Car Key Replacement
Lost every key? We cut and program a new car key at your vehicle, no original needed, in Coronado or San Diego.
How it worksMobile automotive locksmith ยท Coronado & San Diego
Spare and Duplicate Car Keys in Coronado and San Diego
Copy a working key or fob before it goes missing. We cut and program spares at your car in Coronado and San Diego.
Every day, 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM
A duplicate car key is the easy way to avoid losing your last one. While you still have one working key, we can copy it. The blade is cut to match, the transponder chip is cloned or paired, and a fob is added to the car's memory alongside the one you have. One visit to your car in Coronado or San Diego, and you never lose the use of the original.
Compare that with losing your last key. Then the car has nothing to copy from and nothing to authorize the new key. We have to pull the key code, cut from scratch and reprogram the immobilizer from a locked state. It is a longer job, and the price reflects that. A spare made now avoids all of it.
Spares are also useful in everyday ways. A second driver. A key for the valet. One that stays at home so a lockout becomes a walk back instead of a service call.
What our spare & duplicate car keys covers
- Duplicate metal keys cut from your working key or to the factory code
- Copies of transponder keys, cloned or paired so the engine starts
- Extra remotes and smart key fobs programmed alongside your existing one
- Spares for a second driver, a valet or the kitchen drawer
- Pairing a fob you already own that was never programmed to this car
- A test of both keys before we leave, so the original still works
Common calls in Coronado and San Diego
Worn only key copied on 30th Street
The only key to a car parked on 30th Street is worn thin and needs a second try in the ignition most mornings. We do not trace a copy from it, because a copy inherits the wear. We cut the spare to the factory code at the curb, clone or pair the chip, and you get a key that turns as the original did when it was new.
Second fob for a Coronado Cays household
Two drivers, one smart key, and a gate before the driveway. Tell us which village you are in, and if the gate has a code, and we bring a fob that matches the car to your driveway. The working key needs to be there, because the new fob is paired alongside it rather than copied from it, and the car does not have to leave the driveway.
Hyundai spare at Otay Ranch Town Center
A base-model Hyundai from before 2021 sits outside a store at Otay Ranch Town Center, and someone told you the copy would need programming. Some of those cars, and some Kias, left the factory without a transponder. We check whether yours has an immobilizer; if not, the spare is a plain cut blade that starts the car as it is, and if it does, we clone the chip.
Keys worth having a spare of
A second key costs far less than replacing a lost one later. Flip keys, remote-head keys and smart keys like these are common copies.
Smart key with emergency blade
Chrysler Pacifica 6-button smart key
Honda Odyssey 7-button smart key
Alfa Romeo smart key
Audi-style smart remote
Audi flip key
BMW smart key
Buick flip key
Cadillac smart key
Chevrolet flip key
Chrysler smart key
Range Rover smart key
Not pictured? Most makes are within reach; call with the year and model.
How spare & duplicate car keys works
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Send a photo of your key
Text a photo of the working key or fob with the year, make and model. We tell you which blank and chip it needs, and the price.
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We copy it at the car
We check your ID and proof of ownership before we start, cut the new blade and clone or pair the chip. If it has a remote, we pair that too.
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Two keys, both tested
You try the new key and the original in the door and the ignition. Then you put the spare somewhere you will remember.
Around Coronado and San Diego
A good time to make a spare is before a long day out. Coronado residents have us come by the house near Orange Avenue or in the Coronado Cays ahead of a trip, and people who work at Naval Air Station North Island or the Naval Amphibious Base like having a second key at home. In San Diego we cut duplicates at offices in Little Italy and the East Village, in garages in North Park, at Liberty Station in Point Loma, in the Mission Bay lots near Pacific Beach, and around the Chula Vista Bayfront and Otay Ranch Town Center.
Spare & Duplicate Car Keys questions
Can you copy a key that has a chip in it?
Yes. For many makes we clone the chip directly onto the new key. For makes that use encrypted chips that cannot be cloned, or only with the car present, we pair the new key to the car instead, which takes a little longer. Either way you get a key that starts the engine, not just one that opens the door.
Is a spare really that much cheaper than replacing a lost key?
Yes. With a working key in hand we skip the code lookup, the immobilizer reset and most of the programming time. When every key is gone, all of that is done from scratch. Our car key replacement page explains what that job involves.
Can you make a spare smart key for a push-button car?
For most makes and models, yes. We bring a compatible smart key, pair it next to your existing one, and confirm the car starts with either. Ask about European luxury brands before booking.
Related services
Key Fob & Remote Programming
New fob, lost remote or an extra one for the family. We program it to your car on site in Coronado and San Diego.
How it worksTransponder Key Programming
A cut key alone will not start a modern car. We program the transponder chip to your vehicle on site in San Diego.
How it worksNeed spare & duplicate car keys today?
Call or text and tell us where the car is. We come to you anywhere in Coronado and across San Diego, 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM, every day.