What do you do when you've lost all your car keys in Sun Valley?
Losing one key is an annoyance. Losing every key is a different problem, because there is no spare to copy and nothing to fall back on. Maybe the set went missing somewhere along the Roscoe Boulevard corridor, maybe it fell out of a pocket between the car and the front door, or maybe it was taken. Whatever happened, the situation is the same: the car will not start, and you need a key the car will actually accept.
Start by checking the unglamorous places one more time: coat pockets, the last bag you carried, under the seats if you can still get into the car, and anywhere you stopped on the way home. If the keys are truly gone, call us before you commit to anything expensive. Many people assume the only answer is a tow to the dealership and a long wait. Often there is a shorter route, and a phone call costs you nothing.
If the keys were stolen, or if your house key was on the same ring, think about the locks at home too. A rekey makes lost keys useless without replacing the hardware, and our lock rekey service in Sun Valley covers that separately from this page.
How can you get a replacement car key without the original?
A car key is really two things. One is the physical cut, the pattern that turns the lock cylinders. The other, on many vehicles and especially newer ones, is an electronic identity: a transponder chip or a smart-key module that the car's computer has to recognize before it lets the engine run. When you have an original, a locksmith can copy it. When every key is lost, nothing gets copied. We create each part from the vehicle itself.
The cut comes from the key code. Depending on the make, model and year, that code may be obtainable from the VIN with proof of ownership, or it may have to be read from the car's own door or ignition lock. We won't guess which applies to your car until we've checked the VIN.
The electronic part is programmed to the car on site, with our equipment, where the vehicle allows it. Some cars accept a new key after all keys are lost through a fairly straightforward procedure. Others need extra steps, and a few are dealer-only. We tell you which group yours falls into before we send a van. Our pages on transponder key programming and key fob replacement go deeper on each key type, and the broader car key replacement page covers the cases where you still have one working key.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366How does a lost-all-keys job work, step by step?
Every vehicle is a little different, but a lost car key job at Wilshire Lock & Key generally follows this order. Because we work as a mobile locksmith, the work happens where your car is sitting, whether that's a driveway, an apartment lot, or a street.
- You call (213) 577-1366. A person answers, any hour of any day. Tell us the year, make and model, where the car is parked, and whether you have any key at all, even a broken one.
- We ask for the VIN and use it to work out which key your car uses, whether it needs a chip or a smart key, and whether it is something we can do at the curb or something that has to go through the dealer.
- We explain plainly what the job involves and what drives the cost, and you decide whether to go ahead.
- A van comes to the car. Before any work starts, we check your photo ID against the registration or title. This protects you, and a locksmith who skips this step is not one you want working on your car.
- If the car is locked, we open it without damage first. That is its own skill, covered on our car lockout page.
- We cut the new key from the code or the lock information, then program it to the car.
- We test everything: starting the engine, turning the key in the doors and trunk, and the remote buttons if your key has them. Where the vehicle supports it, we also remove the lost keys from the car's memory so they can no longer start it. We confirm per vehicle whether that is possible.
When is the dealer the only option?
Some vehicles lock key programming behind manufacturer-only systems, or require a key that has to be ordered from the maker against your VIN. We would rather tell you that on the phone than send a van that cannot finish the job. If your car is a dealer-only case, we'll say so plainly.
There is another honest limit. If the problem is not only the key, for example a worn or damaged ignition cylinder, a new key will not fix it. In that case you are looking at ignition work as well, and our ignition repair page explains what that involves. We would rather tell you what we find at the car than sell you a key that will not turn.
And if the VIN, the registration and your ID do not line up, we cannot proceed. That can be frustrating in the moment, but it is the same rule that keeps a stranger from having a key made to your car.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What affects the cost of lost car key replacement?
We don't post numbers on a web page, because the honest answer changes car by car. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost, so the quote you hear on the phone makes sense.
On comparing us with the dealer: when a car can be handled at the curb, mobile service often removes the tow and the wait, which makes it usually the more economical route. That is not true for every vehicle, and for dealer-only cars it does not apply at all. Where a lighter-cost option exists, such as a simpler key type that still works with your car, we will point it out.
- The vehicle: make, model and year decide the key type, the programming method and the equipment involved.
- The key type: a basic cut key, a transponder key, a remote-head key and a smart key are very different products.
- How we get the key code: some cars give it up from the VIN, while others need the locks read or decoded, which takes more labor.
- How many keys you want: making two at once is usually more economical per key than calling us back later for a spare.
- Whether the car has to be opened first, if it is locked.
- Where you are and what hour it is: distance and after-hours calls affect the cost of getting a van to you.
- The condition of the car's locks and ignition: worn or damaged parts can add work.
Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a lost car key?
Plenty of locksmith ads route your call to a call center, which then passes the job to whoever happens to be available. That is not how we work. Here is what you actually get:
- Since 1987: we have been doing this long enough to have watched car key systems change several times over.
- A real storefront and mobile vans: our shop is at 10740 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024, in Westwood, and the vans are what come to you in Sun Valley, about 17 miles away.
- One company, no dispatch middlemen: the people who answer the phone are the people who send the van.
- David's oversight: David, the owner and lead technician, stands behind how the work is done.
- Phone answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366.
What does lost car key replacement look like around Sun Valley?
Sun Valley, ZIP 91352, is spread out: long corridors like Roscoe Boulevard, Glenoaks Boulevard and Sunland Boulevard, the industrial stretch of San Fernando Road, and quieter residential blocks in Stonehurst and toward La Tuna Canyon. A lost-keys call can come from any of them, and the van goes to the car rather than the other way around.
Take a car left near the Sun Valley Metrolink Station with no keys. Towing a keyless car is awkward, and it is often unnecessary. Give us the street or the lot and where the car sits, and we come to that spot.
Along the Glenoaks Boulevard corridor, where apartment pockets mix in with the houses, cars usually park in shared lots or on the street. Registration and ID may be inside your unit, so bring them down before we arrive. If your apartment keys were on the same ring, mention it when you call.
Businesses along the San Fernando Road industrial corridor keep a mix of vehicles on site. If the vehicle that lost its keys belongs to a yard or a shop there, give us the exact make, model and year on the first call so we can confirm what we can handle.
The eastern Valley's Santa Ana winds carry dust that works into exterior lock cylinders. If your door lock or ignition feels gritty or sticks, say so when you call, because a dirty cylinder can make a brand-new key seem faulty. Whether you are in the Stonehurst cottages, on the Roscoe corridor or out near Hansen Dam, the process is identical.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366What should you have ready when you call?
A little preparation makes the call faster and the quote more accurate.
- The VIN, found on the registration, the insurance card, or the plate on the dashboard by the windshield.
- Year, make, model and trim, if you know it.
- The exact location of the car, including the cross street or lot.
- Photo ID, plus registration, title or other proof that the car is yours.
- How many keys you want made, and what type you would like, if you have a preference.
- Whether you think the keys were stolen, and whether the car has an aftermarket alarm or immobilizer.
- Please don't have the car towed before you call. In many cases it is not necessary.
What should you do once the new key works?
Get a spare made now. A second key is far simpler than another lost-all-keys job, and we can make it at the same visit if you ask. Keep it somewhere other than your main ring or your car.
If you ever need other help with your vehicle, our automotive locksmith page lists the other car services we handle.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make a new car key if I've lost all of my keys?
Yes. We make keys from scratch using the vehicle's VIN, key code or lock information, and then program them to the car where it allows. For a few vehicles the dealer is the only route, and we tell you that on the first call.
Do you need my original key or a spare to start?
No. A replacement car key without the original is exactly what this service is. Nothing is copied. We create the cut and the electronic key information from the car itself.
What proof of ownership do I need?
Photo ID, plus registration, title or similar paperwork that shows the car is yours. The names and the VIN need to line up. We check this before any work begins, every time.
Will my lost key still be able to start the car?
On many vehicles we can remove lost keys from the car's memory so they no longer start it. Whether that is possible depends on the vehicle, and we confirm it for your car by VIN or in person.
Do I need to tow my car to you?
Usually not. Our mobile vans come to the car, wherever it is parked in Sun Valley. The exceptions are dealer-only vehicles, and cars where the ignition or locks are damaged enough to need shop work.
Can you come to me if the car is near the Metrolink station or on a street?
Yes. Give us the street, the lot, and where the car sits, and the van comes to that spot. We serve Sun Valley from our Westwood base, about 17 miles away, and answer the phone around the clock at (213) 577-1366.
How much will it cost?
It depends on the vehicle, the key type, how the key code is obtained, how many keys you want, and where and when you call. We give you a clear picture of the job by phone after we have your VIN, so you can decide before a van is sent.
Is every make and model something you can do?
No, and we won't pretend otherwise. Some vehicles are dealer-only for key programming. We check by VIN first, and if we cannot do your car, we'll say so and point you the right way.
More locksmith help in Sun Valley
Lost Car Key Replacement near Sun Valley
Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.