2010 Nissan Xterra
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in San Diego

2010 Nissan Xterra Remote Head Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

I got a call from a couple in the Kit Carson Park Area of Escondido. They were passing through on a road trip and their only Xterra key had stopped unlocking the doors remotely.

They figured it was the fob battery, swapped a CR1620 at a gas station, and the buttons came back. Good. Then they stopped for dinner, came back out, and the truck wouldn't start. Engine cranked fine. Just cranked and cranked and wouldn't catch. That's the part that scared them.

They called Nissan. Earliest appointment was the following afternoon, tow required since the truck wasn't drivable, and the quote was steep. They found me that evening and I was there within the hour.

I pulled up to the lot, connected to the OBD port, and confirmed what I suspected: the transponder in their key had failed. The remote portion was working fine after the battery swap, but the chip was no longer being recognized. The immobilizer was doing exactly what it's supposed to do -- blocking the start.

I cut a new key blade to their vehicle on my bench in the van, programmed the new remote head key through the diagnostic port, and verified every button and the ignition start before I packed up. The whole job was done on-site, that same night, for a fraction of what the dealer quoted. They didn't have to tow it anywhere. They didn't have to wait until the next afternoon. They just drove off.

That's usually how these Xterra calls go. The truck itself is fine. It's just the key, and the key is fixable right there in the parking lot.

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