Lost All Your Car Keys? What Happens Next
All keys gone? Here's the full picture: what to do in the first hour, what the locksmith actually does, what it costs, and the traps to avoid. No dealer visit needed for most cars. Call 07425 435697 now — open 24/7.
The first hour
- Check the obvious places once, properly.
Coat pockets, bags, the last place you were. One thorough check — not six panicked ones.
- If they were stolen, call the police.
Get a crime reference number. Then secure the car (see below).
- Call a locksmith, not a tow truck.
Have the make, model and year ready. You'll get an exact price and a realistic arrival time.
- Gather your ID and paperwork.
Photo ID plus the V5C logbook. With no key, the checks are thorough — that's for your protection.
What the locksmith does (the full job)
This is called "all keys lost" in the trade. With nothing to copy from, we work from your car's own security data:
- Read the immobiliser data from the car.
- Generate a new key matched to that data.
- Cut the blade to fit your locks.
- Program the chip or fob so the car recognises it.
- Test everything — locks, ignition or start button, boot, remote functions.
All of it at the car, in one visit. The car never needs to move.
What it costs — and why
All-keys-lost is the most involved key job, and it's priced that way. The car's make, year and key type set the figure — you'll get the exact number on the phone. Two things worth knowing:
- It's still usually cheaper than the dealer route (key + programming + tow + days of waiting).
- Get a spare cut at the same visit. It's a fraction of the all-keys-lost price, and it means you never go through this again.
Traps to avoid
- The £29 advert. A tiny call-out fee that balloons on arrival. A real quote is the full job, agreed before travel.
- Ordering a cheap blank online first. Some won't program to your car. Call us before you buy, not after.
- Anyone who skips the ID check. Creating a key from scratch without verifying ownership is a red flag the size of a house.
- "We need to take the car away." No — a mobile auto locksmith does this where the car sits. If someone says it needs to go to a workshop, get a second opinion.
If the keys were stolen
Mention it when you call. We'll wipe the stolen key from the car's memory during programming, so it can never start your car again. Keep the crime reference number for your insurer.