Nissan Key Replacement on Staten Island

The Nissan Intelligent Key, built on the Nissan Anti-Theft System called NATS, detects an enrolled fob near the door handles and unlocks automatically when you grip the handle. Push-button start requires the fob inside the cabin where a transponder ring reads the chip. NATS has gone through six generations of increasing encryption complexity since its introduction in the late 1990s. Each generation requires a different programming approach.

Nissan NATS Generation 5 and 6, found on vehicles from roughly 2015 onward, uses encrypted transponder chips that require live OBDII communication with the BCM to enroll a new key. Older NATS generations used simpler fixed-code chips that could be programmed with a manual procedure. Identifying the correct NATS generation before starting the job prevents using the wrong procedure. We determine the generation from the model year before we arrive.

The Nissan LEAF electric vehicle uses the same Intelligent Key platform as Nissan's combustion vehicles but adds a charge port interlock and a remote climate system tied to the key authentication. Key replacement on the LEAF follows the same OBDII enrollment process. The charge scheduling and remote precondition features in the NissanConnect app operate separately from the physical key system.