STAUBER Best Lexus Key Shell Replacement - HYQ1512V, HYQ12BBT - NO Locksmith Required! Use Your Old Key and chip! - Black

Economical and sturdy. Easy to insert the key. Have used it for a couple of years and still it looks good.

These were a fantastic replacement to fix my broken keys. Lexus quoted me $125 for a replacement key using the remotes from the broken keys and cutting the blade. With two broken keys, that was $250 plus tax. So now I have two working keys for $18. Everything fit well. The blade was a little loose, but Stuaber includes three shims to get the fit tight. The screws are star type, and Stuaber includes a small driver so you don’t have to go buy one.Aside from needing the shims to make the blade tight, the only problem I encountered was getting the Lexus plastic off the blade. You need a sharp knife and needle nose pliers are handy as is a cutting board or some such surface if the knife slips. Also, DON’T use an electric drill or screwdriver to drive in the four screws, or you will most likely strip them.The shell is a little longer than the original, and is thicker around the blade, making it stronger than the Ledust keys. Stuaber makes this shell in two models. The other is more square with the front screws sticking out the front like the back keys on this model. I chose this model basically for the looks and feel, as the front is rounded like the original.Basically, this shell is worth buying even if your keys haven’t torn apart when you try to crank the engine, and you might as well replace both shells to save you that irritation.

Anyone with a Lexus knows (or SHOULD know) the deal when your key breaks. Lose that inside piece with the transponder that's keyed to your car's engine immobilizer system, and you are about to spend a whole lot of money! I bought my Lexus used and had only one key. When it broke I looked at the options online and they all involved an uncut key and empty shell to drop your fob/transponder into. Those pieces aren't too expensive but you have to find a locksmith to cut the key, or bring it to a Lexus dealer. More $$ and trouble. This Stauber piece was the answer and it was dead simple to place my existing key and fob into the shell, tighten four screws, done. One caveat is that you need to get your key out of the broken shell, and that may not be easy! My key was "molded" in so I used a dremel-like tool to cut the plastic surrounding it. It took about ten minutes of careful work – I didn't want to cut into the metal key since it has to fit snugly in the Stauber shell. Without the dremel I'm not sure how I would have gotten the key out. Other than that, piece of cake and I have a good key!***update***15 months later, and the plastic part that holds the Stauber to my keyring has broken. The housing is fine, everything works, but the key is "on its own" now. I'm not that happy as that makes my one & only Lexus key a little easier to lose, but I guess that part is subject to a lot of stress. I might look at a different brand of housing to replace this though.

I have broken 2 original keys. A local locksmith wanted to charge $68 for a key without the remote and over $200 for a key with the electronics. I decided to try this case. The key blank fits tightly without any shims. The electronics transferred into this case and fits snugly. The buttons are easily accessed. The screws were moderately difficult to tighten because the torx wrench kept slipping out of the screw. All screws did tighten. The case works. Time will tell how long it will last. At this time, I think this case is a great alternative to buying a new key.

Sometimes a new product comes along and you wonder why on one has thought of it before. Like others who provided feedback, my wife's Lexus RX 330 key fob keeps breaking after a couple of years. Until now, you really only had 2 solutions. Go to a Lexus dealer and get new key FOB for two hundred dollars or buy a shell with a blank key and find someone to to laser cut the key for twenty dollars or so. Both of these solutions are poor because all Lexus key FOB's eventually break. Having a broken key means that you could be stranded.This product is quite ingenious because it utilizes the existing key. You do not have to take a blank key and try to find a locksmith who can do laser cuts (if you are lucky). The Stauber plastic shell seems much stronger than any replacement Lexus FOB's. I did take one star off because the metal part of my key is not shaped like a "T". It is straight which explains why some feedback suggested that their metal key will just fall out. My key is not the original Lexus key which could explain why the difference.I do not give up easily. I copied a post where the person drilled a hole in the plastic shell to add in a 5th screw to hold metal key. As a safety measure, I also put some J-B Weld glue to the metal key area on one side of the shell (see photos). I also used the 2 shims provided. I've tested the new key fob and it works like a charm. Now that I know that this is a great solution, I just ordered 2 more as backups. Thanks Stauber!