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Lost your car key: locksmith or the dealer?

The honest comparison for Mountain View drivers: what a mobile locksmith does at the car, what only the dealer can do, and how to tell which car you have.

Delete the lost key

Programming the new key can erase the lost one, so whoever finds it holds a useless piece of plastic.

Why not the dealer

No tow truck, no service-department waitlist, no leaving the car overnight. The truck comes to the key problem.

Locksmith opening a locked car door in Mountain View, CA

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Domestic, Japanese, European

Domestic pickups, Japanese sedans, and most European cars too.

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Fleet and work trucks

Multiple keys, recorded and organized for the company, keyed alike where the fleet allows it.

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Old cars welcome

Pre-transponder classics get simple mechanical keys cut from the door lock.

Which one, in one line

A mobile locksmith comes to the car in Mountain View and cuts and programs a working key on the spot, chip and remote included. The dealer does the same job at their lot, after you've had the car towed there, and often after ordering the blank. Only a few of the newest or rarest models are dealer-only.

Everything below is the reasoning, for anyone who wants it before deciding.

Car key programmer plugged into the OBD port, CA

Key cutting machine in the service vehicle, CA

Three parts to a key

A car key is three things in one: a blade cut to the lock, a transponder chip the immobilizer checks before the engine starts, and usually a remote for the locks. A replacement has to get all three right. The blade is cut to the car; the chip and remote are programmed to it with equipment that connects to the car's own computer.

Both a locksmith and a dealer have that equipment; the locksmith's is built to cover many makes, the dealer's covers one.

Where a locksmith wins

If every key is gone and the car is in a parking lot in Mountain View, a locksmith is the only route that doesn't start with a tow. If you still have one key and want a spare, the locksmith does it at your home in the time it takes to make coffee. Broken blades, dead remotes, keys that have started to stick in the ignition: all locksmith jobs, all done where the car is.

Give the year, make and model on the phone so the right blank rides along. Bring ID and proof the car is yours; the technician checks both, the same way a dealer would.

Where the dealer wins

Some cars are dealer-only: certain very new models, a few luxury brands that lock their key systems, and cars in the first season of a redesign. A good locksmith knows the list and will say on the phone if yours is on it, rather than arrive and shrug. A key that failed under warranty is also a dealer conversation first.

If it's a dealer job, check whether they'll come to the car; some will, most want it on the lot.

How the visit goes

ID first, then the car is opened if needed. The technician reads what's needed from the car, cuts the blade in the vehicle, programs the chip through the diagnostic port and pairs the remote. Every function gets tested before anyone leaves. A spare made at the same time is the sensible extra.

Programming and testing take most of the time; cutting is the quick part.

Things people are told

Chip keys are dealer-only. Not for most makes. A locksmith's key is somehow lesser. Same blank, same programming, tested at the car. Lost keys mean a new ignition. Rarely; the key is made to the lock you have. It's smarter to wait for the dealer. Only if you enjoy paying for a tow and going without the car.

Questions we get asked

Can you make a key when all of mine are lost?

For most cars, yes. Nothing needs to be towed; the key is made at the car.

Do you program remotes and fobs?

Yes, including push-button start fobs on most models.

How do you know I own the car?

ID plus registration, insurance or title. It's checked every time.

Which cars can't you do?

A few brand-new or luxury models. Tell us the year, make and model and we'll say on the phone.

Should I make a spare now?

Yes, while there's still a working key. It's the easy version of this job.

Call and it's handled

Tell us your street and we send a tech.

Call now