Main Dealer vs Auto Locksmith: Where Should You Get a Replacement Car Key?

When a car key is lost, broken or simply gone flat for good, most drivers think of the main dealer first. It's the obvious choice: they sold the car, so they must be the people to make the key. Auto locksmiths are the other option, and plenty of people don't realise they can program modern keys at all.

Both routes end with a key that your car's immobiliser accepts. What differs is where the work happens, how long you wait, what sort of key you get, and how the total cost builds up. This is an honest comparison from Affordable Car Key, a mobile auto locksmith in Croydon, including the situations where we'd tell you to go to the dealer.

How a main dealer replaces a car key

A franchised dealer orders the key from the manufacturer using your vehicle identification number (VIN). The blade is usually cut to the factory key code and the remote arrives ready to be paired. Depending on the make and on stock, that can take anything from a day or two to a couple of weeks.

When the key arrives, the car needs to be at the dealer's workshop so a technician can program it with the manufacturer's diagnostic system. If you still have one working key, you can drive in. If you've lost every key, the car has to go on a recovery truck, and you need a workshop slot as well as the key.

How an auto locksmith does it

A mobile auto locksmith comes to the car, whether it's on your drive, in a work car park or at the roadside. The van carries key blanks, remotes and smart keys for the common makes, a computerised key-cutting machine and the diagnostic programmers that talk to the immobiliser through the OBD port.

The key is cut, coded and tested in one visit. For most jobs that's 30 to 60 minutes at the car. Less common keys sometimes need ordering in, and a good locksmith will tell you that on the phone rather than after arriving. We cover the technical side in how car key programming works.

Is it the same key?

This is where an honest answer matters. A dealer supplies a genuine manufacturer key with the badge on it. A locksmith may supply a genuine key or an aftermarket key built to the same specification, with the same transponder type and the same radio frequency. Your car treats them the same way: the security comes from the immobiliser registering the key, not from the logo on the case.

Aftermarket keys do vary in quality, so it's fair to ask which you're getting and to expect a straight answer. Some leasing companies expect genuine keys back at the end of a contract, so if your car is leased, check the agreement before you choose.

How the costs add up

Comparing the price of the key alone misses most of the bill. With a dealer, the total can include:

• the key, ordered from the manufacturer
• programming labour at the workshop
• recovery to the dealer if no key works
• the days without the car: taxis, a hire car or time off work

With a mobile locksmith, the key, the cutting and the programming come as one job at the car. We agree the price on the phone before setting off, with no call-out fee, so you know the figure before you commit. For most common models the locksmith route works out cheaper once towing and waiting are counted. The gap depends on the car, though, so it's worth getting both quotes if you have time.

When the dealer is the better choice

• A very new model. For some of the newest cars, key data isn't yet available to independent programming tools.
• Warranty work on the car itself. If the fault is in the immobiliser or the car's electronics rather than the key, and the car is under warranty, the dealer should fix it.
• A lease that requires genuine keys. As above, check the small print.
• No hurry at all. If you have a working spare and don't mind waiting, ordering through the dealer is a reasonable choice.

For everything else, including lost keys, broken keys and remotes that have stopped working, a mobile locksmith is usually quicker and keeps the car where it is. If you're not sure which camp your car falls into, give us the registration and we'll tell you honestly.

Questions to ask either one

• Will you delete my old keys from the immobiliser?
• Is the key genuine or aftermarket?
• Does the price include cutting, programming and any call-out?
• How long until the car is usable?

Need a replacement car key in Croydon or South London? Call 07400 007588 for a price before anyone sets off. If you've lost every key, our lost car keys guide walks you through the first hour.