Ford Fusion Key Replacement in Fort Worth — Blank, Chip and FCC ID Reference (2006-2020)

Ford built the Fusion from the 2006 model year through 2020, and in that time it went through four different kinds of key. There are a great many of them on Fort Worth roads, most are now on their second or third owner, and a large share have exactly one working key left. If that is yours, this page tells you which key you have and what it takes to get another. Call or text 817-842-1256 with the year and whether the car has a start button, and we will confirm the rest.

The Short Answer

As of October 2026, a 2006 to 2012 Ford Fusion uses an edge-cut blade with a transponder chip and a separate or built-in remote, and a 2013 to 2020 Fusion uses either a laser-cut flip key or an Intelligent Access proximity fob. Blade, remote-head and flip keys run $120 to $200 with a working key present; proximity fobs run $220 to $500; with no working key expect $180 to $450. A second key in the same visit is about $65.

Generation Reference

Treat the FCC IDs as the ones most commonly fitted, not as a guarantee for your particular car. Ford used more than one supplier and more than one button layout in several of these years, and the only identifier that settles it is the one printed on the key you are holding. That is the same caution we give in every reference on this site, including the Camaro key reference and our guide to the Colorado key, a truck whose first generation used no chip at all.

First Generation, 2006 to 2012

The key

Every first-generation Fusion starts with a metal key turned in a column-mounted lock. The blade is Ford's long-running eight-cut edge profile, cut on both sides so it goes in either way up. Moulded into the plastic head is a Texas Instruments transponder, the 4D-63 family. Earlier cars accept the 40-bit version of that chip and later first-generation cars require the 80-bit version; an 80-bit key works on both, which is why it is the one a careful locksmith reaches for.

The chip has no battery. It is energized by a coil around the lock cylinder when the key is turned, and it answers with a code the car must recognize. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration describes this kind of immobilizer as the reason a vehicle will not run on a key that merely fits the lock. A hardware-store copy with no chip will open the doors and turn the ignition and the engine will not stay running.

The remote

Through 2010 the remote is a separate fob on the key ring with lock, unlock, trunk and panic buttons. For 2011 and 2012 Ford moved the remote into the head of the key itself, so the key and the remote became one part. Our comparison of transponder keys versus key fobs explains why that matters when one half fails and the other does not.

Where the anti-theft system lives

Ford calls its immobilizer PATS, the Passive Anti-Theft System, and on the first-generation Fusion the function sits in the instrument cluster. That has a practical consequence owners discover the hard way: replace the cluster with a used one and the car will not start, because the module that vouched for the keys has gone. We cover that failure in replaced the instrument cluster and now the car won't start, and the system itself on the Ford PATS key programming page.

Common first-generation key problems

• A worn key in a worn cylinder. These cars are now 14 to 20 years old. If the key won't turn in the ignition and the steering wheel is locked, relieve the wheel first; if it sticks every morning, the key, the cylinder or both are worn.
• A cracked key head. The plastic head splits, the chip falls out, and a key that looks intact no longer starts the car.
• One key left. The most common situation of all, and the one that takes the owner procedure off the table.

Second Generation, 2013 to 2020

The 2013 redesign changed everything about the key. The blade became a laser-cut, high-security profile known in the trade as HU101, with a wavy groove milled down the face instead of notches on the edges. The chip moved to the encrypted HITAG Pro family. And the car was offered with two entirely different entry systems depending on trim.

Keyed trims: the flip key

Fusions without a start button use a folding flip key. Press the button and the blade springs out; the body holds the remote buttons and the chip. It is commonly identified by FCC ID N5F-A08TAA and transmits at 315 MHz, and it came in three-button and four-button versions depending on whether the car had factory remote start. The mechanical weak point is the hinge, which we cover in flip key replacement cost.

Push-button trims: the Intelligent Access fob

Fusions with a start button use a proximity fob Ford calls Intelligent Access. It stays in your pocket; the car detects it when you touch the door handle and when you press the start button. These fobs transmit at 902 MHz, a different frequency from the flip key, so the two are not interchangeable even though both belong to a 2015 Fusion. The fob most commonly fitted from 2013 to 2016 carries FCC ID M3N-A2C31243300; the restyled fob that arrived with the 2017 facelift most commonly carries M3N-A2C93142300.

Those identifiers exist because every fob is a radio transmitter certified under the Federal Communications Commission's rules for low-power devices. Two fobs that look alike can sit on different frequencies, and a fob on the wrong frequency will never pair however carefully it is programmed.

The emergency blade and the backup pocket

Every Intelligent Access fob hides a mechanical HU101 blade, released by a small catch. It opens the driver door through a keyhole concealed under a cap on the handle. Inside the car there is a backup pocket in the center console where a fob with a dead battery can be read at very short range so the car will still start. Find both now, while nothing is wrong; the owner manual shows the exact location for your year. If the button does nothing even with the fob in the backup pocket, work through our push-button start diagnostic.

Hybrid, Energi and the platform siblings

Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi models use the same keys as the gasoline cars of the same year and trim. The Lincoln MKZ shares the platform and uses Lincoln fobs. The first-generation Mercury Milan shares the first-generation Fusion system.

The Two-Key Rule

This is the most useful thing a Fusion owner can know, and it applies across much of the Ford range.

On many Fusion model years, if you have two working programmed keys, you can add a third yourself with no equipment. The owner manual describes a sequence: the first key turned to on and back, the second key turned to on and back within a few seconds, then the new key. The car accepts the new key because two existing keys have vouched for it.

With one working key, that procedure is not available. The key has to be added with programming equipment connected to the car.

With no working key, the job is all-keys-lost. On many Ford platforms that involves a timed security access delay that cannot be shortened, and the system typically requires two keys to be programmed before it will close the session and let the car start.

So the number of working keys you have is not just a convenience question. It decides which of three different jobs you are buying. A Fusion with two keys has a cheap future. A Fusion with one key is a single loss away from the expensive version. We put numbers on that in bought a used car with one key, and the service is on our spare car key page.

One more Ford-specific detail: MyKey. Ford lets an owner designate a key as a restricted MyKey with speed and volume limits for a younger driver. A newly programmed key is an unrestricted admin key by default, and restrictions can only be created or cleared with an admin key. If every key you own has been made a MyKey, clearing that needs equipment.

What Each Fusion Key Costs in Fort Worth

As of October 2026:

• Chipped blade, remote-head key or flip key, a working key present: $120 to $200, cut and programmed on site.
• Intelligent Access proximity fob, a working fob present: $220 to $500.
• No working key at all: $180 to $450, which includes ownership verification and immobilizer access.
• A second matching key during the same visit: about $65.

Those are the standard bands from our Ford key replacement guide and the Ford brand page. For the reasoning behind fob pricing generally, see how much to replace a key fob, and for the wider menu see how much is a locksmith for a car.

For perspective, AAA's Your Driving Costs research, published through the AAA newsroom, has put the average annual cost of owning and operating a new vehicle at around $12,000. A second key is one of the smallest items in that picture and one of the few that prevents a much larger one.

Which Fusion Do I Have?

1. Is there a start button? If yes, you have an Intelligent Access fob and a 2013-or-newer car. If the fob is the older rounded style it is most likely a 2013 to 2016 part; the restyled fob arrived for 2017.
2. No start button, and the blade folds into the key? A 2013 to 2020 flip key.
3. No start button, fixed blade, buttons on the key head? A 2011 or 2012 remote-head key.
4. No start button, plain black key head, separate remote on the ring? A 2006 to 2010 car.
5. Confirm with the VIN. The tenth character is the model year. And read the FCC ID off the back of your own remote.

Buying a Fusion Key Online

It can work, and it fails in three predictable ways.

Wrong frequency. A 315 MHz flip key and a 902 MHz proximity fob are both sold as "2013-2020 Fusion key". Only one of them is yours.

Wrong chip generation. A first-generation 4D-63 key and a second-generation HITAG Pro key share nothing except the Ford logo.

A fob that has already been used. Many proximity fobs lock to the first vehicle they are programmed to. A used one from another car may be unusable.

If you have already bought one, bring it and we will check it before cutting anything. Legitimate access to Ford security data is credentialed through the registry run by the National Automotive Service Task Force, and the Federal Trade Commission is clear that having an independent provider do the work does not by itself void a warranty.

A Recall Worth Checking

Second-generation Fusion owners should run their VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup. In 2018 Ford recalled roughly 550,000 vehicles in North America, the 2013 to 2016 Fusion and the 2013 to 2014 Escape, because a shifter cable bushing could detach. The transmission might not be in the gear the lever showed, and the driver could remove the key without the car actually being in Park, which is the very thing federal safety standard FMVSS 114 exists to prevent. It is a free dealer repair, and it matters here because its symptoms, a key that comes out when it should not or a car that will not crank in Park, are easily mistaken for a key or ignition fault.

Ford ended Fusion production in 2020 after selling more than 300,000 a year in the United States at the model's peak, so parts and key support remain plentiful; the standards these systems are built to are published by SAE International.

"The Fusion is the car where I most often ask how many keys the customer has before I ask anything else. Two keys, and they may not need me at all. One key, and I can add another in half an hour. None, and it is a different afternoon. Same car, three different jobs." — an ALOA-credentialed Master Automotive Locksmith working the DFW metro

When to Call

Call when you are down to one working key, when a key has stopped starting the car, or when every key is gone. Have the year, whether the car has a start button, how many keys still work and where the car is parked. For lost keys, bring registration or title in your name and matching photo ID; proof of ownership is required before any key is made for a car that has none.

In Texas, locksmith companies are licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety through its Private Security Program, and ALOA maintains the automotive credentials. For the visit itself see transponder key programming and lost car keys; for a related Ford with the same key families, see Ford Edge key replacement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of key does my Ford Fusion use?

It depends on the generation and the trim. A 2006 to 2012 Fusion uses a traditional edge-cut blade with a transponder chip, with either a separate remote fob or, on later cars, a remote built into the key head. A 2013 to 2020 Fusion uses either a folding flip key with a laser-cut blade or, on push-button-start cars, an Intelligent Access proximity fob. The quickest check is whether your car has a start button.

How much does a Ford Fusion key cost in Fort Worth?

As of October 2026, a chipped blade, remote-head key or flip key runs $120 to $200 cut and programmed with a working key present. An Intelligent Access proximity fob runs $220 to $500. With no working key at all, expect $180 to $450. A second matching key added during the same visit is about $65, which on a Fusion is especially worth doing because of the two-key rule.

What is the Ford two-key rule?

On many Fusion model years, an owner who already has two working programmed keys can add a third without any equipment, using a sequence of ignition cycles described in the owner manual. With only one working key that shortcut is not available, and the key has to be added with programming equipment. It is the practical reason a Fusion with two keys is cheaper to live with than a Fusion with one.

Where is the FCC ID on a Ford Fusion key?

On the back of the remote or fob case in small molded or printed type, and on some fobs inside the case under the battery or the emergency blade. It is the most reliable way to match a replacement, because it identifies the exact remote circuit and frequency. Read it off your own key and quote that, rather than trusting an online listing that claims to fit a wide span of years.

Can I program a Ford Fusion key myself?

Sometimes. If you have two working programmed keys and your model year supports the owner procedure, you can add a third key yourself once the blade has been cut correctly. You cannot use that procedure with one key, with no keys, or to pair most proximity fobs after the limit is reached. And the blade still has to be cut to code, which is a machine job. If the sequence does not work first time, stop and call rather than repeating it.

My Fusion has a start button and says no key detected. Do I need a new fob?

Not necessarily. Start with the fob battery, then try the backup position: Intelligent Access Fusions have a pocket in the center console where a fob with a dead battery can be read directly. If the car starts from the backup pocket, the fob chip is fine and the battery or remote circuit is the problem. If nothing works from either fob, the fault is more likely in the car than in the fobs.

Do Fusion Hybrid and Energi models use different keys?

No. The Hybrid and Energi plug-in versions use the same key families as the gasoline cars of the same year and trim: a flip key on keyed cars and an Intelligent Access fob on push-button cars. The Lincoln MKZ, which shares the platform, uses Lincoln-specific fobs, and the first-generation Mercury Milan shares the first-generation Fusion key system. Always match on your own FCC ID.

References

• NHTSA — Anti-Theft Systems
• NHTSA — Recalls Lookup
• Federal Communications Commission
• National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF)
• FTC — Advertising and Marketing Guidance
• AAA Newsroom — Your Driving Costs
• SAE International
• ALOA — Associated Locksmiths of America

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Need a Ford Fusion key? Call or text 817-842-1256 with the year, whether the car has a start button, and how many keys still work. We cut and program on site across Fort Worth and the surrounding cities, Mon-Sun 8AM to 8PM.

Reviewed against the ALOA Master Automotive Locksmith (MAL) standard. FCC IDs listed are those most commonly fitted and must be confirmed against the key in hand. Prices are Fort Worth mobile service ranges current as of October 2026 and are confirmed per vehicle before dispatch.