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Honda Accord key type: Smart Entry remote or a key you turn?

On a 2013-2017 Accord the trim decided the key, not the year. In Honda's press kits for that generation, the EX and higher trims have Smart Entry with Push Button Start, and the LX and Sport a key you insert and turn, with the remote built into its head.

That is why the same model year shows two different keys. From the 2018 Accord every trim starts with a START/STOP button, but not every trim has Smart Entry.

2017 vs 2018 Honda Accord key: why the trim decides

The ninth-generation Accord covers the 2013 through 2017 model years, with a facelift for 2016. In Honda's 2013 and 2016 press kits, the LX and Sport sedans and the LX-S coupe have a wave key, a key with the remote transmitter built into its handle, and the EX, EX-L and Touring have Smart Entry and Push Button Start. Honda's 2017 sedan specifications again list Smart Entry and Push Button Start for only some trims.

The 2018 Accord is the tenth generation. Its press kit says that in all Accord trims the driver starts the car with the START/STOP button, while Smart Entry is standard on EX and above, and on the base Accord Hybrid.

How to tell which key your Accord takes

  1. Look at the ignition. Honda's manual says models with the smart entry system have an ENGINE START/STOP button instead of an ignition switch. On a 2013-2017 Accord, a button means Smart Entry and a key slot means the key you turn.
  2. From 2018, don't stop at the button. Every trim has the START/STOP button, and Honda's owner's manuals still cover models with and without the smart entry system.
  3. Try the door handle. With the remote in your pocket and the car off, grab the driver's door handle. With Smart Entry it unlocks, and touching the door lock sensor on the front door handle locks it again.
  4. Look at the remote. A smart entry remote has a release knob and a built-in key that slides out. A wave key is a key blade with the remote buttons in its head.

The VIN settles it. Scan it in Partexia and see the key for that exact Accord.

What kind of key is a Honda Accord? Honda's own names

  • Smart entry remote. Stays in your pocket. It unlocks the doors when you grab a handle and lets you start the car with the ENGINE START/STOP button. Honda calls the system Smart Entry, or Smart Entry with Push Button Start.
  • Built-in key. The emergency key inside the remote, for the doors or the trunk when the remote battery gets weak.
  • Master key with remote (wave key). On 2013-2017 Accords without Smart Entry: the key you insert in the ignition switch and turn, with lock, unlock, trunk and panic buttons in its head.
  • Remote without Smart Entry. On 2018 Accords without Smart Entry you still carry the key and start with the START/STOP button, but you lock and unlock with the remote's buttons.

Honda's manual says all the keys have an immobilizer system: a key that has not been registered to the car does not start it.

Which one yours takes is in the VIN. Partexia shows it, with the OEM key to order.

Honda Accord Driver 1 and Driver 2 keys

Accords with the Driving Position Memory System pair each remote with a driver: Honda's manual links the DRIVER 1 transmitter to one memory button and the DRIVER 2 transmitter to the other, and the display shows which remote unlocked the car. Unlocking the driver's door with that remote moves the seat to its stored position.

Honda's 2018 press kit says EX-L and above trims come with two keyless remotes with unique identifiers, each holding one driver's seat and mirror positions and some climate settings.

Replacing a remote on a car with seat memory? Check which driver it was for, and scan the VIN in Partexia for the OEM key.

Honda Accord key fob upgrade: can a new fob add features?

No. Smart Entry, Push Button Start and remote engine start are factory equipment, marked "Not available on all models" in Honda's owner's manual. Honda's 2016 press kit says remote engine start came on EX and above trims with a CVT or automatic, built into the key fobs supplied with the car. A fob with an engine-start button does nothing for a car built without it, and an Accord built with an ignition switch still starts with a key you turn.

Order the key that matches how the car was built. Partexia reads that from the VIN.

Where is the VIN on a Honda Accord?

  • Through the windshield: on the left front corner of the dash, readable from outside on the driver's side.
  • On the driver's door: on the certification label on the door edge or the door post.
  • On the vehicle registration and title.

In Partexia, point the camera at the VIN barcode or type the 17 characters.

For locksmiths: Honda Accord all keys lost

Before you quote, establish:

  1. The generation: a 2013-2017 ninth generation or a 2018 or newer car.
  2. The ignition: ignition switch or ENGINE START/STOP button.
  3. Smart Entry: on a car with a START/STOP button from 2018 on, whether the doors unlocked from the handle, since the button alone does not tell you.
  4. The features: remote engine start, and whether the car has seat memory with DRIVER 1 and DRIVER 2 remotes.
  5. The key number tag: Honda's manual says it holds a number needed to buy a replacement key, so ask the owner whether they still have it.

Then scan the VIN in Partexia for the OEM key part numbers that fit that car. Programming is a separate step, with your tool or at the dealer.

Honda Accord key questions

What key type does a 2017 Honda Accord have?
It depends on the trim. Honda's 2017 specifications list Smart Entry with Push Button Start on the EX and higher trims only; the others have a key you insert and turn with the remote in its head. Scan the VIN in Partexia to see which one, and the OEM key to order.
What key type does a 2018 Honda Accord have?
Every 2018 Accord trim starts with the START/STOP button, but Smart Entry, which unlocks the doors from the handle, is standard only on EX and above and on the Hybrid. Scan the VIN in Partexia to see the exact OEM key.
What kind of key is a 2021 Honda Accord?
A remote you carry, with a built-in key inside, and the car starts with the ENGINE START/STOP button. Honda's manual covers models with and without the smart entry system, so check the trim. Partexia shows the exact key from the VIN.
Does my Honda Accord have a smart key?
If the doors unlock when you grab the handle with the remote in your pocket, it has Smart Entry. On a 2013-2017 Accord, a START/STOP button instead of a key slot also means Smart Entry. Scan the VIN in Partexia to confirm the key.
Which Honda Accord is push to start?
Every 2018 Accord trim, according to Honda's press kit. On 2013-2017 Accords it was the EX and higher trims, while the LX and Sport have a key you turn. Partexia shows the key for your exact Accord from the VIN.
Can I upgrade my Honda Accord key fob to Smart Entry or remote start?
Not by buying a fob. Smart Entry, Push Button Start and remote engine start are factory equipment, and a fob only works the features the car was built with. Partexia shows the key that matches the car's VIN.

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