Subaru Key Fob Battery Replacement: Which Battery (CR2032, CR1620, CR1632) and How to Change It
Subaru uses three batteries. Push-button-start smart keys from 2015 on take a CR2032. Keys with the metal blade attached, and the older teardrop-shaped separate remotes, take a thin CR1620. The 2010 to 2014 Legacy, Outback and Tribeca smart key takes a CR1632. Read the code on the old battery before you buy. To open a smart key, slide the catch and pull out the emergency key, then twist a flat tool in the slot it came from. Fit the new battery the same way round, close the case and press lock to test. No reprogramming is needed.
Subaru is one of the brands where guessing the battery goes wrong, because the common remote head key uses a thin 16 mm cell while the smart key uses the familiar CR2032. The job itself is a five-minute one. This guide tells you which battery each Subaru key takes, how to open each style without cracking it, how to start the car when the fob is dead, and what to check if a new battery does not bring it back.
Which battery your Subaru key fob takes
| Key style | Typical FCC ID | Common on | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teardrop separate remote with a plain key | NHVWB1U711, CWTWB1U819, GOH-M24 | Forester 2005 to 2013, Impreza 2005 to 2011, Legacy and Outback 2005 to 2014 (keyed), Tribeca, Crosstrek 2013 to 2014, Baja | CR1620 |
| Remote head key (buttons on the key, blade attached) | CWTWB1U811, CWTWB1U766 | Impreza 2012 to 2019, Crosstrek 2013 to 2019, Forester 2014 to 2018, Legacy and Outback 2015 to 2019 (keyed trims), WRX 2015 to 2021 (keyed) | CR1620 |
| First smart key (oval, 2010 to 2014) | HYQ14AAB | Legacy and Outback 2010 to 2014 with push-button start, Tribeca 2010 to 2014 | CR1632 |
| Smart key, 2014 on (push-button start) | HYQ14AHC, HYQ14AHK, HYQ14AHX, HYQ14AHG | Forester 2014 on, Outback and Legacy 2015 on, Impreza and Crosstrek 2017 on, WRX, Ascent, BRZ 2022 on, Solterra | CR2032 |
The CR1620 is 16 mm across and 2 mm thick, so a CR2032 will not fit a remote head key and a CR1620 rattles in a smart key. The code on the flat + face of the old battery is the final word; the owner’s manual also lists it under the keyless entry or access key section.
The first two digits of a coin cell code are the diameter in millimetres and the last two are the thickness in tenths of a millimetre. Our key fob battery size chart covers every common size.
What you need
- One new battery of the exact code on the old one. Panasonic, Energizer, Duracell or Murata; Subaru dealers sell the same cells
- A small flat-blade screwdriver or a plastic pry tool
- A small Phillips screwdriver for the older teardrop remotes
- A clean surface with good light so the rubber button pad does not go missing
Skip rechargeable LIR cells. They have the same shape but a higher voltage than the fob is built for.
Changing the battery in a Subaru smart key
This is the fob with a hidden emergency key, used on push-button start models.
Slide the release catch on the back or side of the fob and pull the metal key straight out. You will use its tip in the next step.
Look into the slot the emergency key came out of. There is a notch for a flat tool. Put the key tip or a small flat screwdriver into it and twist. The back cover lifts away. Stay in the slot rather than prying around the outer seam.
On most Subaru smart keys the + side with the code faces up towards you once the cover is off. Take a photo before you touch it.
Lever it up at the cut-out beside it with the key tip or a plastic tool and lift it out by the edge. Keep metal tools off the circuit board.
Hold it by the edge and press it in the same way round. It should sit flat under the retaining tab without rocking.
Snap the cover on, slide the emergency key back in until it clicks, and press lock and unlock. The LED flashes with each press when the battery is good.
Changing the battery in a Subaru remote head key or teardrop remote
- Remote head key: look along the seam of the plastic head for a small slot, usually at the end opposite the blade. Put a flat screwdriver or coin in it and twist gently until the back cover comes away.
- Teardrop remote: turn it over. Most have one small Phillips screw. Remove it, then open the case at the seam with a thumbnail or a flat tool.
- Note which way the CR1620 faces, then lever it out at the cut-out beside it.
- Press in the new CR1620 the same way round, make sure the rubber button pad is seated flat, and snap the case shut. Refit the screw snug, not tight.
The immobilizer chip that lets the car start is sealed in the key head and does not use the battery. A remote head key with a dead battery still turns the ignition and starts the engine; you only lose the remote buttons.
CR2032 3V lithium coin battery (Subaru smart keys)
Push-button Subarus from 2014 on take a CR2032. Keys with a metal blade attached take a CR1620 instead; see the links below. Buy a name brand and check the date on the pack.
Other Subaru keys: CR1620 · CR1632
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Do you need to reprogram a Subaru key after a battery change?
No. The pairing is stored in memory that does not need battery power, so the fob works as soon as the new cell is in. If the dash showed Access key battery low, it clears after the next start or two. Programming is only needed for a key that is new to the car.
If the car still says the key is not detected
First, start the car. On a push-button Subaru, hold the smart key with the buttons facing you and touch it to the Start button; the car chimes to say it has read the chip. Press the brake and push Start within a few seconds. The emergency key blade opens the driver’s door.
Then check, in this order:
- Battery size. A CR2025 in a CR2032 holder, or a CR1616 in a CR1620 key, sits loose and makes patchy contact. Compare the new code with the old one.
- Battery upside down. No LED flash at all usually means the cell is reversed.
- Flattened contact. The spring contact can be pressed down while prying. Lift it gently with a plastic tool and wipe it with a dry cotton bud. See how to clean key fob battery contacts.
- A flat new battery. Unbranded multi-pack cells and cells that have sat for years can be dead in the packet. Try one from a fresh, dated pack.
- The car’s 12 V battery. Subarus are known for weak 12 V batteries after a few years. If the car was also slow to crank, the key is not the problem. See can a bad car battery cause key fob problems.
- Damage inside the fob. A fob that has been dropped hard, through the wash or left on a hot dash can have a cracked solder joint. A locksmith can test whether it still transmits before you pay for a new key.
The full checklist is in Subaru key fob not working and key fob not working after a battery replacement.
What it costs
Most Subaru parts counters will fit a battery while you wait for the price of the cell plus a few dollars, and some do it free during a service visit. The larger figures only apply when the key itself has to be replaced, which a battery change almost never leads to.
How long the new battery will last
A remote head key only transmits when you press a button, so its small CR1620 still lasts two to three years. A smart key listens for the car and answers every time you touch a handle, so expect one to two years from a CR2032. Cold winters, leaving the fob within a few feet of the car overnight, and carrying it loose where items press the buttons all shorten that. See how long key fob batteries last for a sensible replacement schedule.
Safety: keep coin batteries away from children and pets
A swallowed coin cell can cause serious internal burns within hours. Keep spares and the old cell out of reach, and take old batteries to a drop-off point rather than household waste. If you think a child has swallowed a battery, go to the emergency room straight away and call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 1-800-498-8666, or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
Frequently Asked Questions
Push-button smart keys from 2014 on take a CR2032. Remote head keys and the older teardrop remotes take a CR1620. The 2010 to 2014 Legacy, Outback and Tribeca smart key takes a CR1632. Confirm with the code on the old battery.
Slide the catch and remove the emergency key, then twist the key tip or a small flat screwdriver in the notch inside the slot it came from. The back cover lifts off.
No. Subaru keys keep their pairing without battery power. The fob works as soon as the new battery is in, and any access key battery low message clears after the next start or two.
Touch the fob, buttons facing you, to the Start button until the car chimes, then press the brake and push Start within a few seconds. Use the emergency key blade to open the driver’s door.
No. The remote head key takes a 16 mm CR1620; a 20 mm CR2032 will not fit the holder. Use the code the key was designed for.
Check that the new cell is the right size, the right way up, and from a fresh pack, and that the contact spring was not flattened. If the fob LED flashes but the car ignores it, use the backup start and have a locksmith test the fob.