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How Much Is a Replacement Car Key in the UK?
A replacement car key in the UK costs between £80 and £500 for most vehicles, and the average sits close to £250. The price depends on the key type, the make and model year of the vehicle, whether a working key still exists and who makes the key. Herts Car Keys replaces car keys from £120 at the vehicle.
- £250UK average
- £80 to £500Typical range
- From £120Herts Car Keys
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Replacement Car Key Prices by Key Type
Car keys fall into five types, and the type sets the floor of the price. A key with no electronics is cut from metal alone. A key with a chip is cut and then paired with the immobiliser of the vehicle. A key that also locks the doors or starts the engine without leaving a pocket carries more electronics again, so the part itself costs more.
| Key type | What it does | Typical UK price |
|---|---|---|
| Basic mechanical key | Turns the door lock and the ignition. No chip, so the engine starts on the blade alone. | £80 to £160 |
| Transponder key | Carries a chip that the immobiliser reads before the engine starts. | £100 to £250 |
| Remote key fob | Adds buttons that lock and unlock the doors from a distance. | £130 to £350 |
| Flip key | Folds the blade into the body of the fob on a spring. | £150 to £350 |
| Smart keyless key | Unlocks the doors and starts the engine while it stays in a pocket. | £200 to £500 |
The bands above cover the whole job on a normal vehicle, which means the blade, the part, the programming and the test. A quote that sits far below the band usually covers one step only, such as a blank fob with no cutting and no programming.
Replacement Car Key Cost by Car Make
The make and the model year move the price inside the band for the key type. Two things drive that difference. Premium and off road makes fit more electronics into the key, so the part costs more. Some makes also hold their key data behind manufacturer security systems, which adds time at the vehicle.
| Make group | Makes in the group | Typical replacement key price |
|---|---|---|
| Volume makes | Vauxhall, Ford, Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Renault | £100 to £300 |
| Volkswagen group | Volkswagen, SEAT, Skoda | £150 to £350 |
| Japanese and Korean makes | Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Hyundai, Kia, Suzuki | £150 to £400 |
| Premium German makes | BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche | £250 to £600 |
| Land Rover and Jaguar | Land Rover, Range Rover, Jaguar | £300 to £800 |
| Performance and luxury | Low volume and high specification models | £600 and above |
The group gives the band and the model year gives the figure inside it. Herts Car Keys works on most car makes. Tesla is not covered at present, and Mercedes replacement key work is limited to supported models up to 2015.
What Changes the Price of a Replacement Car Key
Six details change the figure on a car key quote, in roughly this order of weight.
- The key type. A chip, a remote or a keyless system each add to the part and to the time.
- The make and the model year. The same key type costs more on a premium make than on a volume make.
- Whether a working key still exists. A copy is cheaper than a key made from the vehicle itself.
- Who makes the key. A main dealer, a mobile auto locksmith, a high street counter and an online seller charge very differently.
- The hour of the visit. A call out at night or at a weekend costs more with most providers.
- Whether the key is cut only or cut and programmed. Those are two separate jobs and many quotes cover only one.
Car Key Cutting Prices Compared With Programming
Cutting and programming are two different jobs, and a price seen online often covers one of them. Cutting shapes the metal blade so that it turns the door lock and the ignition. Programming pairs the chip inside the key with the immobiliser of the vehicle so that the engine starts.
| Step | What it covers | Typical UK price |
|---|---|---|
| Cutting a blade from a working key | A copy of an existing blade on a duplicating machine. | £15 to £40 |
| Cutting a blade to the key code | A blade cut to factory depths when no key exists to copy. | £30 to £80 |
| Programming a key to the vehicle | Pairing the chip with the immobiliser through the diagnostic port. | £50 to £200 |
| Cutting and programming together | The whole job in one visit, which is how most keys are quoted. | £100 to £350 |
A cut blade with no programming opens the doors on a car with an immobiliser and leaves the engine off. That is the single most common reason a cheap online key disappoints.
Spare Car Key Cost Compared With a Replacement After a Loss
A spare car key and a replacement car key are two different jobs with two different prices. A spare is copied while a working key still exists, so the working key supplies the blade pattern and the vehicle accepts the new key in a short session. A replacement after every key is lost starts with nothing to copy, so the vehicle is opened, the key data is read from the car itself and the immobiliser accepts a key it has never seen.
That difference is the strongest argument for making the second key early. A spare made today costs less than the same key made in a car park at midnight, and it removes the recovery, the wait and the stress from the day a key goes missing.
Where to Get a Replacement Car Key in the UK
Four routes make car keys in the UK, and each one suits a different situation.
| Route | What it suits | Typical price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main dealer | The newest models and vehicles under warranty. | £200 to £600 | Several days, with the vehicle booked in |
| Mobile auto locksmith | Most cars and vans, including every key lost. | £100 to £350 | Same day at the vehicle |
| High street key counter | Simple blades and some remote keys. | £20 to £150 | While you wait, for supported keys |
| Online key seller | A blank or used fob that still requires cutting and programming. | £10 to £80 for the part | Cutting and programming booked separately |
The two routes that finish the job in one visit are the dealer and the mobile auto locksmith. Herts Car Keys works as a mobile auto locksmith, so the key is cut, programmed and tested where the vehicle stands, and the car key replacement in St Albans page sets out that service.
The Cheapest Way to Replace a Car Key
The cheapest route depends entirely on whether a working key still exists. These five options run from cheapest to dearest.
- Copy a spare from a working key before the last key is lost. This is the lowest figure available for a second working key.
- Call a mobile auto locksmith once every key is gone. The key is made at the vehicle, so no recovery is added to the bill.
- Claim on key cover if the policy includes it and the excess is lower than the replacement price.
- Use a high street counter for a plain blade on an older vehicle with no immobiliser.
- Order a key online only when the cutting and the programming are already arranged with someone who works on that make.
A used fob bought online is often locked to the car it came from, which means it never pairs with a second vehicle. The part is cheap and the wasted visit is not.
Extra Charges That Appear on a Car Key Quote
Five charges sit outside the price of the key itself and account for most of the gap between a quote on the phone and a bill at the end.
- Call out fee. A fixed charge for travelling to the vehicle, which some providers fold into the key price and others add separately.
- Out of hours rate. A higher figure at night, at weekends and on bank holidays.
- Recovery. The cost of moving the vehicle when the key is made somewhere other than where the car stands.
- Immobiliser work. A separate job when the fault sits in the vehicle rather than in the key.
- VAT. Quotes from a registered business include it at the standard rate, and a figure quoted without it reads lower than the bill.
A provider that confirms one figure on the phone before setting off removes all five from the equation.
What Proof Is Required Before a Replacement Car Key Is Made
Any locksmith or dealer who makes a key checks that the person asking is entitled to a key for that vehicle. That check protects every driver, because the same tools that make a key for an owner make one for a thief.
- Photographic identification in the name of the keeper.
- Proof that the vehicle belongs to that person. The V5C log book is the DVLA document that names the registered keeper.
- The make, the model and the model year of the vehicle.
- The vehicle registration, and the vehicle identification number where the key is ordered against it.
Gathering those four before the call shortens the visit and firms up the quote, because the key type is identified from the vehicle details rather than guessed.
How Long a Replacement Car Key Takes
A spare copied from a working key is usually finished inside an hour at the vehicle. A key made when every key is lost takes longer, because the car is opened first and the immobiliser then accepts a key it has never seen. A dealer route runs to several days, because the key is ordered against the vehicle identification number before any work starts.
Who Wrote This Guide
Darius is the owner of Herts Car Keys and the locksmith on every job. He has six years in the trade and has completed over 7,000 car key and lockout jobs, so the figures above come from quoting this work every day.
SERMI Approved, DBS Checked and Fully Insured
Herts Car Keys holds approval under the SERMI scheme, which gives an independent locksmith a recognised route to manufacturer security data for the makes that take part.
Prices Confirmed Before Any Work
Herts Car Keys gives one figure on the phone that covers the key, the cutting, the programming and the visit.
Get a Replacement Car Key Price Before You Book
Herts Car Keys replaces car keys from £120 at the vehicle, 24 hours a day. Call 07308 888825 or send a WhatsApp message with the make, the model, the year and the location, and Darius confirms the exact price before he sets off.
Guides and Services Next to Car Key Prices
Three pages carry the detail behind the figures above.
A spare car key is the cheapest second key, because it is copied from a working key before the last one is lost.
Lost car key replacement covers the job when no working key remains and the key is made from the vehicle itself.
The guide to key replacement cover in car insurance sets out what a policy pays towards the figures on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Call 07308 888825How much is a replacement car key in the UK?
A replacement car key in the UK costs between £80 and £500 for most vehicles, and the average sits close to £250. A basic mechanical key sits at the bottom of that range and a smart keyless key sits at the top.
What is the cheapest way to replace a car key?
The cheapest route is a spare key copied from a working key before the last key is lost. Once every key is gone, a mobile auto locksmith is normally the cheapest way to get a working key, because the key is made at the vehicle and no recovery is booked.
Is a locksmith cheaper than a dealer for a car key?
An auto locksmith is cheaper than a main dealer on most vehicles. A dealer orders the key against the vehicle identification number and books the car in, so the bill carries the part, the labour and often a recovery. A locksmith makes the key where the car stands.
How much does it cost to cut a car key?
Cutting a blade on its own costs from around £15 at a counter for a simple key and from around £30 at the vehicle for a blade cut to the key code. Cutting alone does not start a car with an immobiliser, and the car key cutting service covers both routes.
How much does car key programming cost?
Programming a key to a vehicle costs between £50 and £200 on most cars when it is booked on its own. It is cheaper as part of a new key, because the locksmith is already at the vehicle with the tool connected. The car key programming page explains the step.
How much is a replacement key fob?
A remote key fob costs between £130 and £350 for most vehicles, including cutting and programming. A fob with worn buttons or a cracked case is often repaired for less than a new one, and key fob repair covers that work.
Is a spare car key cheaper than a replacement?
Yes. A spare copied from a working key costs less than a key made when every key is lost, because the working key supplies the blade pattern and the vehicle accepts the new key in a shorter session.
Does car insurance pay for a replacement car key?
Standard comprehensive cover rarely pays for a lost key on its own. Key cover added to the policy pays for the key, inside a limit and after any excess.
How much is a replacement car key for a Vauxhall?
A Vauxhall key sits in the volume make band, from around £100 for an older blade to around £300 for a smart key. The guide on how to get a new Vauxhall car key covers the models and the process.
How much is a replacement car key for a Hyundai?
A Hyundai key normally falls between £140 and £300, depending on the model year and the key type. The guide to replacement car key cost for a Hyundai covers the detail.
How much is a replacement Mercedes car key?
A Mercedes key sits in the premium band and normally starts around £250. The guide to replacement Mercedes car key cost covers the models and the routes.
Can a replacement car key be bought online?
A blank fob or a used fob is bought online for a low figure, and it arrives uncut and unprogrammed. A used fob is often locked to the car it came from, so the saving disappears once cutting, programming and a second visit are added.
How much does it cost when every car key is lost?
An all keys lost job costs more than a spare, because the vehicle is opened first and the key data is read from the car itself. A lost key job starts from £120 with Herts Car Keys and the exact figure is confirmed before work starts.
How long does a replacement car key take?
A spare copied from a working key is usually finished inside an hour at the vehicle. An all keys lost job takes longer, because the vehicle is opened and the immobiliser accepts a key it has never seen. A dealer route runs to several days.
The locksmith answers
Honestly, the question I get asked every week is why one quote is £90 and another is £260 for what sounds like the same key. Nine times out of ten the cheap one is the blade on its own, and the caller finds out at the car that the engine still does not turn over.
My advice is simple. Ask whoever quotes you two questions. Does the price include programming, and is that the final figure at the door. If both answers are yes, you are comparing like with like.
And if you are reading this with one key left in your pocket, get the spare made now. It is the cheapest key you ever buy.