Sorry I don't have an answer for you, but your dealer is full of it.

 

No. The dealer is correct. The transponder is not working. Have you ever dropped your keys and the casing splits open? Or changed the battery recently in the key? These are 2 ways the transponder chip can fall out if you are not careful.

 

And that happened coincidently to both keys? How does the transponder fall out of a sealed key? My key has never split open when dropped, and if it did I would certainly notice if something fell out of it. Damage I could see, missing I cannot.

Also, if the dealer wants $500 apiece for a key, try somewhere else. These are expensive, but not that expensive. I know dealers are not plentiful, at least not in the US, but look at eBay or here: https://www.mitsubishipartswarehouse...ItNGwtbDQtZ2Fz

I was able to use a $25 eBay knockoff key. See my post this week about programming a third key.

 

Ask them to show you the keys then. If the chips are there then maybe they just need recoding. You wouldnt necessarily see the chip fall out if the key came open. They are small and black and not noticable.

I have seen this so many times. Cars get towed in to us frequently. And people dont necessarily remember that the key fell apart, as it is not a huge event in life.Or maybe somebody else dropped the keys ,and didnt say? Children do this frequently