Originally Posted by tom2112

I'm not sure what you mean by a transponder key. But here is what I know:

The fob serves three purposes.
1) the physical key, unlocks locks and turns the ignition
2) transmits lock and unlock and panic commands to the car
3) at the time of ignition, the car reads an RFID chip within the fob, and if the RFID does not match the ignition system, then the car will not start

So, if you want to get rid of your fob, you need to get what is called a "flat key" from your dealer. It is a smaller/thinner key than the fob. It will not serve any "remote" functions, like lock/unlock/panic. But it will physically unlock/lock the locks and ignition, and most importantly, it will start the car because it also has a matching RFID chip in it.

I don't know for sure, but I believe the flat keys cost about $60. If you search here in the forum, you can find the part number for them.

Just to be clear, your car won't start without two things, the physical key to turn the ignition, and the correct RFID chip within an inch or two of the ignition keyhole.