GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I recently noticed my ignition key on my new to me Vibe does not work in the door lock. I have 2 keys but apparently they are both ignition only. Can I get a key for the door lock as well, and if so what all do I have to do? It would be nice to still get in my car in the event the key fob battery dies.

The ignition key is supposed to be the same key for the doors. Does it not work in all three exterior locks (hatch and 2 front doors) or does it not work in only the drivers door?

There are a couple of possibilities why the ignition key wouldn't turn the door locks

If the door locks never get used, they can get crud in them over time, and stick. This happens more on the hatchback lock than the door lock, but someone here had that happen on the front door locks. You could try spraying a bunch of WD-40 or something advertised more as a penetrant in the lock, then stick key in and out a bunch and wiggle it and try to work it loose.

Not sure about Vibe keys, but some vehicle I have owned at some point used one set of bumps on the key to activate the doors and a different set of bumps on the same key to activate the ignition. It could be possible that the key is worn on the door bumps. Seems less likely, especially if both keys are the original ones, but if one or both is a copy, then maybe the original got worn and the copy was made from it. On my replacement vibe, it only came with one key, and it was worn, it refused to open the hatch. I ended up disassembling the hatch lock and filing some little bit until the one Key I had would open it.

Since it's a previously owned car, it's possible that either something failed or was damaged, and then replaced. If for some reason the previous owner replaced the ignition lock, they might not have gone to the trouble to match it to the doors. Seems unlikely that if the ignition is really keyed different from the doors, that the previous owner would have replaced both front door locks and the hatch lock.


I guess if a WD-40 bath doesn't do anything, then you may need to call a lock smith to make you a key to match the door locks.

If the key fob battery dies, you can replace that battery and the car will still recognize the fob without having to re-register it with the car. Worse than having the key fob battery die would be to have the car battery die, then the power locks wouldn't work and also you wouldn't be able to get in the car to pop the hood to give it a jump start

I'll try spraying down the door locks and see what happens. My luck the previous owner probably did have the ignition replaced.

I have lots of trouble using my old key to work the door locks. A new key solved the issue when the old one started having problems with the ignition cylinder.

lannvouivre did you have to go to dealership to get new key?

A dealer can probably cut a new key based on the VIN, but it will cost a bit more than usual. Hopefully it would be for the doors and not another one for the ignition! Certainly check with them on it, but my guess would be about $50 for a key. And you would still have two keys.

You might just check with a locksmith or a few to see if they can re-key the car locks to be the same as the ignition. I have a small, family owned locksmith that re-keyed a new door lock for me on my Mustang. (Thank you IDIOT that tried to open the lock with a screwdriver!) I took it out, he changed the pins on it to match my door key, and then I re-installed it. I only paid like $5 for his work, but It probably is more now. I doubt it would cost more than $10 each though if you bring the cylinders to them.

I just looked it up, and removing the door lock cylinders is a VERY easy job. There is a plastic cap in the door jamb next to the lock cylinder that has a torx head screw under it. That screw holds the lock cylinder in place, and once you remove the screw, the lock can be pulled right out. Take the cylinders to the locksmith and have them re-keyed to match the ignition key, and then slip them back into place and re-install the screw and cap. A locksmith probably would not charge much to remove & re-install the cylinders if you don't want to do it yourself. Maybe $10-15 each?

If you do want to do this EASY job yourself, this video shows the lock removal at about 4:00 minutes in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79PUk7zEL44" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you are calling around for prices, tell them you can bring in the two door lock cylinders from a Toyota and you want them re-keyed to match the key you have. That should give you the best price for just the re-keying labor. I would not bother with the hatch one since it takes a bit more work to pull it out, but that is up to you.

Good luck!

Sonders wrote:lannvouivre did you have to go to dealership to get new key?

No, I just got a generic one. 2007 or 2008+ vibes do have an RFID loop in the key, though, that DOES make a dealer-bought key necessary. You just get the new key cut using your old one as a pattern and the new points will be sharper than the old ones, which fixes any issues caused by the humps being too short.

You can also get a key cut using your VIN, but that's $40.

I found a few blank keys for 03-08 Vibes on ebay for $5. I think I'll try that first and hope for the best.

man on mine i had a couple copies made years and years ago and just kept them put away.
I've manually unlocked my door and used the same key in ignition for years.
Then, as a convenience, I used an old extra on a lanyard with my work tag so I wouldn't have to carry ALL my keys just to work.
I noticed the un-used copy (that i checked after buying) had a LOT of trouble in the driver door...but NOT the passenger.
My theory?
I've worn down the driver's door lock with my key so much that a perfect copy of the original has trouble.lol
This may be your situation...worn out lock?

Locks could be worn as well; didn't consider that possibility. I'm still going to order one or two blank keys and give that a try since it won't cost much.

You should be able to get a key cut at a hardware store without having to order the blanks first. Store by me charged about $2 - $3 for a duplicate key. It's a toyota key, same key blank as for my Tacoma, as I've confused myself from time to time trying to start the truck with the car key, or vice versa