Lost Car Keys Replacement Key Cut and Programmed at the Car in Devon, Dorset and Somerset
Dean of DB Car Keys, a mobile auto locksmith based in Honiton, replaces lost car keys at the car anywhere in Devon, Dorset and Somerset, 24 hours a day, and can be at the car in 15 to 60 minutes in Exeter, Taunton and Bridport.
Lost car key replacement costs £150 to £400 or more and needs no original key. Replacement car keys are cut and programmed from the vehicle itself, and every lost key is deleted from the car, so a lost key never starts the engine again.
Lost every key? Call the locksmith
Lost car key replacement costs £150 to £400 or more. Dean confirms the price for the make and an arrival time on the call.
Dean has replaced lost car keys for over 15 years and is fully insured and DBS checked. 102 Google reviews rate DB Car Keys 5 stars, and ownership is checked with the V5C logbook and photo ID before any key is made.
Lost Car Key Replacement Cost and Price Factors
Lost car key replacement costs £150 to £400 or more with DB Car Keys. The cost of a lost car key covers entry to the locked car, one new key, the cutting, the programming and the deletion of the lost keys. The table gives the price of three vehicle groups and the one extra, next to a main dealer estimate.
| Lost key job | DB Car Keys price | Main dealer estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Ford or Vauxhall key | £150 to £220 | £250 to £400 or more |
| BMW, Audi or Mercedes key | £250 to £400 | £400 to £700 or more |
| Prestige make, such as Range Rover | £500 or more | Quoted by the dealer |
| Spare key on the same visit, not included | £80 to £220 | £150 to £350 |
Three factors set the price of a lost car key.
The price is confirmed on the phone from the make, the model and the year, before Dean sets off, and DB Car Keys charges no call out fee. Workmanship carries a 30 day guarantee, and payment is taken on completion by cash, by bank transfer or by card where card payment is available.
First Steps for Lost Car Keys, No Spare
A driver with lost car keys and no spare searches the last places the keys were used, then calls an auto locksmith for a new key. A new car key is created from the vehicle itself, with no original key to copy, so lost keys are no reason to change the locks or tow the car to a dealer.
A driver with no key takes five steps before the locksmith arrives.
- Search the last places. Check pockets, bags, the laundry and the route from the car, and ask at the last shop, pub or car park.
- Confirm that no spare exists. A spare key held by a relative or the previous owner is the cheapest fix, and a copy of it costs £80 to £220.
- Report stolen keys. Report stolen keys to the police on 101 and tell the insurer, because key cover on some policies pays for the new key.
- Find the documents. Have the V5C logbook and photo ID ready, because ownership is checked before any key is made.
- Call 07830249408 with four details. Give the make, the model, the year and the place where the car stands.
Lost car key replacement is the creation of a new key for a vehicle with no working key present. DB Car Keys reads the vehicle through the diagnostic port with professional key programming equipment, cuts a new blade to the lock, programs a new chip to the immobiliser and deletes every key registered before. Lost vehicle keys for cars and vans are replaced the same way.
📍 Real call out, Lyme Regis, Dorset
"A couple on holiday in Lyme Regis lost the keys on the beach, dropped from a pocket during a swim. They had no spare at home, were 200 miles from the house, and the nearest Vauxhall dealer had no slot for 5 days. We attended within 30 minutes, created a new Vauxhall Astra key from the VIN and deleted the lost key from the ECU. They drove back to the holiday cottage the same afternoon."
📍 Real call out, Dartmoor, Devon
"A walker lost the Ford Focus keys on a Dartmoor route near Okehampton and found out at the car park. The walker searched twice, had no signal and walked to get help. The call came once the signal returned. We reached the car park within 50 minutes, created a new key from the VIN and deleted the original from the ECU. The customer drove home before dark."
📍 Real call out, Taunton, Somerset
"A BMW 3 Series owner in Taunton had the keys stolen from a jacket at a bar, the car key and the house key together. The thief possibly knew where the car was parked. We attended straight away, created a new key for the BMW and deleted the stolen key from the immobiliser system, so nobody holding the stolen key was able to start the car."
⏱ Eight situations that end with a lost key replacement
Lost Key Situations and the Right Job
A lost key situation is the state of the keys and the car at the time of the call. The situation decides the job and the price, and the table gives six situations with the job and the price of each.
| Situation | Job | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Every key lost, no spare | Lost car key replacement. The car is opened, a new key is cut and programmed, and the lost keys are deleted. | £150 to £400 or more |
| Keys stolen | Lost car key replacement, with the stolen keys deleted first. A deleted key no longer starts the engine. | £150 to £400 or more |
| One key lost, spare key works | Spare car keys. A second key is cut and programmed from the working key, and the car has two keys again. | £80 to £220 |
| Only key stopped working | Key fob repairs or car key programming. A flat battery, a worn button or a lost pairing is fixed before a new key is made. | £40 to £100 for a repair, £60 to £120 to pair a working fob again |
| Keys locked inside the car | Emergency vehicle unlocking. A door is opened by non-destructive entry and the keys come out. | £60 to £150 |
| Key snapped in a lock or the ignition | Broken key extraction. The snapped blade is removed, and a new key adds to the price when the original is beyond use. | £60 to £130 |
Two of the six situations are a lost car key job, and four are a smaller job at a lower price. The situation is named on the call, and Dean confirms the job and the price before travel.
One call covers all six jobs, across Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
Key Made Without the Original in Five Steps
A lost car key is made without the original in five steps on one visit, with no towing and no dealer wait.
Call 07830249408
Give the make, the model, the year and the location. Dean gives the price and an arrival time and sets off.
Ownership Checked
Dean checks the V5C logbook and photo ID against the vehicle before any work starts, which protects the owner.
Key Cut and Programmed
The car is opened by non-destructive entry. A new key blade is cut to the lock, and the transponder chip is programmed to the immobiliser through the diagnostic port.
Lost Keys Deleted
Every key registered before, lost or stolen, is deleted from the ECU, so a lost key no longer starts the engine.
Key Tested
The new key locks, unlocks and starts the car, and the remote buttons are tested before Dean leaves.
Security note. A lost or stolen key that stays registered starts the car for anyone who holds it. DB Car Keys deletes every earlier key in the same job as the new key, and the deletion matters most after a theft. The blade of a deleted key still turns a mechanical door lock, so valuables stay out of a car while a stolen key is in circulation.
Four Types of Lost Car Key Replaced
The four types of lost car key on UK roads are each cut and programmed at the car.
Transponder Key
A transponder key is a key with a plastic head that holds an encrypted chip. The blade is cut to the lock and the chip is coded to the ECU through the diagnostic port. Most vehicles built after 2000 use transponder keys.
Smart Key or Proximity Fob
A smart key is a fob that starts a push button car by radio signal, with no blade in the ignition. A lost smart key is replaced by a new fob programmed to the car through the diagnostic port. DB Car Keys covers the common makes with smart key systems.
Remote Flip Key
A remote flip key is a key with a blade that folds into the fob body. The blade is cut to the lock and the remote is programmed to the receiver in the car. Flip keys are common on French and German makes.
Key Card
A key card is the flat card that Renault uses in place of a key. DB Car Keys carries Renault card blanks for the common models, and a lost key card is programmed at the car in under 30 minutes, one of the fastest lost key jobs.
Mobile Auto Locksmith Compared With a Main Dealer
A main dealer replaces lost car keys too, and a mobile auto locksmith differs on five points.
- ✗5 to 14 days of waiting while the key is ordered and programmed
- ✗The car is recovered to the dealership first
- ✗£250 to £400 or more for a Ford or Vauxhall key, and £400 to £700 or more for a BMW, Audi or Mercedes key
- ✗Business hours only, with no evening or weekend work
- ✗One brand of vehicle only
- ✓Same day lost key replacement in most cases
- ✓The work is done where the car stands, with no towing
- ✓£150 to £220 for a Ford or Vauxhall key, and £250 to £400 for a BMW, Audi or Mercedes key
- ✓Day or night, 365 days a year
- ✓Every make on one phone number
The quote for a lost car key is free and comes from the make, the model and the year.
Recent Lost Car Key Callouts in Three Counties
Six recent lost car key replacements across Devon, Dorset and Somerset, each with the arrival time.
Vauxhall Astra, keys lost on the beach, new key from the VIN
Ford Focus, keys stolen, new key made and old keys deleted
BMW 3 Series, all keys lost in a house move, new key from the VIN
Renault Megane, key card lost on holiday, new card programmed
Ford Focus, keys dropped in a river on a Dartmoor walk
VW Golf, car bought with one key, key lost, new key and a spare made
The list of lost key jobs is updated regularly. Call 07830249408 with the make for an arrival time.
Dean, DB Car Keys
Mobile Auto Locksmith, Honiton, Devon
Dean is the car locksmith who answers the phone and makes the key. Dean is fully insured and DBS checked, and has replaced lost car keys across Devon, Dorset and Somerset for over 15 years.
Dean on Lost Car Keys Jobs
Three points on lost car keys jobs in the first person, as Dean and DB Car Keys state them.
On the lost key
"When we create your new key, we delete all previously registered keys from the ECU of your vehicle simultaneously. This means the lost key is permanently deactivated and can never start your car again."
On lost keys on holiday
"Holiday lockouts and lost key situations make up a significant part of our summer work across the Jurassic Coast, Dartmoor, the South Hams and North Devon. We come to wherever you are, beach car park, holiday cottage, hotel car park."
On a spare key
"Having a spare key is the single best protection against being stranded by a lost or damaged key. Once we have created your replacement key, we can cut and program a spare on the same visit for a reduced additional cost."
What DB Car Keys Customers Say
Verified Google reviews from lost car key and spare key customers across Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
Car Makes Covered for Lost Key Replacement
Key blanks and key programming cover lost keys for every major vehicle make on UK roads.
Call 07830249408 with the registration, and the key type is confirmed on the phone.
Lost Car Key Service Areas in Three Counties
Lost car keys are replaced at the car across Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
EX, PL and TQ postcodes, including Dartmoor, the coast and rural areas.
DT postcodes, where the holiday towns see the most lost keys in summer.
TA and BA postcodes, covering Glastonbury, the A303, the Somerset Levels and rural Somerset.
Call 07830249408 for lost car keys in EX, PL, TQ, DT, TA and BA postcodes.
Lost Car Keys FAQs
Fourteen common questions about lost car keys, with the answers.