Car Key Replacement in Los Angeles, CA

What does car key replacement actually involve?

A car key is no longer just a piece of cut brass. Depending on the vehicle, the key you carry might be a plain mechanical blade, a blade with a transponder chip in the head, a remote-head key with buttons built in, a key with a laser-cut track milled into the side, or a smart key you never insert at all. Replacing one means two jobs that have to agree with each other: cutting the metal so it turns the lock, and programming the electronics so the car accepts it.

At Wilshire Lock & Key we have been doing this kind of work since 1987, and the first thing we do on any call is figure out which kind of key your car uses. That depends on the make, model and year, and the honest answer is that we confirm it by VIN or by looking at the vehicle in person. We do not guess over the phone and then show up with the wrong blank. Some vehicles are straightforward. Others have security systems that need specific equipment, and a small number are dealer-only for reasons outside any locksmith's control. We will tell you which group yours falls into before any work begins.

This page covers replacing and adding car keys: spares, duplicates, and replacements for keys that are worn, broken or gone. If your situation is a specific one, such as every key lost, a dead fob or a damaged ignition, we have separate pages for those, and we point to them below.

Which car key situation are you in?

People call us about car keys for different reasons, and the reason changes how the job goes. Here are the common ones.

• You have one working key and want a spare car key before you lose it. This is the easiest and usually the more economical route, because we can often work from the key you already have and the car is available to program.
• You want a duplicate car key because the current one is worn, the buttons are failing, or the blade no longer turns smoothly. A worn key is a bad template, so we look at the car as well as the key.
• You have lost your only key. Nothing exists to copy, so the key is generated from the vehicle's information and the car has to be programmed to accept it. Our lost car key replacement page explains that process in detail.
• The key snapped in the door or ignition. The broken piece has to come out first. See broken key extraction for how we handle that, then we cut a new key.
• The key works the buttons but the car will not start, or the key sticks, turns hard or will not turn in the ignition. That can be the key, the chip or the ignition itself, and we sort out which one it is.

How does mobile car key replacement work?

Most car key work is done where the car is parked. Our vans carry key-cutting equipment and programming tools so the cutting and programming both happen at your curb, in your building's garage or in a parking lot. You do not need to tow the car anywhere for a standard key job. If you would rather come to us, our storefront is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, and that is a good option for a spare when the car is not in a hurry.

Here is how a typical mobile job goes.

1. You call (213) 577-1366. Someone answers at any hour, any day. Tell us the make, model and year, what keys you have, and where the car is.
2. We ask for the VIN if you can read it off the dashboard or the driver's door jamb. That lets us confirm the key type and what programming the car needs rather than assuming.
3. We tell you what the job involves, what will affect the cost, and whether anything about your vehicle points to a dealer-only step. You decide whether to go ahead.
4. A technician comes to the car. We ask you to show that you own or are authorized to use the vehicle, usually with ID and registration or title. This protects you as much as anyone.
5. We cut the key to the vehicle's code or to your existing key, as the situation requires.
6. We program the key to the car and check everything: the key turns the door and ignition, the car starts, and any buttons on the key work.
7. If you ordered a spare, we test both keys. You leave with working keys, and we recommend keeping the spare somewhere other than your main key ring.

Can you do same day car key replacement?

Often, yes, and that is one reason people call a mobile locksmith instead of waiting on a dealer's schedule. We answer around the clock, and many vehicles can be handled in a single visit. But we will not promise a same-day finish for every car, because it depends on things we can only confirm once we know your vehicle.

What decides whether same day car key replacement is realistic:

• The key type. A basic blade or a common transponder key is usually quick. A less common or more heavily secured key may need a part ordered or specialized equipment.
• Whether you have a working key. Adding a key with one in hand is generally simpler than starting from nothing.
• The vehicle's security system. Some systems program in a single visit, while others need extra steps or access we simply do not have.
• Whether the key blank or fob is available. If we have to source something specific, that can move the timeline.
• Where the car is. A car in an open lot is easier to work on than one trapped in a secured garage we cannot enter.

What affects the cost of a replacement car key?

We do not quote numbers on a web page, because a number given without knowing your car would be a guess, and guesses are how people get surprised at the end of a job. Here is what actually moves the cost, so you can compare any quote you receive fairly.

The type of key is the biggest factor. A plain mechanical key is a different job from a transponder key, and both are different from a remote-head key or a push-button smart key. The more electronics in the key, the more the key itself costs and the more programming is involved.

Whether you have an existing key matters next. Making a duplicate car key from a working one is usually the lighter-cost option. Replacing a key when none exist takes more steps, because the key information has to come from the vehicle itself.

The vehicle's make, model and year decide what equipment and procedures apply. Some brands are simple to work with, and others have tighter security that requires more time or specialized tools.

The number of keys you want cut at once also plays in. Adding a spare during the same visit is typically more economical than calling us back later, since the setup work is already done.

Finally, the time and place. A visit to a parked car in the middle of the night is not the same as coming by the Westwood storefront during the day. We give you the full picture of the job on the phone before a technician heads out, so nothing is a surprise when the work is done.

Should you use a locksmith or the dealer?

Both are legitimate options, and the right one depends on your car. A mobile locksmith's biggest advantage is that the work comes to you, which saves a tow or a trip and usually fits around your day. For many vehicles, a locksmith can cut and program a key without any dealer involvement at all.

There are cases where the dealer is the practical route, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise. Some vehicles use security that is restricted to the manufacturer, or require a key or code only the dealer can supply. In those cases we will tell you plainly after confirming by VIN, so you do not pay for a visit that cannot finish the job. If we can do it, we will. If we cannot, you will hear that before work starts.

One more point of caution: California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith you call to give you their license number before they begin work. It is a reasonable question and a reasonable thing to expect a clear answer to, no matter who you hire.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for your car keys?

There are plenty of ads promising a locksmith at your car in no time. Here is what we can actually tell you, without hype.

• We have been in business since 1987. Car keys have changed a great deal in that time, and we have worked through those changes rather than arriving late to them.
• We run a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood plus mobile vans. You can visit in person, and you can also have us come to you.
• We are one company. The person who answers (213) 577-1366 is part of the same business that does the work, with no call center passing your job to whoever bids lowest.
• David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work. If something is unusual about your key or your car, it goes through someone with decades of context, not a stranger learning on your vehicle.
• The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round, including holidays and the middle of the night when a lost key tends to happen.
• We tell you when something is outside what a locksmith can do, including dealer-only situations, rather than taking a job we cannot finish.

Car key replacement across Los Angeles neighborhoods

Our storefront sits in Westwood in the 90024 ZIP code, so we are close to UCLA and Westwood Village, and that is where a lot of our car key calls begin. Student housing around campus means keys get lost, left in a bag, or dropped somewhere between a lecture hall and an apartment. Often the car key is on the same ring as the apartment key, so one lost ring turns into two problems. If you are locked out of the apartment as well, our apartment lockout page covers that side of it, and we can handle both on the same call.

Down the Wilshire Corridor and into Century City, many people live in condominium high-rises with assigned garage parking. Replacing a car key there is mostly a matter of access: the technician needs to reach the garage level where the car is parked, so it helps to tell your building management in advance or meet us at the entrance. Because we work at the car, you do not have to move it to us.

In renter-heavy areas such as Palms and Koreatown, cars are frequently parked on the street or in shared, gated lots. That is fine for mobile work. We program the key where the car sits, as long as we can safely get to it and you can show that it is yours. Downtown Los Angeles works the same way for people who park near work or home: we come to the vehicle, whichever lot or curb it is in.

Whichever part of the central or west side you are in, the sequence is the same. Call, give us the make, model, year and VIN if you can, and we tell you what the job involves. We also serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, so if your car is somewhere other than the city itself, ask. For broader context on how we cover the area, see our mobile locksmith page.

What should you have ready before you call?

A few details make the call faster and the quote more accurate. You do not need all of them, and we can still help if you are missing some.

• The make, model and year of the vehicle.
• The VIN, visible through the windshield at the dashboard corner or on the driver's door jamb sticker.
• Proof that the car is yours, such as your ID and the registration or title.
• Any key you still have, even one that is worn, cracked or not working well.
• Exactly where the car is parked, including the level, the street or any gate code or access instructions.
• How many keys you want. If you are already paying for the visit, a spare is worth adding.

Related car key services

Car keys overlap with several other jobs, and we would rather point you to the right one than stretch this page over all of them. If your key fob has stopped working but the car still starts with the blade, see key fob replacement. If the chip is the issue, or you need a key added to the car's system, see transponder key programming. If the key goes in but the ignition will not turn or has been damaged, that is ignition repair. And if the keys are locked inside the car, our car lockout service gets you in without a new key being needed at all.

When you are not sure which one you need, call (213) 577-1366 and describe what is happening. We will point you to the right fix, even if it turns out to be simpler than you feared.

More locksmith help in Los Angeles

• Automotive Locksmith in Los Angeles
• Ignition Repair in Los Angeles
• Key Fob Replacement in Los Angeles
• Lost Car Key Replacement in Los Angeles
• Transponder Key Programming in Los Angeles
• 24 Hour Locksmith in Los Angeles
• All services in Los Angeles

Car Key Replacement near Los Angeles

• Beverly Hills
• West Hollywood
• Culver City
• Santa Monica
• Marina del Rey
• Inglewood