a power liftgate may use a four- or five-button version where a base trim uses three. We check those details against your VIN and your existing key, if you have one, before cutting the blade. A wrong match can look perfect and still refuse to program.
• Smart proximity key (push-to-start). A smart or proximity key lets a 2018 Nissan Versa open when you touch the door handle and start with a push of a button while the fob stays in your pocket or bag. Antennas in the doors and cabin send out a low-frequency wake-up signal; the fob answers on a higher radio frequency with an encrypted reply, and the car only allows a start once it confirms the fob is inside. When the fob battery is weak, that conversation fails, which is why most designs include a backup: hold the fob against the start button or set it in a designated pocket. The owner's manual shows where, and it's worth checking before you need it.

How the Nissan immobilizer works on the Versa

• Supplier catalogs list a four-button remote head key with a transponder chip for Versas from 2012 through 2024.
• Supplier catalogs list the 2013-2016 four-button fob under FCC ID CWTWB1U815, which is also listed for the 2013-2015 Sentra.
• Supplier catalogs list the CWTWB1U751 remote head key in three- and four-button forms for Nissans through 2019, including the Versa.

Programming a 2018 Versa key

Remote head and plain chipped keys are cut by code or by decoding a lock, then registered through the OBD-II port with a PIN calculated from the security code. Intelligent Keys on equipped cars are registered the same way, and their metal key is cut to the door. Keys not present are erased, so bring them all. Spares and all-keys-lost are routine on these cars.

Lost every key to your Versa?

If every key is gone, we can usually solve it where the car is parked. First we confirm ownership with your ID and the registration or title. Nissan states in its owner's manuals that it does not keep a record of key numbers, so unless you saved the key number plate, we decode the driver's door lock to cut a mechanical key or emergency blade. Turn-key models then get a new transponder key programmed over OBD-II, and push-button models get new fobs registered with their emergency blades cut to match. Because registration erases the lost keys, a missing key can no longer start the car afterward. The newest platforms, and low-volume cars like the GT-R, can need extra hardware, a dealer-sourced PIN or a dealer visit, and we tell you which case applies before we start.

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

• 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.
• Electronics fail without warning. A fob dropped on concrete, run through the washing machine or soaked at the pool can quit for good. With a second programmed key, that's an annoyance you fix on your own schedule, not a stranded car that needs attention today.
• 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.

Dealer or mobile locksmith?

Dealers have one clear advantage: direct access to the manufacturer's own systems. Some newer vehicles tie key programming to online authorization that only a dealer can use, and certain all-keys-lost situations on specific platforms still require it. A good locksmith knows where those lines are. Where we can do the job, we use professional programming equipment that talks to the same immobilizer and keyless systems through the OBD-II port, and in many cases the result is identical: a properly registered key that starts the car. Where we can't, we can often still help by opening the vehicle, cutting a mechanical blade from code, or helping you gather what the dealer will ask for so that visit goes smoothly. For your Nissan Versa, ask us directly and you'll get a plain answer.

Versa key battery

Battery details for the 2018 Versa: CR1620 (remote head key). 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 Versa 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 Nissan Versa 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. Before cutting or programming, we compare your government photo ID with the vehicle registration or title and check that the VIN on the paperwork matches the VIN on the dash. If the registration is locked inside, we open the car first, confirm the documents, and only then make the key.
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. Cutting happens right beside your car. For a smart key, that means the emergency blade hidden inside the fob; for a transponder or remote-head key, it's the main blade you'll use every day. We deburr the cuts and check the fit in each lock so nothing binds or sticks later on.
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 Versa, you'll have heard that before we arrived, not halfway through the job.
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 Versa key

• The type of key. The biggest factor is technology. A plain mechanical key is a cutting job only. A transponder key adds a chip and programming. Remote-head and flip keys add a circuit board, and a proximity fob for a push-button Nissan Versa is the most involved of all, both in the part itself and in the programming.
• 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. 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.
• Blade style and cutting. Traditional edge-cut blades are quick to cut. High-security laser-cut blades, with a groove milled into the side, need a specialized machine and more care, and the blanks themselves cost more. If we have to decode a lock to find the cuts, that adds labor as well.

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

Common Nissan key problems

• Nissan manuals warn against leaving the Intelligent Key anywhere above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. A fob left on the dash of a parked car during an Inland Empire summer can get that hot, which shortens battery life and can damage the circuit board.
• A security light that stays lit after you switch the ignition on, with the engine refusing to start, means NATS doesn't recognize the key: a cracked transponder, a key registered to another car, or an aftermarket remote starter interfering.
• Making one new key wipes every key that wasn't present for the registration. If an old spare suddenly stops starting the car after a key was added somewhere, that is usually why, and the spare has to be registered again.
• When a fob battery runs low on a push-button Nissan, the owner's manual procedure is to press the brake and touch the ignition button with the Intelligent Key. The car reads the chip at close range and starts even with weak remote range.

Tips from a mobile locksmith

• Photograph the back of your fob and any key tag that came with the car. The FCC ID, part number and key code printed there make ordering a replacement faster and more accurate. Store the photos somewhere you can reach from any device, not only on the phone that might go missing along with the keys.
• On any vehicle with a turn-key ignition, keep the key ring light. A heavy cluster of keys, tools and charms swings with every bump and slowly wears the ignition wafers and the key itself. When the key starts to stick or needs a wiggle to turn, deal with it early, before it stops turning entirely.
• 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

Making car keys is regulated work in California. Locksmiths are licensed and overseen by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services under the Locksmith Act, Business and Professions Code section 6980 and following, and Julian's Locksmith holds company license LCO7891. Verification protects you more than anyone: a locksmith who will make a key for whoever asks will also make one for someone who wants your car. We record your name, the vehicle and its VIN on a work order, and we politely decline jobs where ownership can't be established. You can look up our license at search.dca.ca.gov.

Need a 2018 Nissan Versa key?

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