Hello Again and welcome back to our blog. This week we’re looking at the Volvo XE90 Key

We’ve spent alot of time over the last few months talking about technical matters, key repairs and programming. However, this looks at the escalating cost of Keyless car Keys, and the Volvo XE90 key got our attention.

Our customer, called us because after just three years, his key had stopped working.
The buttons had been intermittent for a while, but now the car didn’t recognise the key either.

Just a three-year-old key!

When we examined it, we couldn’t find any fault, as if the key had just died.

Volvo XE90 Key Price

Although we don’t programme these, I had a hunch these would be expensive to replace and wasn’t disappointed.
For a spare key, you need the following parts

Volvo XE90 Key Remote

These are a standard price and compare with the new Ford and Peugeot keys

At £135 plus VAT, which to me and you are £162, you’ll need a brand new one from Volvo. Don’t waste your money on a used one from the internet, it won’t programme to your car.

What we weren’t expecting was the key extras you need to turn it into a Volvo XE90 Key
Volvo XE90 Key Cover

When you buy the remote, it’s naked. This expensive remote hasn’t even been dressed to look like a real car key.

This is the first outrageous cost you come up against. To make the remote look like a key, you’ll need a pair of covers.

These fix over the key, and for the privilege of having the Volvo logo you pay £69 plus VAT, which is £83! For a plastic cover. Unbelievable. and then it gets worse….

Volvo XE90 Key Blade.

Tucked away inside the key is an emergency key blade. This is needed with all keyless cars, in case the car battery goes flat, and you’re locked out.

This is an expensive piece of metal! At £81 plus VAT, £97 is the real world, I believe it’s the most expensive blade in mainstream car production.

How can the charge nearly £100 for this piece of metal?

But this is what we have with the Volvo XE90 Key blade.

Volvo XE90 Key programming

You think we’re finished, but we’re not. Next there are two charges, one of which is the programming, the other? Who knows.

The first charge is for the software download, which we assume is the car key programming charge. This is cheap compared to Ford. At £35 plus VAT, just £42 this is a bargain.

However, then there’s an additional ‘labour charge’ of £45 plus VAT
Now we’ve been cutting and programming car keys for nearly fifteen years and cannot think what labour is involved. After all, the key has been cut, and the software has been accounted for.

Is it that they are charging £54 labour to drive the car from the Volvo car park into the workshop?

Total price for your Volvo XE90 Key

Remote £162
Key Blade £97
Key Covers £83
Software £42
Labour £54

Total Volvo XE90 Key price is …..£438

If you’ve just bought a new XE90, or XC 90, or are on the lookout for one, make sure you get two keys with the deal.

Take a look at our video which explains it all

While these cars are new, Volvo will get away with it. However, in ten years when the car is only work a few thousand on the forecourt, they will be unaffordable.

The most concerning part is that our customers key failed after such a short time.

This will be something we’re looking out for.

If you are having problems with your Volvo XE90 key, let us know in the comments below.