What kind of car key do you have?
Four kinds exist, and the difference decides whether the key can be made at the roadside, how long it takes, and what it costs.
Mechanical key
Metal blade, no electronics. Cut to shape and it works. Older vehicles, plus most motorcycles, trailers and work equipment. The only type a self-service kiosk can reliably duplicate.
Transponder key
A blade with a chip in the head that answers a challenge from the car's immobiliser. Cutting the blade correctly is not sufficient - an unprogrammed transponder turns the ignition and the engine stays dead. Standard from the late 1990s on.
Remote head or flip key
A transponder key with remote locking built into the head. Two systems in one object, and either can fail alone - which is why a key that starts the car but will not unlock it is common and fixable.
Proximity fob and push-to-start
No blade, or a hidden emergency blade. The car detects the fob and a button starts the engine. Programmed to one specific vehicle, which generally has to be present.
Lost your only key, or lost a spare?
A spare still exists. The work is duplication - an existing key supplies the cut, and programming a second transponder is usually quick because the car can be accessed and started.
Every key is gone. The work is origination. Nothing supplies the pattern, so the code comes from the lock or the vehicle's onboard data. The blade is cut to that code, the chip is programmed, and on many vehicles all previously programmed keys are wiped and re-enrolled.
Expect the total confirmed before work begins, and expect to show proof of ownership.
Batteries, breakages and ignitions
Fob faults, separated
A dead battery is commonest and least serious - the car usually still starts, often by holding the fob against the start button or using a hidden emergency blade. A failed fob needs replacing and the replacement needs programming. A lost fob needs origination plus removing the lost fob from the car's memory so it cannot be used.
Keys locked in the car
A different job entirely - see the lockout page.
If a child or a pet is shut inside a vehicle, call 911 first. Interior temperatures climb fast and that is an emergency service response, not a locksmith call.
Broken keys and ignition trouble
A key that snaps in the ignition or a door lock is an extraction - stop turning it. Worn keys and worn ignitions look similar and need separating: a key that has to be jiggled is usually a worn key, and a fresh one cut to the original code fixes it. A key that turns freely without engaging more often points at the ignition cylinder. Cutting a new key will not fix an ignition.
Vans, work trucks and motorcycles
A lost van key is a business-continuity problem - the vehicle is the job site. Commercial keys are often mechanical or simple transponders, and fleet vehicles can frequently be keyed alike so one key covers several. Motorcycle keys are usually mechanical and can often be cut from the lock code with no key present.
Frequently asked
Can a locksmith reprogram my key fob?
Usually yes. A fob has to be introduced to the specific vehicle before it will lock the doors or start the engine, and a mobile automotive locksmith carries the equipment that communicates with the car.
Three faults get reported the same way and only one needs the car's memory cleared: a dead battery, a failed fob, and a lost fob.
Can a locksmith make a car key with no original?
Yes, for most vehicles. With no key at all the code is originated from the lock or the vehicle's onboard data, the blade is cut, and the chip or fob is programmed.
It takes longer than copying an existing key, proof of ownership will be required, and on many vehicles every previously programmed key is wiped and re-enrolled - which is why a spare that turns up later may no longer start the car.
Can a kiosk copy a transponder key or a key fob?
No. Self-service key kiosks duplicate mechanical keys, the plain metal-blade kind with no electronics. A transponder key, a remote head key and a proximity fob all have to be programmed to the specific vehicle.
A kiosk copy of a transponder key will turn the ignition and the engine will not start.
Is a locksmith cheaper than the dealership for a car key?
The comparison people forget is the tow. A dealership generally needs the vehicle on site, and a car with no working key cannot be driven there - so the dealer route often carries a towing cost that the quoted key price does not include.
A mobile locksmith comes to the vehicle. Some high-security and recent luxury models genuinely do require dealer-only data, and a locksmith who says so about a specific car is being straight rather than unhelpful.