Key

My BMW 325ci was fine my husband first ran it out of gas than about a week later it started running rough. It started wanting to stall, someone told him it needed coil packs about a week later he left the key out it the rain at work. The car one day just wouldn’t start so I had it towed to a auto shop and they told me it needed a starter. They wanted to charge me 830$ to replace the starter. They also told me that that was the first issue n that the starter had to be replaced rd before they could tell me what else or if anything else was wrong. I than just of them the 100$ to diagnose it n had AAA town it home. A family friend said he knew how to fix it so I than bought a new starter, coil packs, spR ark plugs n he also did n oil change n cleaned everything up. The car still would t start. Now waiting fir him n my brother to come back n he thinks it’s a key issue. My husband had another mechAnic come over n work on it. He cleared all the codes checked the old starter which was fine n told me he thought it was out of gas. Put gas into the car n no start. Now he thinks it the key no programmed to the car. Now mind you after 4 months and about 1500$ later I think I need a new key n I need it programmed. What do you think? If it’s the key, where can I get a new key fir it w/o being charged a lot of $.

Also my BMW 325ci has a recall on the air bags so I was going to have it towed into Ottows BMW in west Chester fir the recall n have them just check n see if it’s the key that is the problem. They want to charge me 165$ to diagnose that it is the key. Do you think that I should pay Ottows BMW that $ even though the car has a recall n would be there fir the air bags to be replaced?