Same Key as the Dealer, Usually $120 to $300 Less, Made at Your Car
A smart key the dealer quotes at $480 is about half that from us, cut and programmed beside your car. Chip keys start at $125, smart keys at $229, all with a one-year warranty.
Every price includes the drive to you anywhere in San Diego County. There is no trip fee and no after-hours rate inside our open hours.
How the visit works
Four steps, one trip, one number.
Tell us the car
Call or text the car's year, make, model and location. A photo of the key you have now helps, and the VIN settles any doubt about the chip.
Hear one number
One figure covers the key, cutting, programming and drive, with an honest arrival time, typically 45 to 90 minutes inside open hours. Nothing is added later.
Made where the car sits
Your driveway, an office garage, the lot at work. We cut the blade on board and pair the chip and remote through the port under your dash.
Test it, then pay
Start the engine, lock and unlock the doors, press every button. Only then does money change hands, card or cash, and the twelve-month warranty begins.
Why the same key runs less here
A building, a markup and a tow sit inside the dealer bill, and none of them improve the key.
No showroom
No shop, no lounge, no front desk. The van is the workshop, so your money buys the key and the labor of making it, not a showroom.
No service-department markup
Dealers bill the key as parts and the programming as labor, each line with its own margin. Our one figure holds both, so nothing grows at the counter.
Keys bought direct
We buy OEM and OEM-grade keys direct from suppliers and stock the common makes on board, so the right chip reaches you without a parts-department margin.
One visit at the car
No tow, no second trip for an ordered key, no morning in a waiting room. One stop wherever the car is parked: cut, programmed, tested.
Three ways to get a car key
What each route can and cannot do, and what it tends to cost.
| Hardware store kiosk | Dealership | Value Car Keys | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip, remote and smart keys | No. Metal blade only, no chip | Yes | Yes |
| Car has to be there | n/a | Yes | No. We come to the car |
| Wait for a part | None | 1 to 3 days if ordered | Common keys on the van |
| Typical smart key | n/a | $400 to $750 | $229 to $399 |
| Warranty | None | One year | One year |
What the dealer quote leaves out
The dealer's first number is rarely the whole bill.
A tow, $125 to $200
Without a working key, your car reaches the dealer's service bay on a flatbed, which usually costs $125 to $200. We drive to it, and the trip is in our number.
One to three days' wait
Parts counters do not stock every key. An ordered one takes one to three days, while a towed car waits in the dealer's lot for it.
Half a day off work
Service departments book appointments in business hours, and drop-off, waiting and pickup can eat half a workday. We come any day, 7 AM to 9 PM, weekends included.
Programming as a separate line
A parts counter often quotes the part alone. The service department then bills programming separately, usually $100 to $180. Ours is inside the number from the first call.
Find your make
Each make page shows its keys by year, with our from-price beside the dealer's.
Toyota keys
from $129 at your carKeep up to $251 vs the dealer
Honda keys
from $139 at your carKeep up to $241 vs the dealer
Ford keys
from $129 at your carKeep up to $211 vs the dealer
Chevrolet keys
from $125 at your carKeep up to $211 vs the dealer
Nissan keys
from $135 at your carKeep up to $271 vs the dealer
Hyundai keys
from $129 at your carKeep up to $231 vs the dealer
Kia keys
from $129 at your carKeep up to $231 vs the dealer
Subaru keys
from $139 at your carKeep up to $241 vs the dealer
Which key do you have?
Tap the one that looks like yours.
More than spare keys
Lockouts, lost last keys, fobs bought online, stuck ignitions and broken keys, all from the same van.
Lost car keys
Lost every key?from $185Spare car key
A spare costs the key price for your car, from $125 for a chip key, made where you park.from $125Smart key replacement
A new smart key is $229 to $399 at your car, blade cut and fob programmed; dealers charge $400 to $750.from $229Key fob programming
Pairing a fob you already own is $79 to $119 at your car; a dealer charges $120 to $200.from $79Key fob battery
Most of the time, a fob that quit locking the doors needs a fresh coin cell, and that is what you hear when you call.from $20Car lockout
We open a locked car for $79 to $129, travel included, using a wedge and a reach tool that leave the paint, the door frame and the weatherstrip as...from $79Ignition repair
We replace a failing ignition cylinder at your car for $179 to $349, keyed to the key on your ring; the dealer bill runs $350 to $700, often with...from $179Broken key extraction
We remove a key snapped off in a door, trunk or ignition for $89 to $149 at your car, with thin extractors instead of a drill, so the lock keeps...from $89Something wrong with the key you have?
The most likely cause first, what to try before calling, and what the fix costs.
Key won't turn
The usual culprit is the steering column lock gripping the cylinder.Car won't recognize key
Most often it is the key, not the car: a flat smart key cell or a chip that stopped answering.Key fob not working
A tired coin cell is the most likely cause, so fit a fresh one, often a CR2032, before anything else.Key stuck in ignition
Usually the shifter stopped a hair short of Park.Spare key won't start car
A spare that unlocks the car and leaves the engine dead is usually missing a chip, or was never programmed to that car.Every city in the county, one set of prices
Oceanside to Chula Vista, Encinitas to El Cajon, the drive is inside the price.
- Carlsbad
- Chula Vista
- El Cajon
- Encinitas
- Escondido
- La Mesa
- Lemon Grove
- National City
- Oceanside
- Poway
- San Diego
- San Marcos
- Santee
- Spring Valley
- Vista
- All service areas
Read before you buy
Short guides on the questions we answer on the phone every day.
Lost Your Car Key? What to Do in the First Hour
Search your route and make a few calls, then check the car is locked with no key inside.Your Used Car Came With One Key: Add a Second, Clear the Rest
No federal or California law makes a seller hand over two keys, and many used cars arrive with one.Costco, AutoZone, the Hardware Store or a Locksmith: Who Can Make Your Car Key
Match the place to the key.Why Car Keys Cost So Much, and Where Each Dollar Goes
A car key today is a security chip, often with a small radio, riding on a metal blade.Questions people ask
How much does car key replacement cost in San Diego?
Most chip keys run $125 to $199 and most smart keys $229 to $399, no trip fee. Dealers here typically quote $230 to $380 and $400 to $750, so most customers save $120 to $300. Your make is on the pricing page.
Is your key the same as the dealer's key?
Yes, in every way your car checks. Each one is an OEM or OEM-grade part carrying the chip your car was built for, cut to your key code and paired through the steps a dealer technician follows. Our warranty runs a full year.
How soon can you get to my car?
Usually 45 to 90 minutes from your call, inside open hours, which run 7 AM to 9 PM daily. It depends on where the car is and the job ahead of yours, and the estimate you get on the phone is honest, not hopeful.
What if I lost every key to the car?
We still make the key where the car is, at $60 above the spare-key figure. The code comes off your VIN, the blade is cut to it, and the immobilizer learns the new chip. Bring the title or registration plus a matching ID.
When do I pay, and how?
After the new key works. You start the car and try the remote, then pay by card or cash. The total is the figure quoted on the phone, because nothing about the drive or the programming gets billed separately at the car.
Should I ever go to the dealer instead?
Sometimes, and we tell you so up front. Mercedes issues its own keys for most 2014 and newer models, certain BMWs from 2019 onward are similar, and a basic no-chip key runs close to the dealer's figure. Most other cars are done where they sit.
Get the dealer's key without the dealer's bill
Call or text (619) 340-1518 with the car's year, make and model. If a dealer already quoted you, send that quote over for our answer on the same key.