What to Do When Transponder Key is Lost

Having a car is very convenient. No matter where you live, it allows you to get around when you can’t rely on public transportation. Your vehicle might be used daily to take you to and from work. Maybe you are a household with two vehicles, one of which is used daily and the other which is used to drop off the kids at school and run errands. The point is, cars are important and convenient and it is important that they are accessible. Speaking of accessibility, vehicles manufactured over the last two plus decades come with transponder keys in most cases. These keys are good to have, but what do you do when your key goes missing? 

There are, of course, some precautionary measures you can take to try to avoid losing your keys, but here, we are going to discuss what you are supposed to do in a couple of different scenarios. 

Use Your Spare Key

Let’s start with the easiest option. If the transponder key you normally use is nowhere to be found, perhaps you have a spare key somewhere. Just like if your tire were to give out, you would or should have a spare that you keep in your trunk. Maybe you have the second copy of your transponder key (often, dealerships give two with the purchase of a car) in a drawer in your home. Or perhaps your spouse or another family member has the copy. Using your spare can get you by at least temporarily. You can avoid being locked out of your vehicle thanks to the duplicate key, and you can avoid being stuck unable to drive. It’s a win-win! 

Look into Replacement Programs When You Buy Your Next Car

What do we mean by replacement programs? In some cases, you might be able to get some sort of coverage in the event your key goes missing. If you tend to misplace things often, this might be a good bet for you. This just keeps you protected in case down the road (no pun intended) you lose your transponder key.

Use a Key Locator

Have you ever heard of a car key tracker or a key locator? These are a great precautionary measure. You might be able to use it to detect the location of your transponder key. Why not protect potential problems if possible, by having the right equipment in place?

If your transponder key is lost and you had invested in any of these aforementioned solutions, then you are in luck. And if you lost your key and are trying to avoid problems in the future, these are measures to consider. Now let’s say you do not have a spare key, and your transponder key is unable to be found. What do you do? Read on for more information! 

Read the Manual. You might be thinking – wait, there is a manual for lost transponder keys? When do I ever come across a manual for issues that come up in life? Okay, so this is not exactly the case. But you might be able to go through your car manual to find instructions on what to do if you lose your transponder keys. It might tell you what to do in order to get new keys and program them to your vehicle.

Call a Locksmith That Specializes in Auto Services. If you have lost your transponder key, a locksmith that specializes in auto lock and security services can help you. They will know what to do and often times scan get you in for same day service.

See What Your Warranty Looks Like. If your car is fairly new, look into any warranties you might have. Maybe you have a warranty for your tires, for example. But you might also be covered when it comes to a problem such as lost transponder keys. At the very least, why not check into this? It could save you money in the long run. Things go wrong, but it is worth it to try to be covered whenever possible.

When you lose your transponder key and do not have a spare that you can use, instead of going to a car dealership or turning to an expensive mechanic, look into other options.

Maybe you would normally use your dealership for help but in this case, you aren’t under any sort of protection plan so it’s cheaper to turn to a locksmith. Regardless of what you do, we urge you to use a professional for dealing with replacing a transponder key because you can otherwise waste money on products and parts that you don’t need or that do not work.

Having a car is important and makes things easier – at least, it should. No matter where you live, it allows you to get around. Your vehicle might be used daily. Or it might be used once in a while. Either way, you need to be able to access and start it, which means you can’t be without your transponder key. Now you know what to do if your transponder key is lost. Thanks for reading!