How to Open a Ford with a Dead Key Fob
- First, if you’re already inside, click here for help getting started!
- Second, Lincoln models are here.
- Third, you can find video help here!
- Finally, if you need another manufacturer, click here.
Retrieving the mechanical key
Ford vehicles use a number of different Intelligent Access 
(IA) (remote control or ‘clicker’) key styles. Two of the key fobs use a sliding release on the back side to release the key. Two new key fobs use a push button to release the mechanical key, and one is much easier than the other to use. Another holds the key inside the fob itself and is really difficult to remove.
To release the mechanical key blade in your IA key fob, slide the release on the back of the transmitter and pull the blade out. You can now use the mechanical key to unlock the driver’s door.
An exception is the third key fob style shown. In this case, the removable mechanical key blade is held inside the fob. Slide the release on the back of the remote control (top arrow) and pivot the cover off 
(pull is straight up and off) to access the key blade. Its awkward and may take some practice. That mechanical key can now be used to unlock the driver’s door.
This fourth and unusual Intelligent Access key fob is found with only a handful of Ford models. The mechanical key blade is found on the back of the fob. 
To remove it, push the buttons on either side of the key fob.
We have not seen one of these, so it is not immediately obvious if the mechanical key stays attached to the fob, as it would appear from the image, or if it can actually be removed.
Finally, this last key fob was introduced in some Fords in 2017, and it is the simplest to use. 
It has a push button on the front of the mechanical key itself near the key ring space. Simply push the button and pull the mechanical key away from the IA key.
Getting Inside
Fusion
In 2013, the Ford Fusion became yet another car that has the key hole hidden under a cap at the back of the driver’s door handle. The 2015 Mustang and 
the 2016 Edge and later models have since been added to this list.
To remove the cap, insert the key blade into the slot on the bottom of the handle (right image, bottom arrow) and press up. While holding that upward pressure, move the cap rearward to release it. Gently remove the key while doing so. Yes, the effect is that of prying off a piece of your car but its OK and necessary!
To reinstall the cap, place it just forward of the key cylinder. While applying pressure to the cap, move it forward until it is in place. It snaps into place. Make sure the cap is properly installed by trying to move it rearward.
Remember, getting IN the car is most important. If you have difficulty replacing the cap, don’t bother. Let your dealer do it when you get a new battery for your IA Key Fob!
Look for video help here.
Expedition
The Ford Expedition is updated for 2018, and features another way to hide the key hole. The door handles are a single piece. The key hole is easily exposed by simply pulling the driver’s door handle. It is seen angled outward at the back end of the handle. Insert the mechanical key and turn clockwise. Remove the key and release the handle. The door will open on the next pull. Note that the alarm will sound in a minute or so if the car is not started in time.
GT
GTThe Ford GT uses all electronic locks and latches. The end result is that there is no key hole to unlock a door. So, to get in, you’ll need to open the rear hatch!
Use the mechanical key to open it. A key hole is located just above and to the right of the license plate, as depicted in the image to the right. Note that if you have the rare 
Competition Series GT, the key hole is on the top of the hatch.
Once the hatch is open, look for a release cable and handle located at the upper left of the storage area beneath the hatch, as seen in the image. Pull the handle to release the driver’s door.
Mustang Mach E
The new all electric Mustang Mach E uses electronic latches. A button above the door handle (right) is pressed and the door pops open. If the key fob is dead, the vehicle offers is no opportunity to use the mechanical key to get inside. However, the car can be accessed with an app on your smart phone or using the keyless entry code panel on the door post.
Continue to Part II, Getting Started …
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Remember that 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.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Great Start: GM Will Make Door Unlock, Remote Start Standard
New Standard Services from GM
General Motors announced on June 5th, 2013 that GM Will Make Door Unlock, Remote Start standard (read, free!) for five years through the OnStar RemoteLink Mobile App. The services will be available for OnStar-equipped 2014 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac models “even if the owner declines to pay for other OnStar services.” Thirty-six 2014 model year GM vehicles are compatible with the app.
Bravo. We can only continue to encourage an expansion of the program, making it permanent and moving it down the chain to older vehicles equipped with OnStar. GM’s own statistics bear this out.
Mary Chan, president GM Global Connected Consumer stated “GM owners request remote door unlock assistance through OnStar more than 60,000 times each month, so it makes sense for us to offer RemoteLink Key Fob Services to enable customers to lock, unlock or start their vehicle from anywhere they have a wireless or cellular connection.”
Sixty thousand times a month! The company did not say but given the number of calls going into roadside assistance centers and service departments for owners of vehicles that do not have the luxury of OnStar, we will bluntly assume that a very, very large percentage are due to dead key fobs.
Safety First
These are safety issues for motorists who could very well be stranded in potentially dangerous situations, caught off guard by a dead key fob. The service should be free and permanent for ALL OnStar customers, period. And other manufacturers should at least offer instructions on mobile platforms to help them get in and start their cars – particularly those manufacturers foolish enough to hide the lock cylinder for the sake of aesthetics. Ford is the latest addition to this list.
Interestingly, GM says that “remote start is the most popular remote service by current users of the RemoteLink Mobile App”. If the company’s commercials are any indicator, the feature is fun to play with. And while clearly many GM owners use the service for convenience, our experience suggests a very large percentage are useful or necessary starts due to dead key fobs.
This is a GREAT start. But GM, take a step further to the front and make this free for all OnStar equipped vehicles. Forever. You’ll still have lots of stuff to sell.
——————————————————————-
Remember that 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.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY