What to do if the car key is lost?

Losing your car key is an annoying affair. In any case, you should stay calm and keep a cool head. If you cannot find the key even after a significant search, it is advisable to inform the police and your car insurance company of the incident. Otherwise, if the car is stolen, the insurance company may not cover the damage.

Report to insurance and police

If it is inevitable that you have lost the vehicle key, you should report it to both the car insurance company and the local police. To do this, you must also answer some critical questions, for example:

• Was the vehicle locked when parked?
• Do you have any witnesses who saw the car being locked?

You should definitely answer these and perhaps more questions truthfully; otherwise, your credibility could be called into question. In the worst case, incorrect information or excuses can cost the entire insurance claim. In addition, a corresponding report should be made to the police about the loss of the car key. Also, have a written copy of all the documents displayed.

Have car keys duplicated

If there is no spare key for the vehicle in the household, a spare key must be made in any case. But even if you still have a second key: Simply driving to the nearest locksmith in Tampa and having a key duplicated there usually doesn’t work that way, especially with newer vehicles. Especially when it comes to new radio keys equipped with a lot of technology, only the car manufacturers can often reproduce them themselves. On the other hand, if it is an older model, getting a replacement from a locksmith in the supermarket or the city area is quite possible. In most cases, such a production is not a problem, and the costs are in the double-digit euro range.

New key from the dealer

If production by a locksmith is not possible or you attach great importance to an original model, only the authorized dealer comes into question. To do this, you should visit the nearest dealer and order a suitable key. However, it should be noted that an ID check is carried out in advance. The vehicle documents must also be presented to prove that you are the legal owner of the vehicle. The ordering process may take a few days. If you need a car in the meantime, you should ask friends or acquaintances if they can provide you with one. Otherwise, the only way is to rent a rental or replacement vehicle, which involves related costs.

The costs

A modern car key is a high-tech marvel and is sometimes equipped with complex technology because this controls not only the door locking system but also the built-in immobilizer. But unfortunately, the car manufacturers let the whole effort be adequately paid. So your car key should always be adequately treated and preferably never lost sight of.

A new purchase can easily cost several hundred euros, especially for the upper and luxury class vehicles. In most cases, as the car owner, you have to bear this. However, there may be a chance that your car insurance will cover this.

Damage to the key?

If the car key has not been lost but is only damaged, the built-in radio unit is defective. For example, the actual effort is often not that great. Here, too, the respective authorized dealer is the best contact person and can provide a remedy. After presenting the ID, in most cases, the key is reprogrammed so that it can again communicate appropriately with the control unit on the vehicle.