Ford Key Fob Replacement: FCC IDs, Generations & Programming

Replacing a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury key fob means matching three things: the PATS chip generation (4D60 glass, 40-bit 4D63, 80-bit 4D63, ID46 HITAG 2 or ID49 HITAG PRO), the exact FCC ID and frequency on the fob (315, 434 or 902 MHz), and the button count. Ford fobs from about 2015 on are split across 315 MHz and 902 MHz boards that look identical, so the FCC ID and part number decide the part, not the model year alone. Below is the generation map, the FCC IDs locksmiths look up most, the programming route for each, and the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury parts Car Key Source stocks.

How to identify the Ford fob generation

Ford has run PATS (Passive Anti-Theft System) since the late 1990s, and the transponder family changed roughly every five to seven years. The fastest read is the key type in the customer's hand plus the ignition style.

Two cautions. A 40-bit 4D63 key will not program to an 80-bit vehicle even though both are called 4D63, so a 2010 Escape and a 2013 Escape are different jobs; the reverse (80-bit key on a 40-bit car) usually works, but verify on the vehicle. And the ID49 era mixes 315 and 902 MHz in the same case, so confirm the frequency from the FCC ID or the part number, not the shape of the fob.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury FCC IDs by year and model

Every row in this table is a part in our catalog; the FCC ID pages at /fcc carry the full cross-reference list for each code.

The N5F-A08TBLP and M3N-A3C108397 rows are the newest Ford boards and both run at 434 MHz rather than the 902 MHz of the fob they replace in the same truck line. If a 2023 F-Series customer hands you a 902 MHz N5F-A08TDA as the sample, check the door-jamb build date and the part number on the existing fob before ordering. For the full M3N and N5F family breakdown see Ford M3N and N5F fobs.

Aftermarket or genuine OEM for Ford?

Every Ford, Lincoln and Mercury row in our catalog is currently an aftermarket part, cross-referenced to the Ford or Strattec part number it replaces. Aftermarket Ford fobs in the ID46 and ID49 families are a mature product: the chip is a genuine NXP transponder and the board is built to the same FCC ID, and they carry our programming guarantee. If a key or remote won't program on the vehicle we listed it against, it is refunded within 30 days of delivery and we pay the return freight. Genuine OEM stock for other makes lives at /oem.

Where an aftermarket vehicle-specific fob does not exist, a universal board covers the gap. The Lonsdor FO30 series (ID46 / ID47 / ID4A, 315 or 433 MHz) and FO3H series (ID46 / ID49, 868 or 902 MHz) generate to Ford PEPS and push-button vehicles with a Lonsdor tool, and the KEYDIY ZB12-4, ZB21-5 and NB12-4 do the same job on a KD-X2 or KD-MAX. See our Lonsdor board guide.

How Ford fobs are programmed

The programming route depends on generation, and the rules below are well-established trade practice — verify on the vehicle where years overlap.

• PATS transponder keys (4D60, 4D63 40-bit and 80-bit): with two working keys, Ford supports an onboard add-a-key cycle (two working keys in and out of the ignition, then the new key). With one or zero keys, use a tool; PATS enforces a ten-minute security wait on most models before it will accept a key.
• Separate keyless entry remotes (CWTWB1U311 era): the eight-cycle ignition procedure (off-run eight times, ending in run, until the locks cycle) puts the vehicle into remote-learn mode. No tool needed.
• Remote head keys (OUC6000022, OUCD6000022): chip programs through the PATS procedure; the remote half usually programs onboard through the same ignition-cycle routine on the older cars and by tool on the 2012–2019 side-mill vehicles.
• PEPS and push-button smart keys (M3N5WY8406, M3N5WY8609, M3N-A2C…, M3N-A3C…): tool programming through OBD. Add-a-key with two working keys is possible on many PEPS vehicles via the backup-slot procedure, but all-keys-lost is a tool job with the security wait.
• Flip keys (N5F-A08TAA, N5F-A08TDA, N5F-A08TBLP): tool programming for the ID49 chip; the remote learns with it.

The full step-by-step is in Ford key fob programming.

What Car Key Source stocks for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury

Transponder keys and remote head keys:

• CWTWB1U311 keyless entry remote, 1998–2011 Ford/Lincoln/Mercury
• H74/H86-PT transponder key, 4D60 glass, 2000–2005
• H92-PT transponder key, 4D63 80-bit, 2000–2015
• H94-PT side-mill transponder key, 4D63 80-bit, 2011–2019
• OUC6000022 remote head key, 2005–2012 F-Series/Explorer/Navigator
• OUCD6000022 remote head key, H75, 2006–2011 Fusion/Taurus/Edge/Mustang
• OUCD6000022 remote head key, 2012–2019 Escape/Focus/Fiesta/Transit
• KR55WK47899 Transit Connect remote head key, 2010–2013

Smart keys:

• M3N5WY8406 4-button, 2009–2012 Taurus/MKS/MKT
• M3N5WY8609 5-button PEPS, 2011–2019 and 4-button
• M3N-A2C31243300 4-button 902 MHz, 2014–2018 Explorer/MKC/MKX and 5-button F-150, 2015–2017
• M3N-A2C31243800 4-button 315 MHz, 2015–2017 Edge/Explorer/Fusion
• M3N-A2C93142300 4-button 315 MHz, 2017–2020 and 3-button, 2017–2021
• M3N-A2C93142600 5-button 902 MHz, 2017–2020, 4-button Edge/Ranger, 2017–2021 and 5-button Ford/Lincoln, 2017–2022
• M3N-A2C940780 Lincoln Navigator, 2018–2021
• M3N-A3C054339 motion-sense 5-button, 2022–2024
• M3N-A3C108397 Expedition/Navigator, 434 MHz, 2023–2027 and Mustang, 2023–2024
• KR55WK48801 European PEPS, 2007–2015 and KR5876268 Focus/C-Max/Kuga, 2015–2020

Flip keys:

• N5F-A08TAA 3-button 315 MHz, HU101, 2015–2023 and 4-button Transit, 2019–2023
• N5F-A08TDA 4-button 902 MHz, 2015–2022 F-Series/Raptor/Ranger
• N5F-A08TBLP 3-button 434 MHz, 2023 F-Series and 4-button

Universal and tooling for Ford work: Lonsdor FO30-02 5-button, Lonsdor FO3H-0D 5-button 902 MHz, KEYDIY ZB12-4 Ford-style smart key, KEYDIY HU101 flip blades, 10-pack, Xhorse XSFO02EN Ford-style XM38 smart key and the Original Lishi HU198 for 2017+ Ford. The make hub is at /keys/ford.

In-stock orders placed by 4 PM ET (Mon–Fri) leave the warehouse the same business day. US orders ship from our Florida warehouse; Canadian orders ship from Ontario — nothing crosses the border, so there is no customs, duty or brokerage for the buyer. Trade pricing is unlocked with an approved wholesale account — most applications are approved instantly at /apply.

FAQ

How do I know whether a Ford smart key is 315 MHz or 902 MHz?

Read the FCC ID and part number on the back of the customer's fob and match them to the table above; the case shape is identical across both. In our catalog, M3N-A2C31243300, M3N-A2C93142600, M3N-A2C940780 and M3N-A3C054339 are 902 MHz, while M3N-A2C31243800 and M3N-A2C93142300 are 315 MHz.

Can a Ford key fob be programmed without a tool?

Only the older systems. Separate keyless entry remotes learn through the eight-cycle ignition procedure, and PATS transponder keys can be added onboard when two working keys are present. Push-button smart keys, ID49 flip keys and every all-keys-lost job need an OBD programmer.

Is a 4D63 key from a 2008 Ford the same as a 4D63 key from a 2013 Ford?

No. The 2011-and-later side-mill vehicles use an 80-bit 4D63 (DST80) chip on the H94-PT blank, while the earlier cars were built with the 40-bit version on the H92-PT blank. An 80-bit key generally programs to the older cars but not the other way round, so order by year range and blank and verify on the vehicle at the transition years.

Does Car Key Source sell genuine OEM Ford fobs?

The Ford, Lincoln and Mercury parts we list are aftermarket, each cross-referenced to the Ford or Strattec part number it replaces and covered by our programming guarantee. Genuine OEM stock for other makes is listed at /oem.

Which Lishi tool fits Ford?

Ford and Lincoln from about 2017 use the HU198 keyway, and we stock the Original Lishi HU198 2-in-1. Older HU101 vehicles are also served by the HU101 blade packs we stock for Xhorse and KEYDIY flip keys.

What if the Ford fob will not program after I fit it?

Confirm the chip family and frequency against the vehicle first, then check the security wait has cleared. If the part still will not program on the vehicle we listed it against, it is refunded within 30 days of delivery and we pay the return freight.