Car key replacement used to mean a quick copy at the key counter. Most cars now have a chip in the key that talks to the immobiliser, and many have a remote or a flip key too, so a new key must be cut and programmed to the car. A car locksmith can often do both on site, which saves towing the car to a dealer. Tell us the make, model and year and what happened, and car locksmiths near you will send free quotes, with no obligation.
Types of car key
- Plain cut key: older cars with no chip, copied like a house key
- Transponder key: a chip in the head that the immobiliser must recognise, or the engine will not start
- Remote key: a transponder key with buttons for the central locking
- Flip key: a remote with a folding blade
- Smart or proximity key: stays in your pocket, starts with a button
Car locksmith or dealer for car key replacement?
An auto locksmith can cut and program keys for many makes on site, at home or at work, and often costs less than a dealer. Some newer cars, and some brands, can only be coded by the dealer. Ask the locksmith whether they have the equipment for your exact model and year before they set out, and whether they cut the blade to code or copy it from your old key. For a spare, bring your working key: adding a key is simpler than replacing the last one.
What to have ready and common mistakes
A legitimate car locksmith will ask for your ID and the registration papers before cutting a key, and may need the VIN. Have them ready. Do not buy a cheap remote shell online and expect it to be programmed: the chip and frequency must match. When all keys are lost, ask that old keys be removed from the immobiliser memory. For house keys, see key cutting.
What affects the price
The key type, the make and year, whether you have a working key and the distance all matter. A spare cut from a working key costs less than replacing the last key, and smart keys cost the most. Ask each car locksmith:
- the total for the blank or remote, cutting, programming and the call-out
- whether they can code your exact model on site
- how long the job takes
- the guarantee on the key and the programming
If a locksmith cannot code your car, they should tell you before they set out.
What to include in your request
- Make, model and year of the vehicle
- Key type: plain, chip, remote, flip or smart
- Whether you have a working key
- Where the vehicle is parked
- Have ID and registration papers ready
Car Locksmith and Car Keys for different clients
- Homeowners: a spare key for the family car or a replacement after the only key was lost
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: car lockouts in the complex parking area and spare keys for residents
- Offices, shops and practices: spare keys for company cars and delivery vehicles, coded at the office
- Landlords and letting agents: rarely needed, but useful when tenants ask about lost car keys
- Factories, warehouses and workshops: keys for bakkies and light trucks in a fleet, cut and coded at the depot
- Farms and smallholdings: a new key for the farm bakkie when the only one is lost in the veld
- Schools, clinics, churches and hostels: spare keys for school buses, clinic vehicles and municipal bakkies
- Builders, shopfitters and contractors: dealers and car lots who need keys coded for trade-in vehicles
Frequently asked questions
How much does car key replacement cost?
Can a car locksmith near me come to the car?
I've locked my keys in the car. What now?
Will a locksmith's key work like the original?
Car Locksmith and Car Keys by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg