Car key replacement and car lockouts in Pacific Beach

What we do

• Car lockouts: doors, trunks and keys locked inside
• Lost car key replacement with no original needed
• Transponder chip key cutting and programming
• Key fob and remote programming
• Push-to-start smart key replacement
• Broken key extraction from doors and ignitions
• Ignition repair and replacement
• Spare and duplicate car keys
• Motorcycle and scooter keys
• Most domestic, Japanese, Korean and many European makes

Lost every key? We make a new one at your car

We generate a key from the vehicle itself, so you do not need an original to copy. We read the lock or the vehicle's key code, cut the key, then program its chip to the immobilizer so the car starts. For most domestic, Japanese and Korean vehicles and many European models, the whole job is done at your location in well under an hour. If your house keys were on the same ring, we can rekey the house in the same visit.

Because a car key is a security item, we verify ID and proof the vehicle is yours, such as the registration or insurance card, before cutting anything. That protects you as much as anyone. If you want the full picture first, our guide on what happens when you lose your only car key walks through it step by step.

Fobs, transponders and push-to-start

Nearly every car built in the last two decades has a chip in the key that must be programmed to that specific vehicle, or it will unlock the door and refuse to start. We carry programming equipment for a wide range of makes and model years, including push-to-start smart keys. If you already bought a fob online, send us the part number before ordering another; some aftermarket fobs cannot be programmed, and we would rather tell you now than at the car.

Beach-day lockouts and the lots we know

Sand, surf and a locked car is a PB classic. Tourmaline, Law Street, the Crystal Pier end of Garnet, the Mission Bay lots at Crown Point Shores and De Anza Cove, or the Belmont Park lot: tell us the lot or the cross street and we will find you. If your keys went into the water, we cut and program a new one at the car, and if the lock has sand in it we clean it before it seizes.

Ignitions and broken keys

A key that will not turn, turns but nothing happens, or snapped off in the door is usually a worn wafer, a jammed steering lock or simply a tired key. Do not force it. We extract broken keys, repair or replace ignition cylinders, and cut a fresh key from code so the new one is not a copy of a worn-out original.

How pricing works for car keys

Car key pricing depends mostly on the vehicle: the year, make and model decide the blank, the chip and the programming involved. A plain duplicate costs less than an all-keys-lost job, a remote fob costs more than a chip key, and a few luxury models need dealer-only tools we will tell you about up front rather than waste your time. Time of day and location matter less than the car does.

Give us the year, make and model and you get a quote before we come out. Compared with a tow plus a dealership visit it is usually the cheaper option, and it is always the faster one.

What to have ready when you call

• The year, make and model, and whether it is push-to-start
• The VIN if it is handy (bottom of the windshield on the driver side, or on your registration)
• Photo ID plus registration or insurance showing the vehicle is yours
• Exactly where the car is: lot name, cross streets or a dropped pin
• Whether you have any key at all, even one that only opens the door

Common questions