Key Fob casing broken - anyone else had issues?

[DMR31]

My key fob casing has got smashed - not quite sure how but presumably one of the kids has accidentally knocked it off the kitchen counter onto the tile floor.  Seems insufficiently robust - as I’ve never had a key be damaged in 25 years of motoring! Those leather cases may be required. The key still works just fine but I need to get it sorted out (if only because the leasing company will insist on having it if and when I give the car back). The initial answer from Lotus / B&C has been - ‘we don’t supply just the casing’ / ‘a new key is £680’ which clearly isn’t a tenable answer so I’m persevering with them to go back to supplier source…
 

Has anybody else done similar?

 

 

[kabre]

Yikes, unlucky!  I was warned by the dealer when collecting the car that the keyfobs were incredibly expensive to replace, so one of the leather pouches was the first thing I bought!  Appreciate that is of very little help to you - but hopefully this thread will be helpful to anyone that hasn't yet got around to buying a leather keyfob pouch.

It has to be said that the keyfob is the most stupid / annoying thing with the car.  To design something so fragile, expensive and without any inherent ability to attach it to a keyring is just crazy - the design team had a collective brain-fart during keyfob design week!  And that's before we start about the battery life - I was nearly left stranded when the fob battery died and the car stopped recognising it!

Might your car insurance cover it?!  If not, based on it still working, I would be tempted to buy a pouch belatedly to protect what remains, and then wait until your lease is nearly up before thinking about replacing in the hope that someone at Lotus sees sense and reduces the cost!

 

 

[DMR31]

Yes agreed. If the answer is indeed that new key is the only option I will wait. Hopefully the (Chinese?) supplier can be tracked down and a £3 casing bought. Personally I think the key is elegant and different but functionally it’s totally bog standard and it needs to be robust to survive normal life… it’s a test for Lotus because I really love the car (in large part because I don’t have unrealistic expectations on what it is and isn’t, their maturity in terms of software, and think it drives surprisingly well when pushed on a b-road. It’s also a lovely place to be for the whole family in 4-seat setup)

Edited July 1 by DMR31

[kabre]

I'll agree that it is elegant, but it is a classic case of style over substance - I forgot to mention the frustration of it not having a button to open the boot!

[RichEV]

The lack of a button to open the boot is annoying.
I'd also like a button to open the charge port flap (or at least one in the app).
 

[jimbobjoe]

my keyfob broke exactly like yours. My wife knocked it off the kitchen counter and the edging shattered. It is incredibly badly designed. 

This happened before the leather cases were available, but I put it in one as soon as they were available and superglued the bits back on.

Like you I was going to wait for ebay to start stocking the plastic surround.

I was however very fortunate that my key was one of the early ones that ate batteries. The keyfob was replaced with a new one when the car went in for the digital key activation. 

So if you are on an 'old' key you might get a new one for free....

[KT LER]

I immediately put my key into a leather holder. As for the digital key, my dealership stated that this feature is released on a chassis number by chassis number basis…..sounds a bit like BS to me that one, so I still await the digital key upgrade

[Jamesr10]

2 hours ago, KT LER said:

I immediately put my key into a leather holder. As for the digital key, my dealership stated that this feature is released on a chassis number by chassis number basis…..sounds a bit like BS to me that one, so I still await the digital key upgrade

Upgrade your car to version 1.5 then update your app and then you can setup your digital key. Start it in the app..

[KT LER]

Tried all of this and no joy, as soon as I try to install from the app initially, I’m met with the following message (attached). I’m running app version 1.2.0 (only updated 1st July 2024) and Hyper OS 1.5.0

 

[jimbobjoe]

As it says, there is a dealer update that must be done first. It is not part of the OTA update process.

They need your car and all the keys.

[KT LER]

On 09/07/2024 at 22:18, Jamesr10 said:

Upgrade your car to version 1.5 then update your app and then you can setup your digital key. Start it in the app..

 

12 hours ago, jimbobjoe said:

As it says, there is a dealer update that must be done first. It is not part of the OTA update process.

They need your car and all the keys.

And that’s exactly what I did, take all the keys to the dealers with software as stated and they told me the story about release only as per chassis number……

[DMR31]

@jimbobjoe your experience is interesting to hear. Fingers crossed as you say that I’m on an ‘old’ key. May proactively arrange the digital key activation…

[Colin Johnson]

My key fob got broken on the car handover.  My partner dropped it on the showroom floor and it chipped the edge.  She was devastated.  The dealer told us it was £700 to replace.  Got to say it’s not fit for purpose.  My partner then found the email of the director at Lotus and emailed him to explain the situation and how disappointed we are.  His response was very disappointing and basically tried to wash his hands of it all. She does not give up easily! 

[C8RKH]

Your partner dropped and chipped something then expects someone else to pick up the bill? Just saying...

I don't suppose they ever thought a purpose for the key would be for it to be dropped on a hard floor, though yes, this can happen.

The keys do, from the many comments on different media, seem to be quite delicate and there is no excusing something being that delicate that you would expect to last the lifetime of the car.

There is a "casing" or cover, that some have obtained and detailed on here. One suggestion would be to order one of those (they are inexpensive) and then the chip would be hidden and the key protected from future "accidents".

Not trying to "excuse" Lotus - it's just another example of their deteriorating customer service as their volumes grow, and another example of form over function which is very common these days. 

[PhilM]

My Eletre is due to arrive in a few months and this forum is great for learning about what to expect! Sorry to hear about the damaged key fobs.

I've seen the BANC key cases. Is this what people are using and are they recommended, or are there other recommendations?

Does anyone know if the BANC case colours match, i.e. green is close to Galloway Green, or there is a colour to match the gold interior?

[DarrylV8]

@PhilM we have a case from BanC and are happy to recommend.

Baneesh (baneesh42@gmail.com) I’m sure if you email him he will email you pictures of the covers so you can check the colour for yourself. Don’t think you will be disappointed.

 

[Bibs]

@bancho 

[bancho]

Cheers guys!

As per the posts you can purchase covers from my webshop:

https://banc-tech.myshopify.com/

Thanks!

[djmc321]

The fob on our test drive vehicle was cracked like this, so was a good warning for us. Suffice to say protective case will be ordered as soon as our own car order is confirmed!