As of October 2026, most Nissan and Infiniti ignition repairs in Fort Worth end at one of two priced outcomes: a fresh key cut to the factory code, at $50 – $100 without a chip or $130 – $220 with one, or a new Intelligent Key at $220 – $450. Cylinder rebuilds, twist-knob assemblies and steering lock work are quoted per vehicle after diagnosis. Which outcome is likely depends on which of three ignition designs your car has. Call or text 817-674-2304 with the year, model and what the ignition is doing.
The Cost Table
The priced rows below come from our published car key replacement cost bands. The rows marked "quoted per vehicle" are exactly that: we do not publish a flat figure for them, because column disassembly time and parts supply vary too much by model year for a single number to be honest.
| Ignition type | What usually fails | Typical fix | Cost basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyed cylinder | The key blade wears | New key cut to factory code | $50 – $100 no chip, $130 – $220 transponder |
| Keyed cylinder | Wafers inside the cylinder wear or jam | Cylinder rebuilt or replaced, matched to your keys | Quoted per vehicle |
| Twist knob (Intelligent Key, no blade inserted) | Fob not recognised, or weak fob battery | Fob battery, or new Intelligent Key | Key: $220 – $450 |
| Twist knob | Knob or lock assembly fault | Assembly repair or replacement | Quoted per vehicle |
| Push button | Fob not recognised | New Intelligent Key registered | $220 – $450 |
| Push button | Electronic steering lock fault | Steering lock diagnosis and repair | Quoted per vehicle |
| Any type, all keys lost | No working key to start from | Key made from the vehicle | Key band plus $50 – $200 |
One more figure belongs in the comparison. A car with a failed ignition usually cannot be driven to a shop, and we publish $75 – $200+ as the realistic cost of a tow. A mobile repair is done where the car sits, so that line normally drops off the bill.
Three Ignitions, One Badge
Nissan and its luxury division Infiniti have used three distinct ways of starting a car over the last twenty-five years. They look different, they fail differently, and the first thing we ask on the phone is which one you have.
The keyed cylinder
A metal key goes into a lock on the column and turns. This is the ignition on older Altimas, Sentras and Maximas, on Frontier, Xterra and Titan work trims for many years, on NV cargo vans and on base Versas well into the last decade. The key carries a transponder chip on most of them, read by a coil around the cylinder.
The twist knob
For a period from the mid-2000s into the early 2010s, a number of Nissan models with Intelligent Key used an ignition you turn by hand without inserting anything. There is a knob where the key would go. With the fob in your pocket, the knob releases and turns. A slot in or near the knob accepts the fob's emergency blade or the fob itself as a backup. Certain trims of Maxima, Murano, Rogue, Versa, Sentra and Pathfinder from those years were built this way.
The push button
A Start/Stop button on the dash, a foot on the brake and the fob somewhere in the cabin. Infiniti moved here early and Nissan followed across the range. Earlier push-button cars have a fob port in the dash for starting with a dead fob battery; later ones have you hold the fob against the button instead.
If you are not sure which you have, describe what you touch to start the car. That one sentence routes the whole conversation.
Keyed Cylinders: Start With the Key
On a keyed Nissan the most common ignition complaint is a key that has become reluctant to turn, needs wiggling, or turns in the door but not the column. The cause is usually the key rather than the lock.
A key blade is brass or nickel silver and it wears every time it is used. After enough years the cuts are shallower and rounder than the lock expects. Duplicating that key copies the wear. The fix is a key cut to the factory code, which restores the original dimensions. That is why a large share of "ignition" calls on keyed Nissans are settled in the first two rows of the table.
When a code-cut key does not cure it, the wear is inside the cylinder. Wafers stick, springs weaken, and eventually one jams. At that point the cylinder is rebuilt or replaced. Done properly, it is matched to your existing keys so the doors and ignition still share one key. That work is quoted per vehicle.
If the key will not enter the lock at all, that is a different problem with its own guide: the key will not go into the ignition.
Model-specific keyed-ignition detail is in Nissan Frontier and Titan work truck keys and Nissan NV200 and NV cargo van key replacement.
Twist Knobs: Usually the Fob, Sometimes the Lock
The twist knob is mechanically held until the car is satisfied an authorised fob is present. When the knob will not turn, work through this order.
Fob battery. A weak coin cell is the most common cause and the cheapest. If the knob turns when you use the backup slot, the fob battery is the answer.
The fob itself. If a second fob turns the knob normally, the first fob has failed and needs replacing. That is the Intelligent Key band of $220 – $450.
The vehicle battery. Low system voltage keeps the release from operating. A car that has sat for weeks often presents this way.
The knob and lock assembly. If every fob is healthy, the battery is good and the knob still will not release or turn, the assembly is the suspect. This is the per-vehicle quote.
A related case is on our Nissan Sentra Intelligent Key replacement page.
Push Buttons: Three Things That Are Not the Button
When a push-button Nissan or Infiniti does nothing, the button itself is rarely at fault. Three other things are.
The fob is not being recognised
The dash will usually say so. If holding the fob against the button, or putting it in the port on older cars, starts the engine, the fob battery is weak. If it does not, the fob may have failed or lost its place in the car's memory. Our no key detected page covers the full chain.
The car does not see your foot on the brake
A push-button car will not crank unless it receives a brake signal. When the brake lamp switch fails, the button only cycles accessory power. Ask someone to watch whether the brake lights come on when you press the pedal. If they do not, you need a mechanic, not a locksmith, and we will tell you that on the phone rather than send a van.
The electronic steering lock
Certain push-button Nissans and Infinitis from the late 2000s and early 2010s lock the steering column with a small motorised unit instead of a mechanical bolt. When that unit fails, the car typically refuses to power on at all: the button does nothing useful, a key warning shows on the dash and the column stays locked. It often happens without warning, on a car that started normally that morning.
This is a real repair and it is quoted per vehicle. It is also the fault most often misdiagnosed as a dead fob, which is how people end up buying a key they did not need. We wrote up the Infiniti version in Infiniti FX35, FX45, M35 and M45 steering lock and key, and the later platform in Infiniti Q50 and Q60 push-button start.
Before paying for steering lock work, run the VIN through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall lookup. It takes a minute and tells you whether any open campaign applies to your car.
What Changes the Price
1. Whether the fault is the key, the lock or the electronics
This is the whole question. A key fault lands in a published band. A lock or electronic fault is quoted per vehicle. Diagnosis is what tells them apart, and we do it cheapest-first.
2. Whether any working key exists
If the ignition failed and there is no working key either, the key has to be made from the vehicle. That adds the $50 – $200 all-keys-lost surcharge to the key band. See Nissan Altima and Maxima all keys lost for how that runs on the most common models.
3. Rebuild or replace
A worn cylinder can sometimes be rebuilt with new wafers; sometimes the housing is too far gone and it is replaced. Rebuilding keeps the original part in the car and keeps your keys. Replacing depends on the part being available. Which one applies is a call made with the cylinder in hand.
4. Model year and parts supply
A cylinder for a common late-model truck is a different sourcing exercise from one for a twenty-year-old Maxima. This is the main reason we will not publish a flat cylinder price.
5. How much of the column has to come apart
Some Nissan columns give up the cylinder in minutes. Others need shrouds, trim and security hardware removed first. Labour follows access.
6. Battery condition
Any electronic step needs stable voltage. If the car has been jumped or has sat, say so. It changes the order of work.
What a Proper Diagnosis Looks Like
The sequence we follow, so you know what you are paying for:
- Verify ownership. Registration or title and photo ID. The National Automotive Service Task Force vetting scheme for independent security professionals exists so that key and immobilizer work is done only for the person entitled to it.
- Check battery voltage. Nothing electronic is trustworthy on a weak battery.
- Test every key and fob you have. One bad fob and one bad car look the same from the driver's seat until a second fob is tried.
- Try a code-cut key on keyed cars before touching the lock.
- Read the vehicle. What the immobilizer and body control module report about keys, steering lock status and stored faults.
- Only then open the column.
Most jobs end before step six. That is the point of the order.
When It Is Not an Ignition Problem at All
A locksmith is the wrong call for some no-starts, and it saves everyone time to say which.
If the dash lights come on, the engine cranks strongly and it simply will not fire, the ignition lock and the key have done their part. That is fuel, spark or a sensor. If the engine starts and dies, or you hear a single click, that is a starter, battery or charging fault. For those, a technician certified through the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence is who you want.
A car that starts in the morning and refuses in the afternoon is its own pattern in this climate. We covered it in the car will not start in afternoon heat.
Dealer, Shop or Mobile
All three can fix a Nissan ignition. The differences are practical.
A dealership has factory parts and factory equipment, and the car has to get there. With a failed ignition that means a tow at $75 – $200+ before any work begins, plus the wait for a service slot.
A general repair shop handles the mechanical side well and may send the key and immobilizer portion out.
A mobile automotive locksmith does the key, the cylinder and the immobilizer registration at the vehicle. For the faults in this guide that covers most outcomes. When a job does belong at the dealer, we say so; the general rule is in which cars need the dealer for key programming.
Choosing Who Does 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.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau both publish warnings about locksmith listings that quote a low headline figure and charge a different one at the vehicle. With ignition work the specific risk is being sold the most expensive outcome first. A shop that proposes replacing the ignition before it has tried a code-cut key or a second fob has skipped the cheap steps.
Ignition security is worth getting right. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has documented lower theft rates on vehicles with working immobilizers, and a careless ignition repair can leave that system bypassed.
Mobile Service Across Fort Worth and Tarrant County
We diagnose and repair at the vehicle in Fort Worth and nearby cities including Arlington, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, Haltom City, Keller and North Richland Hills.
The service itself is described on our ignition repair page, and the key side on push to start keys and transponder keys.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to fix a Nissan ignition in Fort Worth?
As of October 2026, if the fault is a worn key, a code-cut replacement is $50 – $100 without a chip or $130 – $220 with a transponder. If the fault is a failed Intelligent Key, a replacement is $220 – $450. Cylinder, twist-knob and steering lock repairs are quoted per vehicle after diagnosis.
Why will you not give a flat price for an ignition cylinder?
Because the labour and the part vary too much by model and year. Some Nissan columns release the cylinder in minutes and others need significant disassembly, and parts supply for older models is uneven. A flat figure would be wrong for most cars.
My Nissan key turns in the door but not in the ignition. Is the ignition bad?
Often it is the key. The ignition is used far more than the door lock and is less tolerant of a worn blade. A key cut to the factory code is the first thing to try, and it frequently settles the problem.
My push-button Nissan does nothing when I press start. What should I check?
Check whether the dash reports the key, try holding the fob against the button or placing it in the fob port, and have someone confirm the brake lights come on when you press the pedal. No brake lights points to the brake switch, which is a mechanic's repair.
What is the electronic steering lock on a Nissan or Infiniti?
On certain push-button models from the late 2000s and early 2010s, a motorised unit locks the steering column. When it fails the car usually will not power on and shows a key warning. It is often mistaken for a dead fob.
Can an ignition be repaired without changing my keys?
Usually, yes. A rebuilt or replacement cylinder can be matched to your existing key so the doors and ignition still use one key.
Do I need to tow my Nissan to get the ignition fixed?
Not for most of these faults. A mobile locksmith works at the vehicle, which avoids the $75 – $200+ a tow typically costs.
Is a twist-knob ignition more expensive to fix than a keyed one?
It depends on the fault. If the cause is the fob, the cost is the Intelligent Key band of $220 – $450. If the knob and lock assembly has failed, it is quoted per vehicle, as a cylinder would be on a keyed car.
Tell Us What You Touch to Start It
Call or text 817-674-2304 with the year and model, whether your Nissan or Infiniti uses a key, a twist knob or a button, and what happens when you try to start it. We will tell you which row of the table you are probably in and whether the first step is a key, a diagnosis or a mechanic.
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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