As of October 2026, a spare key for a 2001-2006 Acura MDX is a transponder key at $130 – $220, and a spare for a 2007-2013 MDX is a remote head key at $160 – $260, cut to the factory code and programmed at your vehicle in Fort Worth. Both generations use a key that goes into the ignition; push-button start did not arrive on the MDX until the 2014 redesign. If no working key remains, add $50 – $200. Call or text 817-674-2304 with the model year.
The Two Generations at a Glance
| First generation | Second generation | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years | 2001 – 2006 | 2007 – 2013 |
| How it starts | Key in the ignition | Key in the ignition |
| Key type | Transponder key, with a separate remote | Remote head key, buttons built into the key |
| Blade | High-security sidewinder cut | High-security sidewinder cut |
| Driver memory link | Not tied to the key in the same way | Keys marked Driver 1 and Driver 2 |
| Valet key supplied new | Yes, typically grey-headed | Yes, typically grey-headed |
| Published band for a spare | $130 – $220 | $160 – $260 |
| If every key is lost | Add $50 – $200 | Add $50 – $200 |
Prices are our published Fort Worth bands from the car key replacement cost page and cover the whole job: key, cutting, programming and the mobile visit.
If your MDX is a 2014 or newer, it is a push-button car with a smart fob, and this is the wrong guide. That one is Acura MDX 2014-2026 all keys lost.
Why This Guide Is About Spares
Because of the arithmetic of age.
A 2001 MDX is twenty-five years old. A 2013 is thirteen. Each typically left the showroom with two master keys and a valet key. Over that many years and that many owners, keys get lost, break at the head, or stay with a previous owner. Many first- and second-generation MDXs still on the road are running on one key.
One key is fine until the day it is not. When the last key is lost, the job changes character. The cutting code has to be derived from the vehicle, the immobilizer has to be opened without an authorised key, and the car cannot move until it is done. That is the all-keys-lost surcharge, and on the dealer route it is usually preceded by a tow.
A spare made while one key still works is ordinary registration. It is the cheapest key job on this vehicle, and it removes the expensive one from your future. The comparison is worked through in spare key now vs all keys lost later.
First Generation: 2001-2006
The original MDX uses a transponder key. The blade is a sidewinder cut, milled into the flat face of the key rather than notched along the edge. Inside the plastic head is a small chip with no battery. When the key is turned, a coil around the ignition reads the chip, and the engine is allowed to run only if the chip is one the vehicle has registered.
The lock and unlock buttons on this generation live on a separate remote transmitter, not on the key. That matters when you are getting a spare, because there are two different things you might want:
- A key that starts the car. This is the transponder key. It is the part that keeps you from being stranded.
- A remote that locks and unlocks from a distance. This is a convenience. The car runs without it.
Tell us which you need. Many owners of an older MDX want a second starting key and are content to use the door lock by hand. If you want a remote as well, we quote it alongside the key.
The green key-shaped light on the instrument panel is the immobilizer indicator on this generation. If it blinks instead of going out, the car has not accepted the key. That behaviour has its own guide: the green key light is blinking on your Honda or Acura.
Second Generation: 2007-2013
The redesigned MDX moved to a remote head key. The transponder, the remote buttons and the sidewinder blade are in one housing, so there is one thing on your key ring instead of two.
Three details are specific to this generation.
Driver 1 and Driver 2
The back of the key is marked with a driver number. The vehicle uses it to recall that driver's seat and mirror positions when the door is unlocked with that key. A spare should be registered as the driver position you actually want. If two people share the car and one key was lost, tell us whose it was, and the replacement takes that position.
Two registrations, not one
A remote head key has to be accepted by the car twice: once as a transponder, so the engine will run, and once as a remote, so the buttons work. A key that starts the car but will not lock the doors, or the reverse, has had one step done and not the other. Both are done in the same visit, and both are tested before we leave.
The tailgate button
Where the vehicle has a power tailgate, the remote carries a button for it. A replacement should match the button layout of the original so everything on the key does something. This is one of the reasons the VIN is useful before the visit.
How to Tell Which Key You Have
Without looking up the year:
- Plain key, no buttons, and a separate fob on the ring: first generation.
- Buttons on the key head, and a number on the back: second generation.
- Grey plastic head, starts the car, will not open the glove box: that is the valet key for either generation, not a master. See the note below.
- No key slot, a Start/Stop button on the dash: 2014 or newer, and a different guide.
If Your Only Key Is the Valet Key
Both generations were supplied with a valet key, usually grey. It starts the car and opens the driver's door, and by design it will not open the glove box. Plenty of MDXs have been sold on with only that key.
A valet key is a working key, so the car is not stranded. But it is not a master, and a copy of it is not a master either. If the grey key is all you have, the right job is a master key cut to the factory code. We explain the whole subject in my spare key starts the car but will not open the trunk or glove box.
The Same Keys on Related Models
The second-generation MDX is not alone in using this style of key. The first-generation RDX of the same period uses a remote head key of the same family, and the Honda Pilot is the closest mechanical relative of the MDX throughout. If your household has more than one of these, the keys look alike and are not interchangeable: each is registered to one vehicle only. Spare-key detail for the smaller Acura is in Acura RDX and Integra spare smart keys.
Cut to Code, Not Copied
This matters more on an old key than a new one.
A key that has turned an ignition for fifteen or twenty years is worn. The milled track is shallower and its edges are rounded. A duplicate traced from that key reproduces the wear, and adds a little error of its own. The copy may work stiffly on day one and worse after a year.
A key cut to the factory code is made from the vehicle's original specification, so it comes out at new dimensions regardless of the state of the key in your hand. On a sidewinder key that requires a dedicated machine. It is how every spare for these vehicles should be made.
There is a second benefit. If your existing key has become reluctant in the ignition, a code-cut key will show whether the wear is in the key or in the lock. Often the new key turns cleanly and the "ignition problem" disappears. If it does not, the cylinder itself is worn, which is a different repair described on our ignition repair page and, for this family of vehicles, in Acura TL and RL ignition lock cylinder repair.
What Changes the Price
The band is fixed by the generation. Within it, five things move the figure.
- Whether a working master exists. With one present, the job is a registration. With none, the all-keys-lost surcharge of $50 – $200 applies.
- Whether you want a remote on a first-generation car. The transponder key alone is the lower figure. Adding the separate remote is quoted with it.
- Genuine or aftermarket. Both program and both start the car. They differ in button feel and case durability. The trade is set out in key fob replacement cost: OEM vs aftermarket.
- How many keys in one visit. The second key made in the same session is far cheaper than a second visit.
- The state of the vehicle's battery. Programming needs steady voltage. On a car that sits, the battery may need support first.
What to Have Ready
- The VIN. Driver's side of the dash through the windscreen, or on the registration.
- Registration or title, and photo ID. We verify ownership before any key is made. Independent professionals who access manufacturer security data are vetted through the National Automotive Service Task Force, and checking the owner at the vehicle is part of the same standard.
- Every key and remote you have, including ones that no longer work. On these vehicles keys are registered as a set, and a key that is not present during the session can stop working afterwards. The limits are in how many keys can my car hold.
How the Visit Runs
- Ownership is verified.
- Battery voltage is checked.
- The existing key is tested so we know the starting point.
- The new blade is cut to the factory code.
- The transponder is registered to the immobilizer.
- On a second-generation key, the remote is registered and the driver position set.
- Every key is tested in the door, the ignition and, for masters, the glove box. Every button is pressed.
You should finish with a known number of working keys and no surprises.
Mobile, Dealer or Hardware Store
A hardware store or kiosk can copy some keys, and many will tell you honestly that they cannot do this one. A sidewinder blade needs the right machine, and a chip key that is cut but not registered opens the door and will not start the engine.
A dealership can make any MDX key. For a spare, the car has to be driven in and left, and the part may need ordering. If every key is lost, the car has to be towed in first, at the $75 – $200+ we publish as the realistic range.
A mobile automotive locksmith cuts and programs at the vehicle. For a spare on these two generations it is a short appointment in your driveway.
Almost nothing in this model range needs the dealer for key work. The general rule, and the exceptions, are in which cars need the dealer for key programming.
Why the Chip Is There
The transponder is the reason these vehicles are harder to steal than the generation before them. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and its Highway Loss Data Institute have long reported lower theft rates for immobilizer-equipped vehicles than for comparable ones without. A spare key made properly keeps that protection intact. One made by bypassing it does not.
If you have recently bought the vehicle, run the VIN through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall lookup while the paperwork is out. On a vehicle of this age it is worth the minute.
Choosing Who Makes It
Texas licenses locksmith companies through the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Program. It is DPS, not TDLR. Ask for the licence number and verify it.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau both warn about locksmith advertising that leads with a low price and ends with a different one at the vehicle. Ask for the band for your key type, confirm it includes programming, and confirm it before anyone is dispatched.
Mobile Service Across Fort Worth and Tarrant County
We come to the vehicle in Fort Worth and nearby cities including Arlington, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, Haltom City, Keller and North Richland Hills.
Acura shares its key systems with Honda, so the brand detail is on our Honda key replacement page. The full Acura price picture across every model is in Acura key replacement cost in Fort Worth, and the services are described under transponder keys and key fob programming.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a spare key for a 2001-2013 Acura MDX in Fort Worth?
As of October 2026, a transponder key for a 2001-2006 MDX is $130 – $220 and a remote head key for a 2007-2013 MDX is $160 – $260, cut to code and programmed at the vehicle. If no working key remains, add $50 – $200.
Does a 2007-2013 MDX have push-button start?
No. Both the first and second generations use a key in the ignition. Keyless Access with push-button start arrived on the MDX with the 2014 redesign.
What do Driver 1 and Driver 2 on the key mean?
On the second-generation MDX the key identifies the driver so the vehicle can recall that person's seat and mirror positions. A replacement should be registered to the driver position you want it to recall.
My new key starts the car but the buttons do not work. Why?
A remote head key is registered twice: once as a transponder so the engine runs, and once as a remote so the buttons work. If only the first step was done, the key starts the car and the buttons do nothing. Both steps belong in the same visit.
Can a hardware store copy my MDX key?
Usually not properly. The blade is a sidewinder cut that needs a dedicated machine, and the chip has to be registered to the vehicle. A key that is cut but not registered opens the door and will not start the engine.
Is it worth getting a spare for a car this old?
Yes, if you are down to one key. A spare made while a key still works is priced at the ordinary band. Losing the last key adds the $50 – $200 surcharge and, on the dealer route, usually a tow at $75 – $200+.
I only have the grey key. Can you make a normal one?
Yes. The grey key is a valet key. A master is cut to the factory code and registered to the vehicle. We confirm what your vehicle's system requires before quoting.
Should the new key be copied from my old one?
No. An old key is worn, and a copy reproduces the wear. A spare should be cut to the factory code so it comes out at original dimensions.
One Key Is Not a Plan
Call or text 817-674-2304 with the model year of your MDX, how many working keys you have, and whether you want a remote as well as a key. We will tell you the band and how long it takes, and we will come to you.
Article written by the Fortworthlocksmithexperts Automotive Locksmith Team. For mobile automotive locksmith service throughout Fort Worth and Tarrant County, contact us at 817-674-2304.
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