Car Key Replacements & Copies
Automotive Locksmith
Top Rated Nationally, But Local To You
Car Key Replacement
Need a New Car Key or a Spare? We Can Help
Lost your car key, or down to one and want a spare before it goes missing? We make car keys. Our mobile locksmiths come to the car and make the key there, cutting and programming included.
We serve the Lehigh Valley from Easton to Kutztown. A locksmith comes to you, cuts a replacement car key and programs it at the vehicle, so there’s no tow and no trip to a dealer. Find your make in the list further down this page. If every key is gone, say so when you call. Making a key with nothing to copy takes more steps than duplicating a spare, and we plan for it.
Have the year, make and model ready and call (484) 891-1922 for pricing and availability.
Our Car Key Services
Car Key Replacements & Copies
We replace and copy every common type of car key:
- Traditional Car Keys: Plain metal keys for older vehicles.
- Transponder Keys: Keys with a chip the car must recognize before it starts.
- VATS Keys: The resistor-pellet keys that older GM vehicles use.
- Smart Keys: Proximity keys for push-button start.
- Key Fobs: Remotes that lock and unlock the doors.
Our locksmiths cut and program new keys on site, so you get a working key without towing the vehicle.
All Keys Lost
No key at all is the call we get most. We don’t need an original: the new key is cut from the car’s own locks or its key code, then programmed to the vehicle where it sits. Keys locked inside and not lost? That’s a car lockout, and we handle those too.
Key Fobs and Remote Keys
Modern vehicles often come with key fobs and remote key systems. If your key fob is malfunctioning or you need a new one, our locksmiths can replace and program it at your car, so the buttons and the push-button start work again. Read more on the key fob replacement page.
Spare Keys and Copies
A spare takes less work than replacing a lost key, because we can copy the one that works. If you are down to a single key, that’s the time to call. We cut and program the copy at your car and test both keys before we leave. If the key is fine and the lock or ignition is the trouble, see car lock repair or ignition repair.
What to Do If You’ve Lost Your Car Key
A few things speed up a replacement:
- Look for a spare: A second key at home turns a replacement into a copy.
- Note the year, make and model: The blank and the programming depend on them.
- Have your documents handy: A driver’s license and something that ties you to the car.
- Tell us where the car is: We come to it, so there is no tow.
- Say if every key is gone: We bring what’s needed to make one from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the questions we get asked most about car keys and our car key locksmith services. If yours isn’t here, call us at (484) 891-1922.
What do I need to show to get a car key made?
A driver’s license, plus a document that ties you to the vehicle: the registration, insurance card, title or bill of sale. We check both before we hand over a key.
Do I need an appointment for a car key?
No. Call when you need the key and we’ll give you an estimated arrival time. If you’d prefer a set time, tell us and we’ll plan around it.
Every key is lost. Can you still make one?
Yes. Most of the car keys we make start with no original. The cuts come from the car: we decode the door lock or look up the key code, which we can do as a NASTF registered locksmith. If the key has a chip, we then program it so the engine starts.
How do I pay for a car key?
Cash or card. We take debit and credit cards at the car when the key is done.
Car Key Types
Basic Metal Key with no Transponder
A key that is metal from tip to head is a basic key with no chip. A key with a plastic head may or may not have one, and you can’t tell by looking. Most vehicles built since the late 1990s use a chip key, with some exceptions among Kia, Hyundai and Scion models. Copying a basic key from an existing one is simple. With no key to copy, we work out the cuts from the lock or the key code and make one from that.
VATS Key
VATS stands for Vehicle Anti-Theft System, the first chipped-key system GM used. A VATS key has a small black pellet set into the blade. The pellet is a resistor with one of 15 values, and the car won’t start unless it reads the right one. If you’ve lost the key to an older GM, we can work out which value the car expects and cut a matching key.
Transponder Key
Car keys used to be plain metal with a rubber-coated head. Since the late 1990s most makes have added a transponder chip as a second layer of security against theft.
A key doesn’t have to have buttons to be a transponder key. The chip is embedded inside the plastic head.
The chip sends a long number to a sensor around the ignition lock. Each key’s number is different, and the car only accepts numbers that have been programmed into its computer. If the chip is damaged or was never programmed, the engine may start and then cut out, or crank without starting. A flashing security light on the dash is the usual sign that the car doesn’t recognize the key. We carry the equipment to program chip keys so they both turn the ignition and start the car.
Remote Head Key
A remote head key has a standard metal blade for the ignition and the remote buttons built into its head. It replaced the older setup of a key plus a separate remote. We program both halves: the chip that starts the car and the buttons that lock and unlock it.
Smart Key/Proximity Key
Smart key and proximity key are two names for the same thing. The key stays in your pocket. The doors unlock when you touch the handle, and the car starts with a button. It’s convenient until the key is lost, because smart keys cost more to replace than remote head keys. We program smart keys so the car starts and the buttons work as designed.
