Why don't 4S stores provide a second car key?
4 Answers
4S stores do not provide a second car key because the vehicle is mortgaged to the bank in exchange for operating funds. The bank retains the vehicle's certificate of conformity and one car key. After the vehicle is sold, the relevant procedures are completed with the bank to retrieve the certificate and key, which does not affect the vehicle in any way. The basic components of a remote key include the following two points: 1. Transmitter: Composed of a transmission switch, transmission antenna, integrated circuit, etc., it contains an identification code storage circuit and an amplitude modulation circuit, with a button-type lithium battery on the opposite side of the circuit. The transmission frequency uses radio waves, and each press of the transmission switch button sends a signal once. 2. Receiver: After the transmitter sends the identification code using shortwave modulation, it is received by the car's shortwave antenna and processed by the distributor into the receiver's electronic control unit for demodulation, where the identification code is compared with the demodulator's code.
When I bought my new car, I also wondered why the 4S store only gave one key. Later, I realized they wanted to save money. The manufacturing cost of keys is not low, especially for smart keys with chips. Each one needs to be programmed to match the car's anti-theft system, which adds up to several hundred yuan in materials and labor costs. If they provided a second key for free, the price of the new car would have to increase or their profits would decrease. Many car owners, like me, end up going to small shops to get a spare key after driving for two years, which is much cheaper. The 4S store's approach is quite smart—controlling overall costs can attract more people to buy new cars. However, as a consumer, I was a little disappointed at first. Fortunately, the key issue isn't a big deal, and it's more flexible to pay for a spare key when needed, saving the extra cost upfront if it's not used.
I'm fascinated by automotive technology. The reason 4S shops don't provide a second key is essentially due to the complexity of modern anti-theft systems. Those smart keys have embedded encryption chips that must interact with the vehicle's ECU for programming. If anything goes wrong, the entire security chain collapses. Providing them for free means 4S shops would bear the risk—if a key is lost or stolen, they'd have to reset the system, which is costly and time-consuming. That's why I support the rule of only providing one basic key. If you need a spare, you should purchase a new key yourself and have it professionally programmed to avoid vulnerabilities from random duplication. After all, vehicle security comes first—no one wants their beloved car stolen, right? From a technical perspective, this is progress, and it's good for car owners to learn some basic knowledge.
The most direct reason for 4S shops to do this is theft prevention. As we all know, having multiple keys increases the risk of losing them. If they fall into the wrong hands, the car could be in danger. Like the time I accidentally left my key in a restaurant—it could have caused a big problem. Insurance policies also have regulations limiting the number of keys to reduce claim risks. I guess 4S shops adopt this preventive strategy by providing only one key, encouraging us to take good care of it and pay for a second one when needed. Safety first is the golden rule.
