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Auto Locksmith Kia in St Albans and Hertfordshire
Herts Car Keys makes and programs Kia keys at the vehicle, across St Albans and Hertfordshire, from a base at Peartree Farm in Welwyn Garden City. A Kia takes one of 7 key systems built between 1996 and the current cars, running from Megamos 13 / ID13 to Hitag AES / ID4A, or Texas AES ID75, on the KIA7 and KIA15 blades. Every one of them is worked at the vehicle rather than at a dealer. Darius Arbaciauskas attends himself. Car keys start from £120 and every key carries a 12 month warranty.
- 7 key systemsCovered on this make
- £120Car keys start from
- 12 monthsWarranty on every key
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- Over 7,000jobs completed
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- SERMI approvedDBS checked and fully insured
- 12 month warrantyon every key
Kia Key Systems by Model Year
Kia has run 7 key and immobiliser systems in the United Kingdom, from Megamos 13 / ID13 on cars of 1996 to 1998 to Hitag AES / ID4A, or Texas AES ID75 on 2020 to 2026.
| Key system | Approximate years | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Megamos 13 / ID13 | 1996 to 1998 | Philips 13 / ID13 on the earliest Kia range |
| Megamos Crypto 48 / ID48 | 1999 to 2001 | Used on Sportage JA |
| Texas Crypto 4D ID60 | 2001 to 2005 | Used on Sportage AL and Rio DC |
| Philips Crypto 2 / Hitag 2 / ID46 | 2002 to 2015 | Used on Picanto SA, Rio JB, Ceed ED, Sportage KM and SL, and Sorento BL and XM |
| Texas Crypto DST80 / ID6E-MA, or Philips Crypto 2 / Hitag 2 / ID46 | 2011 to 2018 | Used on Picanto TA, Rio UB, Ceed JD, Sportage QL and Sorento UM as two parallel families |
| Philips Crypto 3 / Hitag 3, or Texas AES ID75 | 2016 to 2026 | Used on Picanto JA, Rio YB, Ceed CD, Sportage QL facelift, Sorento UM facelift, Niro DE and Stonic |
| Hitag AES / ID4A, or Texas AES ID75 | 2020 to 2026 | Used on Sorento MQ4, Sportage NQ5 and Niro SG2 |
Year bands overlap, because a manufacturer changes system part way through a model run rather than on the first of January.
Kia Key Work Covered From St Albans
Six kinds of Kia key work are carried out where the car stands, across the 7 key systems in the table above.
- Replacement Kia keys. Cut to the KIA7 profile at the vehicle and programmed where the key and the vehicle require it, which is the car key replacement work the St Albans page sets out in full.
- All keys lost on a Kia. A key built from the vehicle itself when nothing is left to copy, which on a Hitag AES / ID4A, or Texas AES ID75 car is read from the vehicle rather than cut from a code.
- Kia lockouts. The KIA7 lock is picked or decoded using non destructive entry methods designed to avoid damage to the door, the lock and the glass.
- Spare Kia keys. Cut at the vehicle and programmed where the key and the vehicle require it, from a working original, so the Hitag AES / ID4A, or Texas AES ID75 system stays as it is.
- Kia fob and remote faults. A fob that locks the doors and leaves the engine dead points at the remote rather than the Hitag AES / ID4A, or Texas AES ID75 transponder, and both are tested before a key is quoted.
- Older Kia models. Cars on Megamos 13 / ID13 are still worked on, and an early transponder key is often the quicker job of the two because there is less to synchronise.
The Key Blade Used on a Kia
The blade is the metal part of the key that turns in the lock or sits inside the fob. On Kia the profile is KIA7, KIA15, KIA9, HY20, HYN14, HYN17, HYN17R, HY22 and MAZ20, which decides the blank that is cut and the decoder that opens the lock when no working key is left.
- KIA7. Used on Kia.
- KIA15. Used on Kia.
- KIA9. Used on Hyundai and Kia together.
- HY20. Used on Hyundai and Kia together.
- HYN14. Used on Hyundai and Kia together.
- HYN17. Used on Hyundai and Kia together.
- HYN17R. Used on Hyundai and Kia together.
- HY22. Used specifically for Kia Niro, Sportage and Ceed.
- MAZ20. Used on a blade chart under Kia.
Blade codes are an aftermarket convention rather than Kia part numbers, so the blank is checked against the lock on the day.
Kia Models Covered Across Hertfordshire
The key system table above is built from 7 Kia models, and those are the Kia models worked on across St Albans and Hertfordshire. They are Picanto, Rio, Ceed, Sportage, Sorento, Niro and Stonic.
Texas AES ID75 and Hitag AES ID4A smart keys from 2017 on Picanto JA and Stonic, 2018 on Ceed CD and Sportage QL facelift, 2020 on Sorento MQ4, 2021 on Sportage NQ5 and 2022 on Niro SG2.
A Kia outside this list is checked against the registration rather than assumed either way, because the key system decides the job and the badge does not.
What a Kia Key Job Costs
Car keys start from £120 and car lockouts from £100. A Kia key sits inside that range or above it according to which of the 7 systems is in the car, because a Megamos 13 / ID13 key and a Hitag AES / ID4A, or Texas AES ID75 key are different parts and different programming.
There is no Kia model or year range that is closed to an independent locksmith. Where a particular vehicle turns out to need manufacturer level access, Darius says so on the phone rather than at the kerb.
From around 2011 Kia runs two transponder families in the same model and the same year, so a Kia is identified from the vehicle rather than assumed from the model year.
What Happens When You Call About a Kia
Five steps from the first call to a working key.
Contact Darius. The line is answered at any hour.
Give the registration, the model year and the problem. On a Kia the year decides which key system is in the car, so it decides the tool.
Take the price and the arrival estimate. The exact price is confirmed before work starts.
Darius attends. He checks authorisation where ownership verification is required.
The work is completed and tested at the vehicle. Any key supplied carries the 12 month warranty.
Who Attends the Kia Job
Darius Arbaciauskas attends every job himself. Six years in the trade, over 7,000 car key and lockout jobs, and one locksmith in the business, so the person who quotes the Kia work is the person who arrives.
He is approved under the SERMI scheme, DBS checked and fully insured, and every key carries a 12 month warranty.
Kia Keys Made at Your Vehicle
Call Darius with the registration and the model year.
Recent Car Key Jobs From the Record
No Kia job is held in the record that can be shown here, so the entries below are other makes.
| Vehicle | What happened | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Skoda Karoq | Every key gone, nothing left to copy | A new key made from the vehicle itself |
| 2018 BMW 520d, G series | Every key gone, nothing left to copy | A new key made from the vehicle itself |
The town each job was carried out in is not stated, because the record does not hold it.
Makes Closest to Kia by Key System
Three makes that share a key platform with Kia, then the full list.
Hyundai shares key systems with the other Hyundai Motor Group make and is covered from the same van.
Lexus shares the Toyota transponder families and is covered from the same van.
Toyota shares the Toyota transponder families and is covered from the same van.
All car makes covered lists every make on the van and the makes that are not covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Call 07308 888825Can a Kia key be made when every key is lost?
Yes. The lost car key work builds a key from the Kia itself, so nothing has to be copied, and it is carried out where the car stands, at a home, a works unit or the roadside. On a Kia the job depends on which of the 7 key systems is in the car, which is read from the registration.
How much is a replacement Kia key?
Car keys start from £120. A Kia key sits inside that range or above it according to the key system, because a Megamos 13 / ID13 key is a different part from a Hitag AES / ID4A, or Texas AES ID75 key and takes different programming. A spare cut from a working key is the cheaper of the two.
Which key system is in my Kia?
The model year identifies it. Kia ran Megamos 13 / ID13 on cars of 1996 to 1998, and Hitag AES / ID4A, or Texas AES ID75 on 2020 to 2026. The table on this page lists the 7 systems and the years for each.
Does a Kia key have to go to a dealer?
Not on the models covered here. There is no Kia model or year range that is closed to an independent locksmith, and Herts Car Keys is approved under the SERMI scheme, which gives an independent a recognised route to manufacturer security data on the makes that take part. Where a particular vehicle turns out to need manufacturer level access, Darius says so on the phone.
Which key blade does a Kia use?
Kia uses 9. They are KIA7, KIA15, KIA9, HY20, HYN14, HYN17, HYN17R, HY22 and MAZ20, and the one on a given car follows the model and the year.
Can a locked Kia be opened without breaking anything?
The car is opened using non destructive entry methods designed to avoid damage to the door, the lock and the glass. The method is chosen from the vehicle and the lock rather than applied the same way to every car.