Every car key job is quoted on its own, because two cars that look alike can need very different keys. What moves the price is not the locksmith's mood, it is these five things.
1. What kind of key it is
- A plain metal key with no chip, found on older cars. It only needs cutting, the simplest job there is.
- A transponder (chip) key. The blade is cut and the chip is programmed to the car's immobilizer. Most cars from the late 1990s onward use one.
- A remote head key, key and lock buttons in one piece. Cut, chip programmed, remote programmed.
- A laser-cut or sidewinder key, the thicker blade with a wavy channel down the face. It needs a code machine that cuts that pattern, and the blank costs more.
- A push-to-start smart key. No blade to speak of beyond the emergency key inside, and all the work is in the fob and its programming.
2. Whether you still have a working key
This is the biggest single factor. With a working key, a spare is a copy: cut to match, add a chip to a car that already trusts one key. With every key gone, the cut has to come from the code or the lock, and the car has to be put into a mode that accepts a new key. It takes longer and involves more, and it is exactly why a spare made while you still have one is the cheapest car key you will ever buy.
3. The car itself
Some makes need a security code or an access procedure before they accept a new key, some run a deliberate waiting period, and a few recent models can only be programmed by the dealer at all. Year, make and model decide which of those applies.
4. Where the key is made
A dealer usually needs the car brought in, which without a key means a tow, and orders the key by code. A mobile locksmith comes to the car and does the cutting and programming there. For most cars that is quicker and simpler; for the handful that are dealer-only, the dealer is the route, and a good locksmith says so in the first message.
5. Remote and fob parts
A replacement remote or smart fob can be an original manufacturer part or a good aftermarket equivalent that programs the same way. Cheap fobs bought online sometimes work and often do not; a used fob taken from another car is frequently locked to that car forever. If you already bought one, send a photo of its back with the FCC ID before the visit.
How to get a firm quote in one message
Text the year, make and model, whether you have a working key, what the key looks like (a photo is ideal), and where the car is parked. That is everything needed for a real price rather than a range, and it is the price on the invoice. Our spare car key, all keys lost and key fob pages cover each case in more detail.
Questions people ask
Why won't you publish a price list for car keys?
Because two cars that look the same can need different keys and different programming. A quote from the year, make, model and a photo is a real price; a list would only be a guess.
Is a spare really cheaper than replacing a lost key?
Yes, noticeably. Copying a working key skips the hardest part of the job. It is the best reason to order a second key before you need it.
Does a laser-cut key cost more?
The blank and the cutting cost a little more than a standard key, but it is cut on the same visit on a code machine, so there is no trip elsewhere.
Can I buy the fob online to save money?
Sometimes. It has to match the car's frequency and chip and must not be locked to another car. Send us the FCC ID before buying and we will say whether it will program.