Question 1

I lost all my keys to my 1999 Elantra. Can you still make a replacement?

Accepted Answer

Yes, all-keys-lost on a vehicle this age is very workable. The 1999 Elantra uses an earlier-generation immobilizer setup, and reading the vehicle's security data to generate a new key does not require the kind of secure-data credentials that newer platforms demand. I come to your location, decode or read the lock, cut a replacement blade, handle the immobilizer enrollment on site, and verify the car starts and stays running. The lost keys get erased from the system so they cannot be used to start the car. You do not need to tow anything.

Question 2

Do I have to tow my 1999 Elantra to the dealer if I have no working keys?

Accepted Answer

No. That is the dealer's preferred route, not the only one. A mobile locksmith with the right equipment comes to wherever the car is sitting, whether that is your driveway in Rancho Santa Fe Village or a parking lot. I bring everything needed to cut the blade and enroll the key on site. Towing adds cost and time before the dealer even starts on the actual key work. Skip that step entirely.

Question 3

How long does an all-keys-lost job take on a 1999 Elantra?

Accepted Answer

On a vehicle this age, the process moves faster than on newer cars. There is no extended security countdown, no secure-gateway handshake, and no lengthy timed lockout between steps. From the time I connect to the vehicle to the time I hand you a tested key, you are typically looking at well under an hour for the full visit. I test the blade in the ignition, verify the car starts and holds idle, and run through the remote buttons before I close out the job. Nothing gets handed over untested.

Question 4

My 1999 Elantra starts fine but stalls within a few seconds of starting. Could the key be causing that?

Accepted Answer

That exact pattern, starts then immediately stalls, is a classic sign that the anti-theft side of the key system is not recognizing the key correctly. The engine management gets a start signal, fires up, then the security system cuts it back down because the key validation did not complete.

It can happen if a replacement key was cut correctly but never properly enrolled in the immobilizer. It can also happen if an existing key's transponder element has degraded over time. The blade turning the ignition and the security system accepting the key are two separate handshakes, and both have to happen for the car to run.

If you are seeing this pattern, do not keep cranking. That does not help and it can complicate the diagnosis. I diagnose and handle the enrollment side on site.

Question 5

The remote buttons on my 1999 Elantra key stopped working but the key still starts the car. Do I need a whole new key?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. On a remote head key this old, the remote portion and the ignition portion work independently. If the blade starts the car fine, the ignition side is healthy. Dead or weak remote buttons on a key this age usually point to a battery or contact issue inside the remote housing before anything else. I can assess the remote on site and tell you whether it is a fixable problem or whether the remote itself needs to be replaced. Either way, you are not automatically looking at a full key replacement just because the lock and unlock buttons went quiet.

1999 Hyundai Elantra
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in San Diego

Lost Every Key? | We Start From Scratch

1999 Hyundai Elantra
Key Options

Lost Hyundai Key: Tow vs Mobile Fix

1999 Hyundai Elantra Remote Head Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

Save vs the Dealer on Your Hyundai Elantra Key

Hyundai Elantra Rapid Response, Done Right

Lockout to Five-Star Review

Hyundai Elantra Mobile Service FAQ

Hyundai Elantra Key Service Areas

Every Hyundai Elantra Key Lost? We Handle It

1999 Hyundai ElantraKey Replacement - Save vs Dealer in San Diego

Lost Every Key? | We Start From Scratch

1999 Hyundai ElantraKey Options