What to Have Ready for a Replacement Car Key
A few pieces of information decide whether a key can be cut and programmed where you are parked, or whether it needs more time or equipment.
Year, make, and model
This is the single most useful detail. Key type, cutting method, and programming steps all follow from it. The model year matters as much as the model, because manufacturers change key systems from one generation to the next, and sometimes mid-generation.
Whether you still have a working key
If one key still works, a new one can usually be cut and programmed alongside it fairly quickly. If every key is lost, the vehicle has to be read to recover or generate the key data first. That takes longer, occasionally involves an added security wait imposed by the manufacturer, and is not possible on every vehicle.
The type of key
Describe what you have as best you can: a plain metal key, a metal key with a plastic head and remote buttons, or a fob with no blade that starts the car with a button. If the blade folds out of the fob with a switch, mention that too. The car key replacement page has a short breakdown of the categories.
Proof the vehicle is yours
Be ready to show a photo ID and a document tying you to the vehicle, such as the registration, title, or insurance card. A key will not be made without it.
Where the vehicle is
Service comes to the car. A flat, safe spot with room to work is ideal. If it is in a parking deck, a gated lot, or on a busy roadside, say so on the call so the visit can be planned.
A note on spares
If you are down to one key, getting a spare made now is far simpler than starting from all-keys-lost after the last one disappears. It is worth doing before you need it.
To arrange a replacement key, call (866) 306-9624 with the details above.