Losing any of your belongings is annoying, but losing your car keys is especially frustrating.
I’ve lost my keys, what should I do?
Speak to an auto locksmith who'll be able to replace your locks, programme a new key, or reprogramme a second key you may have for your vehicle. This will make sure your car is safe and secure.
If your key’s stuck inside your car, they’ll be able to gain entry for you.
You can contact franchised dealers to get a new set of car keys, but this might be expensive and take longer to sort.
A lot of modern keys are expensive to replace and will have to be programmed, so make sure you shop around to get the best price.
How much does it cost to replace a car key?
It depends on the type of car you own. It could cost anything between £180 and £1,000 – although for some high-end luxury cars, like Bentley’s, it could cost up to £8,000.
Checkatrade reports the average cost of car key replacement is £240.
Are my car keys covered by my insurance?
It depends on your insurer and your level of cover.
On all of our car policies apart from Third Party Only, if you lose your keys (or they’re stolen from somewhere other than your car), we’ll pay up to £500 towards the cost of replacing the keys and locks.
Once we agree to the claim, you’ll need to organise the replacement yourself and we’ll reimburse you for costs up to £500. We’ll only be able to pay your claim if you have replaced the keys and locks.
You won’t need to pay an excess, and your No Claims Bonus won’t be affected.
How to keep my keys safe
If you have spare keys, make sure you keep them somewhere accessible in case your main set goes missing.
If you keep your car and home keys on the same bunch, don’t keep your spares at home as you may not be able to get to them.
Ask a family member or friend to keep them safe at their home so you can access them if you ever need to.
