Guides
Plain answers to the questions we get on the phone, written before you spend money.
More guides
Broken or Wet Key Fob: What Can Be Repaired Before You Buy New
Most fob damage stops at the case.Car Recovered After Theft or Keys Stolen: What to Do With the Keys
A recovered car can come back with a thief's key in its memory, and on some cars with your own key erased.Costco, AutoZone, the Hardware Store or a Locksmith: Who Can Make Your Car Key
Match the place to the key.Which Car Keys Really Need the Dealer in 2026
Dealer-only is often outdated.One Ford Key, or Only a MyKey: How a Second Key Gets Made
Ford's built-in routine for adding a key needs two working keys, so a Ford with one key gets its second through a programming tool on the...How a Locksmith Programs a Car Key, Step by Step
Programming a car key is two jobs.Which Battery Your Key Fob Takes, by Make and Key Style
The number printed on the cell already in your fob beats any chart.Locked Out of Your Car: What to Do, in Order
Try every door and any spare, then the metal blade hidden in a smart fob.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.A Spare Car Key Now, or the Same Key Plus $60 and a Wait
Once a key goes missing, you buy one either way.Car Keys at the Beach in San Diego: Theft, Surf Keys, Salt Water
Local news in 2026 reported thieves watching surfers hide keys at beach lots, lock boxes included, then taking the cars.Transponder Key vs Smart Key: How Each One Works
Both keys carry a code the immobilizer must approve before the engine runs.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.Why a Used Key Fob Usually Won't Program to Your Car
A salvage-yard or secondhand smart key has usually been registered to another car, and on Toyota, Lexus, Honda and Nissan smart keys that first...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.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.