The basics
Why Impreza key jobs vary so much
Subaru has sold the Impreza in the United States for three decades, as a sedan, a hatchback, a wagon in earlier years, and for a long time as the base car for the WRX. In that time the key has moved from a simple metal key to a transponder key, then to a key with the remote buttons built into the head, and on many later cars to a Keyless Access fob that starts the car with a button. Each of those steps changes what a replacement actually involves.
The Impreza also lives a different life from a bigger Subaru. It is small, affordable, and easy to insure, so it tends to go to new drivers, students, and people who want a dependable commuter without a large payment. Those owners are more likely to have bought the car used, more likely to have received only one key at the sale, and more likely to find out that the car needs an electronic key only after a hardware store copy fails to start it.
So the first conversation on an Impreza call is usually about what the car really has. We ask for the year, whether it is a sedan or a hatchback, whether there is a push button on the dash, and whether the transmission is manual or automatic. That last question sounds odd, but on a push-button manual car the clutch pedal usually has to be pressed for the start button to work. More than one caller has thought their new fob was faulty when the car simply wanted the clutch down.
We do not identify the key from a photo of the badge alone. Trim levels changed from year to year, some cars were optioned differently when new, and some have had ignition or lock parts replaced. The surviving key, or the car itself when no key is left, is the reliable source.
Generations
A plain-language walk through Impreza key types
These ranges are approximate and are meant to show the pattern, not to replace a check of your own car. Subaru phased features in by trim, and a base model and a top model of the same year can use different keys.
| Period, approximately | Typical key | Notes for replacement |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s cars | Metal key, often a separate remote if equipped | Many are cut-only jobs. Remote pairing is separate if you want it |
| Early to late 2000s | Transponder key on many cars, remote usually separate | Blade cut plus chip registration to the car |
| Around 2008 to 2011 | Transponder key, integrated remote heads on some | Starting and remote functions tested as two separate things |
| Around 2012 to 2016 | Remote head key on many trims | Case, blade, chip and remote all matched to the year |
| Around 2017 onward | Keyless Access fob on upper trims, remote head key on others | Ignition style decides the job. Check the dash for a start button |
The oldest Imprezas on the road around here are now old enough that the separate keyless entry remote has usually either died or disappeared. Many owners simply lock the doors with the key and never think about it. If yours is one of these and you want the remote working again, that is a pairing job on its own, and it depends on getting a remote the car will accept. A used remote from an online listing may or may not pair, and we would rather test one than promise it.
In the transponder era, the look of the key is misleading. A black plastic head can hide a chip or can be a plain head with nothing inside. The car cares only about what is inside. If you have a key that opens the doors but does not start the engine, the most likely story is that the chip is missing, damaged, or never registered. Pull out the key that does start the car, if there is one, and the difference between the two usually becomes obvious once we test them.
The remote head key era packs everything into one piece. That makes it convenient but also means one broken ring loop or a cracked seam can put the whole thing at risk. The good news is that the chip and board are often reusable in a new shell when the damage is mechanical rather than electrical.
Keyless Access cars behave differently in almost every way. The fob has an emergency blade inside that opens the driver's door if the battery dies, and the car has a backup read point near the start button. Registering a new fob is done through the diagnostic port, and the car checks the fob by radio, so the old tests for a blade key do not apply. We test door handle sensors, the trunk or hatch, and the start button with the fob in different places in the cabin.
Sedan or hatchback matters more than you think
The sedan and hatchback share most parts, but the rear opening does not work the same way on every body. On some cars the trunk has its own key cylinder, on others the rear hatch opens only from a button or the remote. When we test a new key or remote, we test the rear opening on your body style, because a remote that locks and unlocks perfectly but will not pop the trunk is not finished.
Common calls
The Impreza key problems we hear about most
The single most common Impreza call is a lost only key. The car was bought used with one key, the owner meant to get a spare and never did, and now the one key is gone. That makes it an all keys lost job. It is fixable at the car in most cases, but it is more involved than copying a key that still works, and it is exactly the situation a spare would have prevented.
The second is a key that turns only when you wiggle it. Imprezas that have been driven daily for years build up wear on both the key and the cylinder. If we cut a new key to the factory code and it turns smoothly, the problem was the old key. If the new key also feels rough, the cylinder itself has worn or has debris in it, and that is an ignition or door lock repair question rather than a key question.
The third is a key that works for the doors and not for the engine, which is almost always a transponder issue. People make a quick copy at a kiosk and assume it will work because it turned the lock. We explain why it does not and replace it with a key the car will accept.
The fourth is a fob that works only when it is held right next to the start button. That usually means a weak battery, and a fresh battery of the correct type fixes it. If a new battery does not help, the fob may have damage or the car may have an antenna issue, and testing a second fob answers that question quickly.
The fifth is a hatchback or sedan remote that stopped opening the rear. That can be a button that has worn through its contact pad, a remote that has lost pairing, or an actual problem with the latch on the car. We check all three before recommending anything.
Delaware use
Imprezas around New Castle and Kent counties
A lot of the Imprezas we see are around Newark, which makes sense. The university brings a steady supply of students with small, reliable, all-wheel-drive cars, and those cars get parked in apartment complexes, off-campus houses, and commuter lots. Keys get lost at parties, dropped at the gym, and left in borrowed backpacks. When a student calls, the car's paperwork is often in a parent's name, and that is fine as long as we can connect the driver to the owner before we make a key.
Wilmington Imprezas are more often commuter cars parked on the street or in a garage near work. Those calls tend to happen on weekday mornings and evenings, when the owner needs to get to or from a job and the key is missing. Street parking can make the driver's side harder to reach, especially on narrow blocks, so it helps to tell us how the car is parked.
In Kent County, around Dover, Camden, and Smyrna, the Impreza is often a second car in a family or a high schooler's first car. The key frequently lives on a ring shared by several drivers, which makes it harder to know whether it was lost or just borrowed. We always suggest checking with everyone who drives the car before starting an all keys lost job, because finding the missing key halfway through can change what should be done.
Subaru owners in this area also drive to the beaches in summer and deal with salt and slush in winter. Both are hard on keys. Sand gets into the key blade and the lock, and winter salt corrodes remote contacts. A key that has spent a few years in that environment is often worth replacing before it fails rather than after.
Our process
How an Impreza key gets made at the car
We start by confirming who owns the car. A registration or title and a photo ID that match, or clear paperwork showing how the driver is connected to the owner, comes before anything else.
Then we identify the key type. That means looking at the ignition, checking for a start button, reading any existing key, and confirming the year and body style. If a spare exists, we read it rather than guess.
Next we cut the blade. Where possible we cut to the original factory code rather than copying a worn key, so the new key turns the lock the way it did when the car was new. On a Keyless Access car, the blade in question is the small emergency key inside the fob, and it still needs to open the driver's door.
Then we register the electronics. On most systems this is done through the diagnostic port under the dash. Depending on the system, adding a new key can require every key you want to keep to be present at the same time, because the car rebuilds its list of accepted keys. We tell you in advance which applies, so no key is accidentally left out.
Finally we test everything. Door lock and unlock, rear opening, panic button, starting several times in a row, and on push-button cars, starting with the fob in a pocket and in the back seat. A key that starts the car once at the dash is not the same as a key that works reliably every day.
Choices
Dealer, locksmith, or a key bought online?
A Subaru dealer can make any Impreza key the car supports and supply original parts. The catch is that the car usually has to be in the service department, and if you have no working key, getting it there means a tow. For a car with no other problems, that is often more trouble than the job needs.
Buying a key online can look like a shortcut. Sometimes it works. Often it does not, because the listing covers several years and trims and the key that arrives has the wrong blade, the wrong chip, or a remote that does not match your car. It still has to be cut and registered, and a key that cannot be registered is not useful at any price. If you already bought one, tell us the listing details and we will tell you honestly whether it is likely to work before we spend time on it.
We carry keys matched to the Impreza generations we support, both original and quality aftermarket, and we say which one you are getting. Where a dealer is genuinely needed, for example after a security module replacement or on a car too new for field tools, we will tell you that instead of trying anyway.
If you have one working key right now, the best time to add a second is now. It is a simpler, quicker job than starting from zero, and it keeps a lost key from turning into a stranded car.
Straight answers
Subaru Impreza key replacement FAQ
Can you replace an Impreza key when I have no key at all?
Usually, yes. After we confirm ownership, we identify the key system from the car, cut a new blade to the lock, and register a new key or fob through the diagnostic port. The car normally stays where it is. If the immobilizer or body module has been replaced, or the car has an electrical fault that prevents communication, factory service may be needed, and we will explain that after testing the car.
Why does my manual Impreza not start with the new push-button fob?
On most push-button cars with a manual transmission, the clutch pedal has to be fully pressed before the start button will crank the engine. If the button does nothing with the clutch up, that is normal behavior rather than a bad fob. Press the clutch fully and try again. If it still does not start and the dash shows a key warning, the fob may not be registered, and that is something we check with the car.
My Impreza key copy turns the lock but will not start the car. What happened?
Most Imprezas from the 2000s onward check a transponder chip in the key before allowing the engine to run. A copy that has the right cuts but no chip, or a chip that was never registered to your car, will unlock the doors and turn the ignition and then fail the security check. The fix is a key with the right electronics registered to the car, not more filing on the blade.
Can my broken Impreza remote key be put in a new case?
If the chip and circuit board are not damaged, yes. The parts move into a new shell and the blade is cut to your lock. That keeps the existing registration, so no programming is needed. If the key went through the washer, or buttons were already failing before the case broke, a new key is usually the better choice. We test the old parts first so you know which route makes sense.
Is it worth deleting my lost Impreza key from the car?
If the key disappeared near the car or on a ring with your address or plate on it, deleting it from the immobilizer stops it from starting the engine. It does not change the door lock, so the blade on that lost key can still open the door. Every key you plan to keep has to be present during the process. For a key lost far from home with nothing identifying on it, some owners decide the risk is low, and that is a reasonable choice too.
Will an aftermarket key work in my Impreza?
A correctly matched aftermarket key works well in many Imprezas and is a common choice for a spare. It has to match the blade, the chip or fob electronics, and the button layout for your year and trim. Cheap online keys sometimes have the wrong electronics or cases that crack quickly. We tell you what you are getting and test every function before we leave.
How long does an Impreza key take once you arrive?
It depends on the system and whether a working key is available. A duplicate from a working key is usually quicker than an all keys lost job, and a blade-and-chip key is usually quicker than a Keyless Access fob with a full function test. We give you a realistic idea on the phone once we know the year, ignition type, and how many keys are left, and we do not rush the testing at the end.
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