Five worst hidden key holes to access in keyless start cars

Hidden key holes.

Sometime in the early 2000s, hidden key holes became all the rage in the automotive world as keyless open and start spread through the industry. Key holes were often, but not always, hiding behind removable caps at the back of the driver’s door handle.

The reasons for doing this are generally unclear, but hidden key holes serve to panic drivers when a key fob stops working. You know, when you need one!

We’ve encountered a very large number of variations and some of them are truly difficult to work with making them a nightmare for drivers.

These are the worst of the worst, starting at number 5.

Number 5

At number 5, is this from Mini. It was first found on Mini Cooper Hardtops and then the SE EV in 2022 and now across the product line. A small oval-shaped cap at the rear of the handle must be removed to expose the key hole (right).

A small slot is underneath the handle near the cap. Slip the mechanical key into the hole as far as it will go, which is about an inch — but nothing happens at all!

In fact, the cap is now free to remove, but that knowledge is needed in advance and missing from the owner’s manual!

Slip a fingernail anywhere in the groove surrounding the cap and it will fall away.

Number 4

Number 4 goes to Fisker and Karma. What was the Fisker Karma was resurrected as the Karma Rovero. The key hole is found under the door handle on the passenger door! We’ve never actually seen one, but this was clearly a manufacturer intent on not showing a key hole on the driver’s door.

Number 3

At number 3 is this offering from Hyundai, found in the Santa Fe from 2019 to 2024, the new Palisade in 2020 and the Elantra in 2021. A small piece of horizontal trim located just behind the black entry button is removable.

To do this, pull the handle outward. This exposes another small black button just behind the handle. We literally had to open the door to get it the frame for the picture (right).

Push that button with the tip of the mechanical key and the trim can be removed to expose the key hole. Actually getting the key into the right spot will need a good deal of patience!

Number 2

Our number 2 worst hidden keyhole comes courtesy of Lincoln. The 2017 Continental was first, followed by the Aviator in 2020 and the Nautilus 2024. The key hole is hidden by a spring-loaded cover no where near where you’d expect.

The key hole has been placed in the chrome molding beneath the driver’s door mirror and behind the imprinted words ‘Continental’, ‘Aviator’ or ‘Nautilus’ (right). Insert the key and turn to unlock the car. The door will spring open.

We don’t know how many Lincoln drivers are aware of this and still don’t know how well the key hole cover will behave in icy weather.

Dishonorable mentions

And before we get to the worst of the worst, we add some dishonorable mentions. Hyundai, Kia and Genesis use no less then seven ways of hiding the key hole. Several of them could have been featured here. BMW and General Motors use five. At DashboardSymbols.com we think that hiding a key hole serves only to frustrate the manufacturer’s very customers and add risk rather than anything useful.

Number 1

And for our number 1 worst hidden key hole goes to Chevrolet. The method used is similar to one used across a dozen manufacturers, and actually one of the first introduced. However, this one was always a pain in the backside.

The cover is removed by slipping the mechanical key into a slot (3) under the cap at the back of the driver’s door handle. Push the key up and pry outward to remove the cap.

However, you stand a 50% chance of failure, with the cap stuck half way off. The only recovery is to push the cap back fully into place and starting over. The “key” to success is make sure that upward pressure is maintained during the removal process.

We’re going to do this in video form soon as well. In the meantime, you can visit our key fob pages for instructions for hundreds of models here.

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Remember — only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

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