Most cars are stolen using stolen keys

If you have had a break in and your spare set of house keys has been stolen, it’s most likely that your car keys have also been stolen. Of course, it’s best not to leave an extra car key where it can be found, but if you have, all is not lost. Your car can be rekeyed, just as your home and office can.

The way that a locksmith will go about rekeying your car is somewhat dependent on the age of your car. If your car was made before 2000 your locksmith will rekey the lock and the key much as he would your front door. Presuming your car was made after 2000, there’s a transponder chip within the head of the key.

If that chip is not present, the car will not start. A locksmith who is a member of the MLA will have access to the correct code to program onto a new transponder chip so that your car will now start. Once this is done, all the car locks (door, trunk, glove box if applicable) will be rekeyed and you will be given a key that will work in them.

Long gone are the days when you can just walk in and have a car key duplicated. Though you may think the process of having to go to a special locksmith to get your car rekeyed is a hassle, it is for your protection. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen burglars rob a home and drive away with the goods, in the homeowner’s car!