What To Do When You Lose Your Car Keys
Losing a car key can be incredibly stressful as it adds chaos to your daily routine. Thankfully, you can easily get a replacement set cut without the original keys, whether it’s been stolen or misplaced. However, you should note that car key replacement costs may vary depending on the age, make, and model of your car. Here are five essential steps to take when you lose your vehicle keys.
Stay calm and search
In other words, don’t panic. The first thing you want to do after losing your keys is stay calm. If you panic or rush, you may lose your focus and hinder your ability to make good decisions to find it. On the other hand, staying calm will help you reflect critically to remember the last time you set eyes on them. In most cases, you may presume you lost your keys when you left them inside the vehicle.
If this is the case, seek help from a local locksmith to unlock the door. These experts have the tools to unlock car doors without shattering the glasses. Other areas to search for missing keys include the gaps in the house sofa, pant pockets, washing machines, and the kids’ toy areas.
What to do when you lose car keys: prepare your car information
If you don’t find your keys after searching every nook and cranny, the next action is to provide relevant information on the car to facilitate the replacement process. Provide your car brand, model, year of manufacture, license plate number, registration number, and current location. This information is needed to confirm that the key belongs to your car. It may also help them obtain the original key specifications for reprogramming, so keep this in mind. Accurate information on your vehicle assists professionals in getting you a key that matches your car type and model.
Visit a service center or car dealer
Replacing your car key promptly is important to reduce inconveniences impacting your daily commutes. You can replace a lost car key by visiting a service center or car dealer. Car key replacement costs at a dealership are often higher than locksmith services. Replacing the key at a service center may take longer, so feel free to consider this.
Use locksmith services
Consulting a locksmith is the fastest, easiest, and most effective way to replace missing car keys. However, you have to make the right choice to enjoy satisfactory services. As a tip, hire licensed experts like A-1 Locksmith to get the true value for your money. They can use specialist equipment to reprogram your new keys without the original ones. You should also note that experienced locksmiths can reproduce auto keys for any vehicle on the market today. They can also program remote car key fobs, provide a spare key, and change or repair damaged locks.
Contact car insurance providers
Consider your insurance policy and see if it covers replacing lost keys. Note that this method may be expensive, though. Claiming on your insurance plan to replace keys may also affect your no-claim bonus, which could prove costly in the long haul. Therefore, consult your brokers for more information.
