Lost Car Keys

Check the obvious places first — the last jacket you wore, the shopping bags, the console of another car. If they're genuinely gone, don't force a lock or try a hardware-store blank; both can make the repair more expensive than the key.

Call us with your registration number. We'll tell you which key your car takes, what it costs and how long it will take, before anyone gets in a van. If the car is somewhere unsafe or blocking traffic, say so — we'll prioritise it.

The price follows the key, not the panic. A basic transponder key for an older Hilux is a very different job to a proximity key for a late-model Ranger, because the parts and the programming equipment differ.

What moves the number:

• Key type — a plain blade key, a flip remote, or a smart proximity key you never take out of your pocket
• Whether any working key still exists — cloning a spare is quicker than originating a key from scratch
• Make, model and build year — some manufacturers lock their systems down harder than others
• Where the work happens — a mobile callout costs more than bringing the car to the workshop

We quote before we start. If the car turns out to need something different once we're on site, we tell you before we do it.

Most cars are finished in 30 to 90 minutes once we're on site — that covers cutting the blade, programming the transponder or remote, and testing every function including the boot and alarm.

A small number of European models need a key ordered in, or a security code requested from the manufacturer. We'll tell you on the phone if yours is one of them rather than discovering it in your driveway.

Cutting a key to someone else's car is exactly as serious as it sounds, so there's a short check before we start:

• Photo ID
• Proof the car is yours — registration papers, insurance, or a rego check that matches your ID
• The registration number, or the VIN if you have it
• Where the car is, and whether it's locked

It takes a minute and it protects you as much as us.

If the car can't be moved, we come to it. Our mobile team covers Brisbane and the surrounding suburbs seven days a week, including after-hours callouts.

If the car can be driven or towed, bringing it to our Holland Park West workshop is cheaper and often faster — we have the full bench of equipment there, including the tools for the harder immobiliser systems.