Question 1

What is the cheapest way to replace my 2006 Galant key?

Accepted Answer

Call a mobile locksmith before you do anything else. Dealers charge a lot for this job, and on top of the key itself you're often looking at a separate labor charge, a possible tow if you have no working key, and however many days it takes them to get you scheduled. A mobile locksmith comes to your location, brings the equipment to cut and program the key on site, and typically charges way less than the dealer route, all in. For the 2006 Galant specifically, this is a transponder key with no remote, so there's no fob component adding to the cost. You're paying for the key, the cut, and the programming. That's it.

Question 2

How much more does all-keys-lost cost compared to just making a spare?

Accepted Answer

More. On the 2006 Galant, adding a spare when you already have a working key is a relatively quick job. The system has a working registered key, the immobilizer is already initialized, and you're just enrolling an additional one up to the four-key limit.

All-keys-lost is a different procedure entirely. There's no registered key for the system to reference, so the immobilizer has to be fully reset and reinitialized through the OBD port before any new key can be recognized. That takes more time and more specialized equipment.

The practical takeaway: if you have one working key for your Galant, get a spare made now. It will cost you noticeably less than waiting until that one key is gone.

Question 3

Do aftermarket keys work on a 2006 Galant, or should I stick with OEM spec?

Accepted Answer

This generation of Mitsubishi is particular about transponder key quality. Cheap blanks sourced from online marketplaces have a track record of causing problems. The key might start the car but trigger the security system, or it may appear to program but then fail to be recognized consistently. Forum threads on Mitsubishi owner communities repeat this pattern regularly.

The issue usually isn't the cut. It's the transponder chip inside the blank. Low-quality chips don't always communicate reliably with the immobilizer, and once a bad key is registered, you can end up with an intermittent no-start condition that's hard to diagnose.

I carry OEM-spec blanks verified for this vehicle. It costs a little more than the bargain blanks, but it means the key works correctly the first time and keeps working.

Question 4

My 2006 Galant starts sometimes and then won't start other times with the same key. Is the key failing?

Accepted Answer

Intermittent no-start on this generation is a known frustration, and the key is one of the first things worth checking. The transponder chip inside the key body can develop a crack in the housing over years of use, especially on a key that's been on a heavy keychain. When the chip sits at the wrong angle inside a damaged housing, the immobilizer antenna around the ignition cylinder doesn't read it consistently.

Pull the key off everything else on your ring and try it alone. If the starts become reliable, the weight and movement of the keychain were stressing a damaged key body. At that point the key needs to be replaced, not just repaired. A cracked transponder housing isn't something you glue back together and trust.

Question 5

Can I program a replacement transponder key for my 2006 Galant myself at home?

Accepted Answer

Not on an all-keys-lost situation. If you still have one working key, some older Mitsubishi models have an onboard relearn sequence, but the 2006 Galant's immobilizer initialization generally requires a diagnostic tool connected to the OBD port to register new keys properly, particularly when starting from zero. There's no ignition-turn sequence that handles it.

If you bought a blank online thinking you'd handle programming yourself, you'll still need someone with the right equipment to complete the job.

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