How much does a replacement car key cost?

Remember back in the 80's even the 90's when having a new car key cut cost around the same price as having a key cut for your front door? You walked into any town centre key cutting shop and ask them to cut you a spare key, it was simple and inexpensive, a few quid, the key didn't do anything except turn and open your car door. You could even walk into Vauxhall or Ford for example, without the original key, give them your vehicle model, year or registration and they could generally give you a working key. These were simpler times although most people prefer the added vehicle security that we now enjoy.

Or course modern car keys are not just keys they are remotes or fobs, sometimes just cards for locking and unlocking your vehicle, not just that but even if the key fits the ignition and turns it wont start your vehicle unless its been programmed correctly and when you understand that you understand that these keys need to cost a little more than a standard key. However the average price of a key from Ford, Mercedes, Vauxhall Audi, Mercedes, BMW, and Fiat is £200 and most of these dealers will require you to leave your vehicle with them for a couple of days.

I can confidently say that yes, yes they are a rip off but only from the main dealers because you can get replacement car keys cut and programmed for half the cost , sometimes even less by going to an independent auto locksmith.

Surely these are inferior, imported blanks I hear you say, and that's why there are cheaper? No they are exactly the same blanks, same quality, same electronics and do exactly the same job it's just that the auto locksmith wants to make a living, get good feedback, reviews and returning customers.

The main dealers don't really car about returning car key customers, this is not where they make their money and they know there will always be some people who will automatically contact their main dealer and pay whatever believing that they are getting superior parts and service.

Because of this new need to have modern car keys programmed there has been a rise in professional vehicle locksmiths specialising in car key programming as well as car key repair and non destructive vehicle entry who will come out to you and program your key there and then at your home or works using specialised mobile key cutting and key coding equipment.

Like most businesses and trades these days it's best to simply search Google and make a few phone calls to get the best price but with the rising number of locksmith now entering the vehicle sector it wont be too difficult to find someone just around the corner.

Unlike the domestic and commercial locksmith industry where you find a lot of untrained amateurs offering emergency entry, which will basically, consists of them drilling your lock and then billing you for the trouble, an auto locksmith not only needs specialist training but requires specialists key coding and key cutting equipment which isn't cheap. The benefit to customers, apart from knowing that you are using a skilled professional is that the auto locksmiths needs to get the £1000's of pounds back that he or she paid for the equipment as well as the licences they need to pay to vehicle manufactures you have access to the latest codes etc so you'll never get an independent auto locksmith telling you to drop off you vehicle for a few days or telling you that it will be a week before they can get to you.

On a final light-hearted note, why, when you buy a second hand vehicle do you tend to only get one key? This, to me, is one of life's great mysterious; surely the previous owner didn't manage with one key? Especially if they had a spouse.