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I have a 2002 F150. Is there an anti theft chip in the key? I only have 1 key so I had a couple made at Home Depot. The new keys unlock the door and the truck will crank but not start.
The truck does have an after market alarm and the FOB is with key. So I am curious if the original key has a chip in it or does the FOB need to be in the truck? ( Now that I am typing this out I could test this myself. )
If the original key has a chip do I need to go to a dealership to get another key and program it to the truck??
I agree. I bought keys online, programmed them myself, and went to home depot to have them cut. They cut them for free! The guy told me he didn't sell me a key, and had no bar code to scan for the cutting only, so it was on the house!
If the THEFT light on the cluster is flashing slowly with the key out and rapidly after you turn the key to Start then your PATS (Passive Anti Theft System) needs the chipped key.
If there's no flashing THEFT light then PATS might have been bypassed/programmed out when the new alarm system was installed.
PATS was standard in the F150 beginning in the 99 model year. Anything 99 or newer has PATS.
Be aware that if you have only a single PATS key, you will not be able to add additional PATS keys without using a scan tool or comparable. The exception is if you go to a hardware, big box, or key shop and purchase a "cloned" key, about $70-90.
That’s a good point. I’m pretty sure I was down to one key for the ‘03 at one point. Got a clone made, but it had a battery in it. That battery died, (quickly realized I wasn’t having that business) but I fixed that and made two more keys after that.
Last edited by Johnny Paycheck; Nov 6, 2025 at 08:26 AM.
Your odds are way better if you act NOW instead of when you're down to NONE.
At least go get a cheap metal blank cut for each of them so you have the key pattern. Without that pattern, it's a LOT harder and MUCH more expensive to et back on the road.
