2010 Subaru WRX Key Replacement

2010 WRX key specs

WRX and STI models of this body use a DAT17 high-security key with a laser-cut blade and the transponder in a buttonless head, and they kept that key through 2014, after the regular Impreza had moved on to remote-head keys. Keyless entry stayed on a separate four-button fob. Sedan, hatchback and STI versions all share the same key system. The key in your pocket is the only thing that starts the car, so a spare is worth having before the original wears out.

What's specific to the 2010 WRX

The 2010 Subaru WRX is the third of 7 model years in the WRX GE/GH/GR/GV (third-generation Impreza body) (2008–2014), so it shares its key system with the rest of that run, which makes replacement parts easy to source. A 2010 Subaru WRX is about 16 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 2010 WRX'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 2010 Subaru WRX

• 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 Subaru WRX 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. Pairing a separate remote to a 2010 Subaru WRX is a different job from programming the ignition key. Some vehicles accept new remotes through an on-board sequence of key turns and button presses; others need a scan tool connected to the OBD-II port. On many of them, entering remote programming mode clears every remote the car already knows, so any remote you want to keep has to be present and re-paired during the same session. Before we start, gather every remote that belongs to the vehicle. Leaving one in a kitchen drawer is a classic way to end up with a remote that quits the day after a new one is added.

How the Subaru immobilizer works on the WRX

Subaru came to engine immobilizers later than most brands sold in the US, which keeps things simple for owners of early-2000s models: no 2000-2004 US Subaru has a transponder, so a correctly cut key starts the car. Subaru's own chart shows immobilizers arriving by model and trim from the 2005 model year. That year only the Forester XT, Impreza STi, Legacy GT and Outback XT and 3.0R had one. Every Legacy, Outback and Tribeca followed for 2006, the WRX joined the STi, the whole Impreza line had one by 2008 and the whole Forester line by 2009. The first systems use Texas 4D62 chips in side-cut keys. Subaru then moved to high-security laser-cut keys on 2008-2011 Imprezas, 2008-2014 WRX and STI models, 2009-2013 Foresters and 2010-2014 Legacy and Outback models. From the 2012 Impreza, an 80-bit Subaru G chip arrived in a side-cut remote-head key. The 2017 Impreza introduced the 128-bit Subaru H chip, which reached the Crosstrek for 2018, the Forester and Ascent for 2019 and the Legacy and Outback for 2020. Keyless Access smart keys began with the 2013 BRZ and the 2013-2014 Legacy and Outback.

• Subaru's bulletin lists the same laser-cut key style for 2008-2011 Imprezas and for WRX and STI models through 2014, with no remote buttons in the key.
• From 2015 the bulletin shows the WRX and STI moving to the side-cut remote-head key.
• Subaru's bulletin recommends a dedicated key machine for cutting its edge-cut and laser-cut keys.

Programming a 2010 WRX key

We cut the DAT17 blade on a high-security machine from your key code or by decoding a lock, then program it through OBD-II. With Subaru's immobilizer data for your VIN, a spare or a full set after a loss takes the same visit. Suppliers list both 4D62 and 4D60-labeled chips for keys of this era, so we identify the chip with a programmer or from your old key before choosing a blank. The separate fob is registered afterward with its own routine.

Lost every key to your WRX?

1. Gather your documents and the VIN. Call with the year, make, model and VIN if you can read it through the windshield, plus where the car is parked. Those details let us confirm whether your Subaru WRX can be done on-site and bring the right key, so the first trip is the only trip.
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. 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

• 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.
• Two drivers sharing one key is a daily negotiation. A second key lets a partner, teenager or coworker use the vehicle without handing keys back and forth in parking lots, and it means one person losing their key ring doesn't leave the whole household stuck.
• 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?

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 Subaru WRX, ask us directly and you'll get a plain answer.

WRX key battery

Battery details for the 2010 WRX: CR2025 (separate fob). 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 WRX 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 Subaru WRX 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. 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. 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 WRX, 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 WRX 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 WRX came with different key styles by trim, the one your car actually uses is the one that sets the quote.
• 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 Subaru system adds equipment time and labor to the job.
• 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.
• Travel, timing and extra repairs. Sometimes a key problem is really a lock problem: an ignition that won't turn even with the right key, or a door cylinder that has been jammed for years. Fixing those is separate work. We point them out, explain the options, and quote the whole job up front so the bill holds no surprises.

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

Common Subaru key problems

• Remote-head key shells tend to crack at the blade root after years on a heavy keyring. The remote board and transponder can usually be moved into a new shell with a freshly cut blade, which often costs less than a complete new key.
• If a Keyless Access fob battery dies, the car can usually still be started with the backup method in the owner's manual, which uses the fob and the start button. The emergency blade hidden in the fob opens the driver's door.
• Remote-head keys sold under FCC ID CWTB1G077 look alike but differ inside. The 2018-2019 Legacy and Outback versions carry the older G chip, while the 2017-2020 Impreza, Crosstrek, Forester and Ascent versions carry the H chip. Match the part number and pod color, not just the FCC ID.

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.
• 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.
• 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 2010 Subaru WRX key?

The quickest route to a working key for a 2010 Subaru WRX starts with a short phone call. Dial (951) 903-3193, share the VIN and where the car is parked in Southern California, and we'll tell you whether it's an on-site job, a dealer job, or a mix of both. No pressure and no surprise charges, just a straight plan.