Lost Car Keys in Reading
Matt Ladds makes a new car key at your vehicle in Reading and across Berkshire when every key is lost, with no original needed to copy from.
All keys lost jobs in Reading usually cost 150 to 400 pounds, agreed before Matt sets off.
When Every Key Is Gone, Not Just One
There is a real difference between damaging a key and losing every key you have for a vehicle. This page covers the second situation, with no working key anywhere, whether it went missing on a night out, was left somewhere and never turned up, or was taken along with a bag or wallet. Matt attends in person across Reading and Berkshire, and in most cases can produce a new working key directly at the vehicle without an original to copy from.
When only one key is damaged or misplaced and a working spare still exists, the job is a simpler car key replacement, cut and programmed from the key you still have. This page is specifically for when nothing is left to fall back on.
What All Keys Lost Actually Requires
Without an original key to copy, the process is more involved than a straightforward replacement. Matt first needs to gain access to the vehicle, then identify the key and immobiliser system fitted, before a new key can be cut and programmed from scratch. That typically means the seven steps below.
- Non destructive entry to the vehicle first
- Reading the key and security system of the vehicle
- Cutting a new blade to fit the ignition or door locks
- Programming the transponder, remote or smart key from scratch
- Removing any lost or stolen key from the memory of the vehicle where supported
- Testing locking, unlocking and engine starting before finishing
- Confirming whether a spare key should be cut at the same time
Not every vehicle supports every step in the same way. Older or simpler security systems are usually quicker to resolve than newer, more complex ones, which is one reason the price varies by vehicle rather than being fixed.
Different Ways of Losing Every Key
Misplaced somewhere unknown
Sometimes there is no clear moment it went missing, and the key is just not turning up. Matt treats this the same as a confirmed loss, because creating a new key is usually faster than an extended search.
Lost while out and about
Dropped somewhere, left behind, or simply gone by the time you got back to the car. The vehicle still needs a new key regardless of exactly where the old one is now.
Taken along with a bag or wallet
This adds a security dimension, since whoever has the key may also know which car it belongs to. The Škoda job further down this page shows how a stolen key is removed from the car.
Found again after a replacement
If the original turns up later, it can generally be handed in or kept as a spare once the new key is confirmed working, and Matt will advise based on what was done at the time.
How an All Keys Lost Call Out Works
Four steps, from the call to driving away.
Matt checks the situation by phone, including the vehicle, the location and whether there is genuinely no key left anywhere.
Suitable identification and proof of ownership are checked before any security work begins.
Non destructive entry first, then a new key cut and programmed from scratch using the system of the vehicle itself.
Where supported, the lost key is removed from the memory of the vehicle, and locking, unlocking and starting are all tested.
A Recent All Keys Lost Job
The bag of a customer was stolen at the airport, and with it went the only key to their Škoda Enyaq, leaving no working key at all and a real security concern, since whoever took the bag also had the key to the vehicle. Matt attended, supplied two new key fobs and a replacement door lock, and reprogrammed everything through the Škoda dealer level ODIS software so the stolen key could be properly removed from the system of the car rather than left as a second valid key.
This is the scenario this page covers. It is not a single damaged key with a spare in the drawer, but genuinely nothing left to fall back on. The two new fobs were cut and coded at the car before the lock was fitted.
Is It Definitely the Key That Is Gone?
Occasionally what looks like a lost key is actually a key that is still in the car, or a fault preventing the existing key from working at all. That is an accidental lock in rather than a genuine loss, or an immobiliser fault stopping a key that is actually fine from being recognised. Matt will ask a few questions by phone to confirm which situation applies before treating it as a full all keys lost job.
How Much Does It Cost to Replace Lost Car Keys in Reading?
Replacing lost car keys in Reading usually costs 150 to 250 pounds for a transponder key and 200 to 400 pounds or more for a remote or smart key, with the price agreed by phone before Matt sets off.
All keys lost jobs generally cost more than a straightforward replacement, since there is more work involved in creating a key from nothing. Matt confirms the vehicle and situation by phone before giving a price, so there is no surprise once he arrives. Five things move the price.
There is no call out fee either way. The price is agreed before Matt sets off, not after he arrives.
Information to Have Ready
Have the following ready where possible, so Matt can confirm what is involved and give an accurate price.
- Vehicle registration
- Make, model and approximate year
- Your Reading or Berkshire location
- Confirmation that no key remains at all
- Whether the vehicle is also locked
- Whether the key was lost, or taken along with other items
- Whether you have a spare key elsewhere, even if not with you now
- Proof of vehicle ownership, ready to show on arrival
Starting From Nothing Is Still a Same Day Job, Usually
All keys lost sounds worse than it usually is to resolve.
The vehicle stays where it is, and Matt brings the equipment to create a key on site.
The same person who quotes the job does the diagnostic work and the key creation.
A stolen key can usually be removed from the memory of the vehicle, not just replaced alongside it.
No call out fee, and the price reflects the actual job once it is understood.
What Reading Drivers Say
Key Genie is rated 5.0 on Google, including from customers who have had all their keys replaced from scratch.
If This Is Not Quite the Right Fit
Key still here but the car will not recognise it or start? The fault may be in the car, not the key.
Emergency Auto LocksmithNeed this resolved right now, day or night? Matt is available 24 hours for urgent call outs.
Car Key ProgrammingThe electronic matching step that turns a freshly cut key into a working one.
Lost Car Keys Across Berkshire and Major Vehicle Brands
Areas Covered
All Berkshire areasVehicle Brands
View all brandsLost Car Keys FAQs
What should I do if I lost my car keys?
If you have lost your car keys, retrace the places you last used them, report a stolen key to the police and your insurer, then call an auto locksmith to make a new key at the car and remove the lost key from its memory. In Reading, Matt confirms the price by phone before he sets off.
Can a high street key cutting shop replace a lost car key?
No, a high street key cutting shop needs an existing key to copy, and a modern car key also needs its chip programmed to the car. When every key is lost, the new key is made at the vehicle by an auto locksmith or ordered through a main dealer.
Can you make a car key with no original at all?
Yes, in most cases. Matt can gain entry to the vehicle and cut and program a new key from scratch using the security system of the vehicle itself, without needing an original key to copy from.
What if my car is locked and I have no key at all?
That is the most common version of this job. Matt gains entry first using the same non destructive methods as the locked keys in car service, then creates the new key once inside.
Is losing all my keys different from losing one of several?
Yes. If a working key still exists elsewhere, the job is quicker and less involved, and a spare car key cut from it costs less than an all keys lost job. This page covers situations where nothing is left at all.
Can lost keys still be used to steal my car later?
It depends on the vehicle and how the keys were lost. On supported vehicles, a lost or stolen key can be removed from the authorised key memory of the car, which is exactly what happened in the Škoda job above.
What if I find my old key after getting a replacement?
If the old key was removed from the system of the vehicle, it generally will not work again even if it turns up. If it was not removed, it may still be treated as a valid key, and Matt can advise once he knows what was done.
Does losing all my keys mean the locks need changing too?
Not usually, since modern car security relies mainly on the electronic key system rather than the physical lock. Occasionally a lock is also replaced if it was involved in how the keys were lost, as with the door lock in the Škoda example.
Can this be done as an emergency, at night or on weekends?
Yes, Matt is available 24 hours for situations like this. Response time depends on where he is already working, so call for an honest estimate rather than assuming a fixed wait.
Will my car insurance cover this?
That depends entirely on your own policy, which is a question for your insurer rather than something Matt can confirm. He can provide an invoice for any claim you make.
How is this different from a regular car key replacement?
A regular replacement usually means one key is damaged or lost while another still works, a comparatively simple job copied from the working key. All keys lost means creating a working key from nothing, which takes longer and needs vehicle entry first.
Do you cover vans as well as cars for all keys lost jobs?
Yes, the same process applies to vans and commercial vehicles across most major manufacturers.
Can a lost car key be tracked?
No, a standard car key has no GPS or tracking chip, so a lost key can only be found if a tracker tag was attached before it went missing. Matt makes a new key at the vehicle instead, and on supported models the lost key is removed from the car so it cannot start it.
No working key anywhere?
Share your make, model, year and location, and Matt will confirm the price before attending. Call 0118 469 3408 or request a quote online.