FAQ

As the locals most reviewed and trusted car locksmith, with over 20 years of experience as an auto technician we are more than happy to assist with your enquiry. We can provide spare car keys, replacement car keys, and help you access your vehicle in the event of lost or stolen keys – all by the roadside. PB Lock & Auto Keys Ltd will offer a convenient and cost-effective solution over the alternative of the main dealer option and will save you time and money on booking, recovering or driving your vehicle to their workshop. We offer same-day service 7 days/week. Having a spare car key is always a good idea as it can save money and inconvenience. With PB Lock & Auto Keys Ltd, you are not only getting spare key services but you also gain on cost and time. Below are the prices for spare car keys on different car makes and models done at our key shop. We are updating our pricing list. If you do not see your vehicle listed or to get an exact price please call us on 07506 073 751. The prices below are estimated. Examples of spare car keys prices when done by us: Audi Q7 – Spare manual key 2005 – 2013 – £175 Audi Q7 – Spare remote key 2005 – 2013 – £270 BMW 7 series – Spare remote key 2015 – 2020 – £245 BMW 7 series – Spare remote key 2003 – 2009 – £195 Citroen Berlingo – Spare manual key 2009 – 2017 – £140 Citroen Berlingo – Spare remote key 2009 – 2017 – £170 Ford Fiesta – Spare manual key 2009 – 2016 – £150 Ford Fiesta – Spare remote key 2009 – 2016 – £175 Ford Focus – Spare manual key 2009 – 2015 – £160 Ford Focus – Spare remote key 2009 – 2015 – £175 Ford Kuga Spare proxy remote key 2011 – 2016 – £175 Ford Transit Spare manual key 2007- 2014 – £160 Ford Transit Custom – Spare remote key 09/2012 – 2016 – £170 Honda Civic – Spare remote key 2015 -2017 – £225 Honda CRV – Spare remote key 2010 – 2013 – £195 Hyundai Getz – Spare manual key 2002 – 2011 – £140 Iveco Daily – Spare manual key 1999 – 2011 – £210 Land Rover Range Rover Sport – Spare remote key 2018 – 2020 – £595 Mercedes Sprinter – Spare remote key 2005 – 2015 – £180 Mercedes A-Class – Spare remote key 2011 – 2013 – £180

The cost of car key replacement years ago was much lower due to the simplicity of the car keys. The services of cutting new car keys were also offered by any home improvement store since there were no technicalities involved. Over the years, car manufacturers have boosted the security of the vehicles. With that, the car keys have changed as well which are now comprehensive electronic devices. All the changes in the car manufacturing along with the security boost into the car keys has driven the cost of car key replacement up. The process of creating a new replacement car key has several stages: Sourcing the correct key itself (whether manual, remote, or keyless) Cutting the blade Immobiliser codes Programming of the Key With the above formula in mind, there’s several factors that have an impact on cost for replacement car key? The vehicle make The vehicle model The year of manufacture The vehicle specification

As an example, the cost for a Ford car key replacement 2012 with flip-type remote blade key will cost £217 where a VW replacement key cost with same remote key type manufactured in the same year will cost £257. The cost of the car key replacement is also affected by the year of manufacture on most vehicles – for example, a 2012 Vauxhall Corsa key costs £235, while the same model with same type remote key produced in 2017 will cost £264. An interesting fact is that Nissan has priced most replacement remote keys at a fixed price of £360. Another aspect that could influence the car key replacement cost is the vehicle specification – as new keyless technology is now used more often. For example, a 2015 Ford Fiesta can be equipped with either a flip remote key blade or a keyless technology remote and so the price will vary with a higher cost for the keyless remote key. It’s also important to take into consideration that most main dealers are franchises and so the cost of a car key replacement may vary from one to another. The geographic location of the dealer could also impact the price, with dealers located around big cities more likely to be more expensive compared with ones located further out as this is can be a direct reflection with the cost of living in the area. It’s important to know that main dealers in the UK do not provide a mobile service for car key replacement, so should you lose your only car key, you will need to budget for the cost of recovery. Or if you have one key only, you will have to drive your vehicle to their workshop for the service to be provided by them. With some vehicles, the key number and immobiliser code may be needed and the dealer could possibly charge an extra fee for supplying those. Another aspect that may drive the cost up is whether there is another key present or no – if all keys are lost, the procedure is sometimes more difficult and other parts may need replacement too.

Ford Fiesta 2013 £272.00 – 2-5 days for booking; Volkswagen Golf2014 £256.00 – 7-10 day, the key is special order; Nissan Qashqai 2013 £300.00 – 2-5 days for booking; Ford Focus 2013 £217.00 – 2-5 days for booking; Vauxhall Corsa 2013 £250.00 – 2-5 days for booking; Volkswagen Polo 2013 £260.00 – 7-10 days, the key is special order Mini Cooper 2013 £245.00 – 2-5 days, the key is special order Ford Kuga 2013 £248.00 – 2-5 days for booking Mercedes A-Class 2013 £330.00 – 7-10 days, the key is special order Ford Transit Custom 201 £950.00 – 2-5 days for booking Toyota Yaris (blade) 2018 £2000.00 – 3-5 days for parts+key Toyota Prius keyless 2018 £2500.00 – 3-5 days for parts +key Volvo xc 90 2018 £345.00 – 2-5 days for booking Lexus RX 450h 2016 £3000.00 – 5-10 days for parts Audi A1 Lockset replacement 2018 £1040.00 – 5-10 days for booking Land Rover Range Rover Sport 2018 £1900.00 – 2 weeks for booking

Studies reveal that there is a 6% chance for a vehicle owner to lose a car key, and if it’s the first time, they are shocked to discover the cost of a replacement car key. While older keys were less complicated and easier to program, the newer the vehicle is and more premium the vehicle brand is, the more likely that cost of the replacement car key will be higher. Unlike domestic house keys or car keys used 25 years ago, today car keys are sophisticated electronic devices that contain a comprehensive electronic board, transponder chip and battery. Unfortunately many motorists realise too late why the cost of a replacement key is higher at the time of creating the key is created for the vehicle – with many vehicles, if all keys are lost then the procedure of creating a new key is comprehensive since the alarm and immobiliser modules would also have to be replaced. A good example is the 2018 Toyota Prius that requires a spare keyless remote key which will cost in excess of £450. However, when there is no key available the cost of programming a new key and replacement of some electronic control units will reach a whopping £3000! With this in mind, we cannot stress enough how important it is to always have a spare key and how this can save you hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Programming tools for programming and coding a new key can cost tens of thousands to initially purchase, with extra ongoing costs associated with licensing and installing new software. Also, certain procedures involved in cutting and programming a new car key replacement can be very comprehensive and time consuming for a qualified auto locksmith engineer. Again, using the 2018 Toyota Prius as an example – if all keys are lost, then the entire dashboard has to be removed in order to access the control units required for replacement, with an approximate labour time of 8 hours. When you take all these factors into consideration and remember that whoever is supplying the key will also need to make a profit, the price of a replacement car key is often justified. So to answer the question of how much the cost of car key replacement should be? Probably more than you would expect, but not so much after you read and understand how sophisticated a car key actually is, and the mechanism of creating a new one.

An interesting survey by RAC in 2018 on 2000 UK motorists revealed the following: 16 million UK drivers (44%) often forget where they have left their car keys, temporarily; 6% of motorists confess to permanently losing their car keys; 19 million of motorists who permanently lose their car keys do not have a spare and purchase a replacement; More than £180 million is spent in the UK on replacing car keys. Another report from Which? claims that around 10% of drivers do not keep a second car key. This is old data and we now estimate this figure has increased significantly. The increasing cost of replacing car keys could be a reason for an increasing number of motorists failing to invest in a spare car key – in addition to drivers not thinking to protect themselves in the event of a situation whereby the only car key has gone missing or is faulty.

The cheapest option is not always the best option! It is always cheaper to do the job right the first time. You can buy a new TV for £70 but it won’t have the same picture quality as a slightly more expensive trusted brand option. The same is true with auto locksmiths – if you spend long enough calling around you can probably find a lower price, but trying to save £10 on a new key could end up costing you much more. It’s very easy for an inexperienced locksmith to corrupt a body control module using cheap non-genuine tools.