Car Key Replacement: comparing quotes

It depends on the starting point. Adding a spare to a car with a working key is often the shortest kind of visit. An all-keys-lost job on a newer vehicle takes longer, because the car has to be opened, the lock decoded, the immobilizer reset and any security timer waited out. Milling a high-security blade and pairing a proximity fob add their own steps. The locksmith gives you a realistic window once the VIN and the situation are known.

Erasing the keys you no longer hold

Removing lost or stolen keys from the immobilizer during the session is a small extra step, and re-registering the keys you kept follows it. If you want the old keys silenced, say so and it is quoted.

Condition of the locks and ignition

A door cylinder seized with salt or an ignition with worn wafers may need freeing, servicing or rebuilding for the new key to feel right. That work is quoted as its own item alongside the key.

How many keys you leave with

Each key is a blank, a cut and a programming slot, so the total follows the count. Making the spare during the same visit is usually the sensible time to do it.