What determines the price of a car key
Almost entirely the key type, not the badge on the bonnet. A plain mechanical key for a pre-1995 vehicle is the cheapest job we do. A transponder key — a chip in the head that must authenticate with the immobiliser — sits in the middle. A remote head key adds the remote pairing. A proximity smart key for a recent vehicle is the most expensive, because the blank itself costs a great deal and the programming takes longer.
Whether you have a working key matters just as much. Duplicating from an existing key is a routine cut-and-program. Originating one when every key is gone requires ownership verification, code retrieval through authorised channels or decoding the lock directly, and a programming procedure that on many makes carries a manufacturer-imposed security wait of ten to sixty minutes that nothing can shorten.
Why a key cut at a kiosk will not start your car
Immobilisers have been required on new vehicles sold in Canada since September 2007 and were widespread well before that. The chip in the key head is energised by a coil around the ignition, answers a challenge, and only then is the engine control unit authorised to deliver fuel and spark. A key cut without that programming works the lock and turns the ignition perfectly — and the engine cranks and does not fire.
Relay theft and what actually helps
Proximity keys have a documented vulnerability: a pair of relay devices extends the signal from a key inside your house out to the vehicle on the driveway, and the car believes the key is present. It has been a significant factor in GTA vehicle theft, particularly on the makes that top Ontario's stolen-vehicle lists.
The mitigations are unglamorous and effective. Keep keys in a signal-blocking pouch or a metal container, away from the front door — the relay has to reach the key, and distance and shielding both defeat it. Check whether your vehicle has a motion-sensing sleep mode that disables the key after a period without movement, and enable it. A steering wheel lock is crude, visible and a genuine deterrent. And an OBD port lock blocks the separate attack route where a fresh key is programmed through the diagnostic port, which is how a number of these thefts actually happen. We fit OBD port locks.
Proof of ownership
We verify ownership before originating any key, every time — registration or ownership in your name plus matching photo identification. Making a working key to a vehicle is exactly the capability a thief needs, and a locksmith who does not check is a problem for you as much as for anyone else.