What should you do first when you've lost all your car keys?
Losing the only key to your car is a bad moment. Losing every key is worse, because there is no spare to copy and nothing to fall back on. It is also a situation with a clear way through. We confirm what vehicle you have, confirm that you own it, and make a new key from scratch. You do not need the original in your hand for any of that. Wilshire Lock & Key has been doing this kind of work since 1987.
Before you call, take a few minutes to rule out the easy outcomes. Check your pockets, your bag, the jacket you wore yesterday, and the last place you set things down. If you were out walking near the dam, retrace the route to the parking lot. If the car is in your driveway and the key is somewhere in the house, that is a search, not a replacement. Once you are sure the keys are gone, stop searching. Also stop trying to force the car, because prying at a door or a lock can turn a key problem into a repair bill.
It helps to have a few things ready when you phone (213) 577-1366:
- Where the car is right now, and whether we can get to it easily or need a gate code or access instructions.
- The make, model, and year, plus the VIN if you can find it. It is usually on your registration or insurance card.
- Your registration or title and a photo ID, since we need to see that the car is yours.
- Whether a spare key exists anywhere: a family member, a drawer, a dealer, a roommate.
- Whether the car is parked somewhere safe or somewhere it needs to be moved from.
How do you get a replacement car key without the original?
A replacement car key without the original is not a copy. A copy is traced from a key that already works. When every key is lost, the key has to be created from information about the vehicle itself. The metal part, if your car has one, is cut to match the lock. Many vehicles also have electronic security that has to recognize the key before the engine will start, so that part has to be set up to work with your car. Which of these applies to yours depends on the make, model, and year. That is why the first thing we ask for is the vehicle, not the problem.
Here is how a typical lost-all-keys job goes with us:
- You call (213) 577-1366. The line is answered around the clock, every day of the year. We ask about the vehicle, where it is, and what happened.
- We confirm what your vehicle needs by VIN and in person. This is where we tell you plainly whether we can make the key on site or whether your car is one of the dealer-only cases.
- We verify ownership. Expect to show a registration or title and a photo ID that match.
- Our van comes to the car. If your situation is better handled another way, we explain the options before any work starts.
- We cut and, where the car requires it, program the new key, then test it properly. That means starting the engine, locking and unlocking, and checking any remote functions.
- We talk through the lost keys. Depending on the vehicle's system, it may be possible to have the old keys stop working so that a found key cannot start the car. We tell you whether that applies to yours.
- We suggest making a spare while we are already there, because a second key is much easier now than the next time you lose one.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Can every car key be replaced without going to the dealer?
Most can, but not all, and we would rather say so up front. Some vehicles use security procedures that only the manufacturer's dealer can complete, or that need a part or code we cannot obtain independently. For those cars, the honest answer is that the dealer is the route. We will tell you that as soon as we have checked the VIN, so you are not waiting on a visit that cannot produce a working key. For vehicles where the information is unclear, we confirm by VIN and in person rather than guess over the phone.
The type of key your car uses shapes the whole job. Roughly, there are three groups:
- Basic metal keys with no electronics. These are the simplest to cut from scratch.
- Keys with an electronic security component inside the head. These need to be set up to work with your specific car. Our page on transponder key programming explains that side in more detail.
- Remote and push-button-start keys, where the key doubles as a fob. If your situation involves a fob, see key fob replacement.
What affects the cost of a lost car key replacement in Lake View Terrace?
We do not quote numbers on a web page because the honest range is wide, and a figure that fits one car would be wrong for the next. Here is what actually moves the cost of a lost car key replacement, so you can judge any quote you get from anyone:
- The vehicle. Make, model, and year decide what kind of key is involved and how much work it takes to make one without an original.
- The key type. A basic cut key, a key with electronic security, and a smart key are different jobs with different parts and different time at the car.
- Whether the key can be made on site. If your car needs a dealer-only procedure, our part may shrink to advice and the dealer's charges become the main cost.
- How many keys you want. Making a second key during the same visit is usually the more economical way to get a spare, compared with a separate visit later.
- Whether anything else is damaged. If the ignition or a lock was forced before we arrived, that is a repair on top of the key.
- Where the car is and when you need us. A van trip to a canyon-edge property or a late-night call involves different effort than a daytime job close to our base.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What does losing your car keys look like in Lake View Terrace?
Lake View Terrace, ZIP 91342, is about 21 miles from our storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, and our mobile vans make that drive. The neighborhood is spread out and semi-rural in feel. That shapes how a lost-key job unfolds here more than any single street does.
Take the Hansen Dam area. The Hansen Dam Recreation Area has parking lots where people leave the car for a walk, a swim, or a round of golf. A key slipping out of a pocket on a trail is exactly how someone ends up with no keys and a car in a lot. If that is you, call us and tell us which lot and where in it you parked. If the key is still locked inside the car, that is a different job. See car lockout service instead, because it is usually faster and lighter-cost than making a new key.
Along the Wentworth Street equestrian corridor and up toward the Little Tujunga Canyon area, many properties have long gated driveways, barns, and corrals. A lost key there often means a car parked at the far end of a long drive, behind a gate. Tell us the gate code or whether someone can open it, so our van can reach the car. Keys on these properties are often on one ring with gate, barn, and house keys. If that whole ring is gone, replacing the car key is only one piece. Consider rekeying the locks that ring opened.
The Foothill Boulevard corridor is where the apartment and condo complexes cluster. If you live in one, give us your building, the parking area, and any gate or access details so we can find the car. For properties near Shadow Hills and near Kagel Canyon, the same applies: the more precisely you can describe where the car sits and how to reach it, the smoother the visit goes.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for lost car keys?
Wilshire Lock & Key has been in business since 1987. We run a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles, CA 90024, along with our mobile vans, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Lake View Terrace among them. When you call (213) 577-1366, you reach us, not a call center that sells the job to whoever is nearest. The same company that answers the phone sends the van.
David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. For lost-all-keys jobs, where a mistake can mean a car that will not start, that matters. You are dealing with a company that has a name and an address attached to it. Our mobile locksmith service is built for situations like this one, where the car cannot go anywhere until it has a key.
One more thing worth knowing: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith you are considering for their license number before they start work.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How can you tell a trustworthy locksmith when you're stranded?
When you have no keys and no car, you are in a weak position, and some operators know it. A few checks protect you:
- They ask about the vehicle and ask to see proof you own it. A locksmith who skips that step is a problem for you and for every car owner.
- They explain what the cost depends on before they begin, rather than giving a vague figure that grows on arrival.
- They have a real business address and answer the phone with a company name.
- They can show a BSIS LCO license on request.
- They tell you honestly when your car is a dealer-only case instead of promising what they cannot deliver.
What should you do after the new keys are working?
Once you are driving again, do three things. First, get a spare made now, and keep it somewhere other than your regular key ring. A key duplication visit from a working key is a much simpler and more economical job than starting from nothing again. Second, ask whether the lost keys can be made to stop working on your vehicle, and decide if you want that done. Third, think about where the lost keys could have ended up. If they were lost near your home or on a ring with your address on it, rekeying the house is worth considering.
If the ignition feels rough, sticks, or will not turn smoothly, mention it while we are at the car. A worn or damaged ignition can make a new key seem faulty when the problem is the lock itself. That belongs to ignition repair, and it is better caught at the time of the visit than discovered on the road.
Call when you're ready
If you are standing in a lot at Hansen Dam, sitting at home on a gated lot off Wentworth Street, or parked at your apartment off Foothill Boulevard with no key, call (213) 577-1366. Someone will answer at any hour, any day. Tell us the car, tell us where it is, and we will tell you what is possible, what it depends on, and what the next step is.
Frequently asked questions
Can you really make a car key if I have lost every key?
Yes, in most cases. We create the key from information about your vehicle instead of copying an existing one. Some vehicles have dealer-only procedures, and we tell you plainly if yours is one of them. We confirm by VIN and in person rather than guess.
How long does a lost car key replacement take?
It depends on the vehicle and the type of key, so we do not promise a clock time. A basic key is quicker than one that needs to be set up to work with your car's security system. When we confirm your vehicle, we can tell you what to expect for that job.
How much does it cost to replace a lost car key in Lake View Terrace?
It depends on the make, model, and year, the type of key, how many keys you want, whether anything is damaged, and where and when we are needed. We explain those factors on the phone and when we see the vehicle. A spare made in the same visit is usually the more economical route.
Do I need to prove the car is mine?
Yes. We ask to see your registration or title and a photo ID that match. It protects you and every other car owner, because it stops a stranger from getting a working key to your vehicle.
Will my lost key still start the car after you make a new one?
It may, unless the old key is removed from the car's memory. Whether that is possible depends on the vehicle's system. Ask us during the visit and we will tell you whether it applies to your car.
My car is in a Hansen Dam parking lot. Can you come to me?
Yes. Our mobile vans serve Lake View Terrace and the Hansen Dam area, and the phone is answered 24 hours a day. Tell us which lot, where in the lot the car sits, and the make, model, and year. If the key is locked inside the car, that is a car lockout rather than a lost-key job, and it is often simpler.
Should I call a locksmith or go to the dealer?
For many vehicles, a locksmith can make the key where you are, with no tow to a dealer. Some cars do require the dealer, and we will say so honestly once we have checked the VIN. Either way, you should know which route applies before you spend money.
Can you reach a car parked behind a gate on a ranch property?
Usually, as long as we can get through the gate. Many properties around Wentworth Street and the Little Tujunga Canyon area have long gated driveways. Give us the gate code or arrange for someone to open it, and tell us how far up the drive the car is parked.
More locksmith help in Lake View Terrace
Lost Car Key Replacement near Lake View Terrace
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.