Getting a spare key fob for your car can often feel like navigating a minefield of dealership costs and programming anxieties. Like many Jeep Renegade owners, I found myself needing a second key for my 2017 model. The thought of dealership prices immediately pushed me towards exploring online options. I landed on Amazon and decided to purchase an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) 2017 Jeep Renegade Key Fob for around $70. It even came with an uncut emergency key, thankfully the laser-cut squared-off type compatible with my vehicle, unlike the edge-cut versions which are cheaper but incompatible.
Confident with my OEM purchase, I scheduled an appointment at my local Jeep dealership for the programming. I called ahead to confirm they could fit me in and to inquire about programming a key fob I bought online. Upon arrival, it didn’t take long for the service technician to approach me, “Are you the one who called about getting a key programmed?” “Yes,” I replied. He followed up with, “Did you buy the key online?” When I confirmed, he quickly interjected, “I have to warn you, there’s a high chance it won’t work, and we still charge a $145 programming fee regardless.” A bit deflated but still hopeful, I simply said, “Okay.”
Luckily, another service tech, handling my check-in, overheard the slightly discouraging exchange. He reassured me, “Don’t worry too much. I’ve seen many customer-purchased fobs programmed successfully. While she’s right about the fee being charged whether it works or not, it’s definitely possible.” This was a much-needed dose of optimism.
Then came another slight curveball. As he processed my vehicle information – a 2017 Renegade Latitude bought from their dealership – he paused. “Oh… Renegade,” he said, with a tone that suggested potential trouble. “Problem?” I asked. “Could be,” he explained. “Renegades, especially the 2017 and 2018 models, are notoriously picky when it comes to key reprogramming. The 2015s and 2016s are usually straightforward, but the newer ones can be finicky. We can certainly try, though.” My optimism was waning again, but I was already committed.
While they took my Jeep into the service bay, I stepped outside, nerves slightly frayed, and started vaping. The potential of spending $145 for nothing, or worse, ending up with no working keys, was definitely on my mind. Then, the service tech who initially warned me about potential failure came out. “Just spoke with the shop foreman,” he said, “and he mentioned there’s a slight chance that programming a key with an ‘unknown history’ like yours could cause the system to dump your original key too! Meaning you could end up with NO working keys. In that case, you’d have to buy a key from us at full price and… well, you’d be back to square one, just with one key and a lighter wallet.”
This sounded completely illogical. “My original key is already programmed to the car,” I argued. “How could adding a second key erase the first one unless something goes seriously wrong?” He simply repeated the foreman’s warning but conceded my point made sense and asked if I still wanted to proceed. Just then, the actual programming technician came to get my Renegade. My service tech flagged him down, relaying the foreman’s doomsday scenario. The programmer made a skeptical face, stating he’d never encountered that issue before, having programmed many Renegades, though admittedly fewer 2017s and 2018s. He did acknowledge the security system changes in those years, making them harder to program to deter theft, but added with a hint of dark humor, “Yours might be the first one to wipe out both keys!” “Wonderful,” I thought, but told him to go ahead anyway. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice.
The wait felt long. My vape tank, usually lasting half a day, was almost empty within an hour. Was I potentially wasting money to save money? The cynical side of me wondered if this was a tactic to force customers to buy dealership keys. “Crap out the online key so you HAVE to buy ours!” seemed like a plausible, if unpleasant, scenario.
Finally, the programmer emerged, beaming and giving a thumbs up. He drove my Jeep back, parked, and apologized for the wait. Relief washed over me. “Any problems?” I asked, still slightly apprehensive. “None at all,” he replied. “Took a little longer because the fob you brought has remote start, and I wanted to see if we could get that working.” My original fob didn’t have remote start, and while he knew it was unlikely to be just a button activation, he wanted to try. I appreciated the extra effort. They also performed a 27-point inspection, though honestly, my focus was entirely on the key fobs. We tested both keys – original and the new Amazon purchase – and both worked perfectly.
Long story short: the OEM 2017 Jeep Renegade key fob I bought online from Amazon worked! The dealership couldn’t laser cut the emergency key on-site, requiring it to be sent out, but I decided to skip that for now. The important thing was I now had two fully functional key fobs and saved a significant amount compared to buying directly from the dealer. Now, I’m even contemplating getting a third! If you’re in a similar situation with your 2017 Jeep Renegade key fob, hopefully, my experience provides some reassurance.
