Lost Car Key Replacement in Manhattan Beach, CA

What counts as 'all keys lost' on a car?

When every key to a car is gone, with no spare in a drawer and no second fob at a relative's house, there is nothing to copy. That is the situation this page covers: you have lost all car keys and need a replacement car key without the original. It is different from a duplicate, where we copy a key that still exists. It is also different from a lockout, where the key exists but is out of reach.

Modern vehicles often need more than a cut piece of metal. Depending on the car, a new key may need to be cut to fit the locks, the car's computer may need to be told to accept it, and a remote or fob may need to be paired. What your car needs depends on its make, model, year and how it was built. We confirm that by VIN and in person rather than guessing over the phone.

Losing every key is stressful, but it is routine work for a locksmith who handles vehicles. In many cases it can be solved right where the car is parked, without a tow.

How do we make a new car key when you have no original?

Every vehicle is a little different, but the process follows the same shape. Here is how a typical lost-all-keys job goes with us.

1. Call (213) 577-1366. The line is answered every hour of every day. Give us the year, make and model, and tell us exactly where the car is parked.
2. We ask a few plain questions: does the car start with a turned key or a push button, did it ever have a remote, and is the ignition or a door lock damaged in any way.
3. You show ID and proof the car is yours. We ask for this on every lost-key job, and it protects you as much as it protects us.
4. A mobile van comes to the car. We confirm the VIN, look at the door lock and the ignition, and tell you what your vehicle needs before we start cutting anything.
5. We cut a new key to match your car's locks. Where the vehicle requires it, we also program the new key so the engine will start with it.
6. If you want a remote or fob, we pair it as part of the same visit where the car allows it. If the vehicle turns out to be dealer-only for some part of this, we tell you at this stage.
7. We test everything with you standing there: door locks, trunk, ignition, starting the engine and any remote buttons. Then we hand you the keys.

What should you have ready when you call?

A little preparation makes the job smoother. None of this is complicated, and if you can't find something, call anyway and we will work out the next step with you.

• The exact spot where the car is parked, including the cross street if it is on the street.
• Year, make and model of the vehicle, and whether it starts with a push button or a key.
• The VIN, which is usually visible at the base of the windshield on the driver's side or printed on your registration.
• Photo ID, plus registration, title or other proof that the vehicle is yours.
• Any pieces you still have: a broken key half, a cracked fob shell, a dead remote. Even damaged parts help us identify what the car originally came with.
• A way to reach you, and anyone who can open a gate or garage if the car is behind one.

How much does lost car key replacement cost in Manhattan Beach?

We don't quote a number on this page, because honest pricing depends on your specific car, and a figure printed for every vehicle would be wrong for most of them. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost up or down, so nothing on the invoice surprises you.

Once we know your vehicle, we go over the cost with you before the work begins.

• The vehicle itself. Make, model and year decide how the key is built and how it has to be set up.
• The type of key. A plain metal key, a key with an electronic chip, a remote-head key and a push-button-start smart key are very different pieces of hardware.
• Whether the key must be cut, programmed, or both, and whether a remote or fob is included.
• How many keys you want made. Having a spare produced while we are already there is usually the more economical route compared with calling again later after losing the only one.
• Whether the locks or ignition are worn or damaged, which can add work before a new key will behave properly.
• Where and when you call. A van going out to a car late at night is a different job from a scheduled visit.
• Whether any part of the job has to go through a dealer, which we tell you plainly if it applies.

Will my car need the dealer instead of a locksmith?

Often a mobile locksmith can handle a lost-all-keys situation without the dealer, and that usually means no tow and less waiting. But not every vehicle works that way, and we won't pretend otherwise.

Some makes, models and years have security systems that can only be keyed through the manufacturer or dealer. Other vehicles fall in between, where the work is possible but depends on exactly how the car was built. We cannot tell which group your car belongs to from a general description, and information online about specific models is sometimes conflicting or unverified. That is why we confirm by VIN and in person.

If your car turns out to be dealer-only, we tell you right away, before you pay for a visit that cannot finish the job. If part of the work is ours and part is the dealer's, we explain what goes where, so you are not bounced around.

What changes for lost car keys in Manhattan Beach?

Manhattan Beach is in Los Angeles County, ZIP code 90266, and our storefront is about 17 miles away at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood. Because we work from vans, we come to you instead of asking you to come to us. How the job goes depends a lot on where the car is sitting.

In the Sand Section, the walk-streets make parking and access tight. Your car may be parked a block or more from your front door, so give us the exact street and the nearest cross street. If keys vanished during a day near the Manhattan Beach Pier or The Strand, tell us which lot or block the car is on. Salt air is also hard on exterior metal near the beach. If your door lock or ignition feels rough or gritty, mention it, because a worn lock can affect how a new key turns.

In the Tree and Hill Sections, cars are usually in a driveway, in a garage or on the street in front of the house. In El Porto, many people live in apartments and duplexes near Highland Avenue, and the car is often on the street nearby. If your car keys and your door keys were on the same ring, tell us, because you may be dealing with two problems at once. Manhattan Village is a gated condominium and townhome community near the mall, so arrange for someone to let the van through the gate or give us the guest entry instructions.

If the car is in a public spot such as the Manhattan Village Shopping Center, Metlox Plaza or near Polliwog Park, we only need a clear description of where to find you. The work itself, cutting and programming, is the same wherever the car is parked. What changes is access, and a precise location solves most of that.

Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a lost car key?

There are plenty of ways to find a locksmith with a phone and a search bar. Here is what is actually different when you call us, and nothing here is a promise of a result. It is just how we run the company.

California requires locksmith companies to hold a BSIS LCO license, and you should ask any locksmith for it before they start work on your car, including us. A real company will not mind the question.

• We have been in business since 1987, so vehicle lost-key situations are not new to us.
• We have a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood, plus mobile service vans. You are not calling an anonymous call center.
• You deal with one company. There is no dispatch middleman passing your job to whoever picks it up.
• David, the owner and lead technician, oversees the work.
• The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year, at (213) 577-1366.

What should you do before the locksmith arrives?

A few sensible steps can save you effort and sometimes avoid an unnecessary job altogether.

• Search the likely places once more: pockets, bags, the car's last parking spot, the place you were before. A lost key often turns up.
• Check with anyone who has driven the car or might hold a spare, including a partner, a family member, a parking attendant or a valet.
• Don't force the door or the ignition. Forcing a lock can damage it and turn a key job into a repair job.
• If a key broke off inside the ignition or a door lock, say so when you call. That is a different first step, and our page on broken key extraction explains it.
• If you can see the key inside the locked car, you may have a lockout and not a lost-key problem. In that case car lockout service is the lighter-cost option.
• Stay near the car if you can, with your ID and registration within reach.

Is lost car key replacement the service you actually need?

This page is about the all-keys-lost case. If you still have one working key, you are better off with a different job. Making a spare while you still have a key is usually the more economical route, and our car key replacement page covers it. If you have a key but the remote is dead or missing, see key fob replacement. If the key exists but the car will not recognize it, transponder key programming is likely the right path.

If the key goes in but won't turn, or the ignition cylinder is worn, ignition repair is the one to read. For a broader view of what we do on vehicles, our automotive locksmith page lists it. And if you want to know how the van side of our work operates, see mobile locksmith service.

Not sure which of these fits? Call (213) 577-1366 and describe what happened. We will tell you which service you need, even if it is not this one.

More locksmith help in Manhattan Beach

• Automotive Locksmith in Manhattan Beach
• Car Key Replacement in Manhattan Beach
• Ignition Repair in Manhattan Beach
• Key Fob Replacement in Manhattan Beach
• Transponder Key Programming in Manhattan Beach
• 24 Hour Locksmith in Manhattan Beach
• All services in Manhattan Beach

Lost Car Key Replacement near Manhattan Beach

• Hermosa Beach
• El Segundo
• Redondo Beach
• Lawndale
• Hawthorne
• Torrance