Question 1

I lost all my keys to my 1999 Dodge Stratus. Can you still make one?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and this is actually one of the simpler all-keys-lost situations we see. The 1999 Stratus uses a plain mechanical key. There is no security module to authorize, no key memory to wipe, no codes to extract over OBD. A locksmith can either decode the lock cylinder directly or look up the key code if the door lock or ignition cylinder is accessible. A new key gets cut to that code, and you are done. We can handle this on site in Coronado Village without towing anything anywhere.

Question 2

Do I need to go to the dealer if I have no keys for my 1999 Stratus?

Accepted Answer

No. The dealer is not the move here. A mobile locksmith can decode your lock and cut a working key right where the car sits. The dealer would likely want the vehicle towed in, then schedule time with a technician, and you would be waiting on their timeline. For a mechanical key on a car this age, none of that is necessary. Call a locksmith, save the tow fee, and have a key the same day.

Question 3

How long does it take to get a replacement key made for a 1999 Dodge Stratus?

Accepted Answer

On site, usually under thirty minutes. Decoding the lock cylinder and cutting the key are both done at the vehicle. There is no waiting for parts, no appointment queue, no programming countdown. Once I read the correct cut and run it on the key machine, the new key goes straight into the locks for testing. Start to finish, it is a short job. The longest part is usually me finding parking near wherever the car is sitting in Coronado Village.

Question 4

My 1999 Stratus key turns hard and sometimes does not want to come out of the ignition. Is the key worn or is it the cylinder?

Accepted Answer

Could be either, and on a car this age it is often both working against each other. A worn key puts uneven pressure on the wafers inside the cylinder, and over time the cylinder wafers themselves wear to match the bad key. If you have been using a copy of a copy, that problem compounds fast.

The way to know for sure: bring or send the original key if you still have it and compare how it feels versus the copy. If the original also binds, the cylinder is the issue. If only the copy binds, the cut is off. Either way, a locksmith can decode the cylinder and cut a key to the correct spec, which often fixes the stiff feel without touching the cylinder at all. If the cylinder itself is worn past the point of reliable operation, it can be replaced and keyed to match your other locks.

Question 5

Can a hardware store copy of my Stratus key cause problems down the road?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it happens gradually so people do not connect the two. Hardware store cuts are traced from your existing key, not read from the lock. If the original was already a little worn, the copy inherits that wear and sometimes adds its own tolerance error on top. Use that copy long enough and it becomes the key people bring in asking why the ignition is suddenly stiff or why the door lock is getting finicky. For a car from this era, getting a key cut to the actual lock specification rather than traced from a worn original is worth doing once and doing right.

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