Ever since I got my 2013 Buick LaCrosse almost nine months ago, I have had an occasional problem with the flip-out key on the key fob I carry getting stuck halfway out and today I isolated the problem. The key blade and we'll call it the hinge comprise a two-piece assembly, held together by a little pin and today, that pin almost fell out. Why this assembly wasn't cast as a single piece is beyond me unless the blade needs to come off the hinge to be cut for the car. This pin was so loose that it apparently would come dislodged and catch the key before it could fully extend. The pin was so loose I was able to completely and effortlessly dislodge it with a paperclip. When I went to reassemble it, the pin wouldn't push all the way in by hand and when I pressed it into place with a pair of pliers, pin was much more firmly in place. Still, I'm thinking of putting a tiny dot of super glue on each end of the pin to help hold it in place. If the problem persists, I guess I'll be putting the spare fob into primary service and retiring the one presently in my pocket to serve as the spare. I briefly considered purchasing a replacement shell online. They're surprisingly inexpensive but it wouldn't have really solved the problem.

They have to come apart to replace the shell and/or to replace the battery.

Regarding primary versus spare, it'* a good idea to swap them out anyways. A key that wears with the lock can create a situation where the worn one will continue to work, but the un-worn one will not because wear has taken all of the pins out of spec. Doesn't happen too often any more, but still can, and I don't know how much usage we're talking about on yours.

The key blade doesn't show any excessive wear and the car has 63.500 miles on it. An older couple had the car before me and they babied it. When I got the car last December, I just randomly chose a key to put in my pocket, leaving the other as a spare. Both work fine other than the loose pin on the one I've been carrying. The pin apparently has been loose for a while because there is a little groove gouged in the case where the pin was hitting it. Everything is much tighter since I re-inserted the pin. The key blade is much snappier when I push the release button now. Apparently, it the pin was dragging against the case, even when it didn't completely catch. It'* not doing that anymore. I'm going to carry this key for a few days to see how well things hold together, then I'll swap the two keys out for awhile.