Auto Locksmith Leicester | 24/7 Emergency Car Locksmith Services
Spare Car Keys in Leicester — The Cheapest Job We Do
Almost everyone who calls us about a lost key says the same thing afterwards: they'd been meaning to get a spare. Cut and programmed while you still have a working key, a spare costs a fraction of an emergency all-keys-lost replacement — and turns a lost key into an inconvenience rather than a write-off day.
Cut and programmed by Mohamed Khalid Ali — a qualified mechanic with 15+ years in the motor trade. More about us
Why A Spare Costs So Much Less
It isn't a discount, it's a genuinely different job.
With a working key in hand, we have a pattern to cut from and a reference the vehicle already accepts. Adding a second key to the immobiliser's list is usually a straightforward operation through the diagnostic port. The car is open, nothing needs decoding, and there's no urgency.
With every key lost, the job changes completely. The vehicle has to be opened with non-destructive entry first, the key data read from the car itself rather than copied, sometimes at module level, and the blade cut to code rather than to a pattern. More time, more equipment, and usually at whatever hour it happened.
That's the entire argument for doing it early. Same key, same car, dramatically different job — and the only variable is whether you still have one that works.
Who Really Should Get A Spare
Some situations make a single key a genuine risk rather than a minor gamble:
You're Down To One Key
The obvious one, and the most ignored. A single key means one loss, one snap or one washing machine away from an emergency call-out and a much bigger bill.
You've Just Bought Used
Second-hand cars very often come with one key, and you can't know how many others exist or who has them. A spare plus erasing unknown old keys is worth considering together.
Two Or More Drivers
A couple sharing one key, or a family car passed between people, is a lockout waiting for a bad morning. Two keys removes the problem entirely.
Your Key Is Visibly Worn
Rounded cuts, a bent blade, or needing to jiggle it to turn. Cutting a spare from it now, while it still works, is far better than after it snaps.
Work Vans & Fleet Vehicles
A stranded driver mid-round costs far more than a spare key ever will. A second key kept at base is straightforward insurance.
Life With Small Children
Keys get taken, posted through things and hidden with remarkable creativity. Anyone who's been through it already knows why this one's on the list.
Still Got A Working Key? Now's The Cheap Moment.
Call 07883 606938What Kind Of Spare Makes Sense
A spare doesn't always have to match your original exactly, and there's usually a cheaper sensible option worth knowing about:
- A full like-for-like copy. Same blade, same remote functions, same convenience. The obvious choice if the spare will be used regularly rather than sitting in a drawer.
- A basic emergency key. On many vehicles a simpler key without remote buttons can be cut and programmed to start the car. Cheaper, and perfectly adequate for something kept safe at home purely as backup.
- Two at once. Programming a second and third key in the same visit avoids a whole separate call-out later, so it's usually the best value per key if you know you'll want both.
- Replacing a tired original at the same time. If your existing key is worn, it's often sensible to have a fresh pair cut rather than keeping a failing key in circulation.
Ring with your make, model and registration and we'll tell you which of these your vehicle actually supports — not every option exists on every car.
How A Spare Key Job Runs
Planned, unhurried, and done at your vehicle whenever suits you.
Call Or Message
Make, model, year and registration, plus a photo of your existing key if you can. We'll confirm the options and price.
Arrange A Time
Because it isn't an emergency, we can work around you - at home, at work, or wherever the car sits during the day.
Cut & Program
Blade cut from your existing key, transponder programmed to the immobiliser, and remote functions set up if the key has them.
Tested Together
Both keys checked in the door, ignition and boot before we leave, so you know the spare genuinely works rather than hoping it will.
Where To Actually Keep The Spare
A spare key only helps if it's somewhere you can get to it and a thief can't:
- Not in the car. It sounds unnecessary to say, but a spare in the glovebox solves nothing when you're locked out, and hands a thief the vehicle if they get in.
- Not by the front door. Relay attacks work through walls and windows, and the hallway table is where fobs most often get picked up from. Keep both keys well inside the house.
- In a signal-blocking pouch if it's keyless. According to Thatcham Research, the UK's independent vehicle security testing body, a Faraday pouch significantly reduces relay-theft risk. Applies to the spare as much as the one in your pocket.
- Consider a trusted second location. A spare at a partner's or family member's address is genuinely useful, provided you're comfortable with who holds it.
- Not with anything showing your address. A key found with a driving licence or a parcel label tells the finder exactly which car and which street to visit.
More on protecting the vehicle itself: vehicle security.
Spare Keys By Make
What's possible varies by manufacturer — which key types are available, whether a simpler emergency key can be programmed, and how the spare is added to the immobiliser. Pick your make, or ring with the registration.
Where We Cut Spare Keys
Across Leicester, at a time that suits you rather than at 2am in a car park.
See All Areas We CoverRated by Leicester Drivers
5.0 stars on Google, built one honest job at a time.
Spare Car Key FAQs
How much cheaper is a spare than a lost key replacement?
Meaningfully cheaper, because it's a genuinely different job rather than a discount. With a working key we have a pattern to copy and a reference the car already accepts. With every key lost, the vehicle has to be opened, the data read from the car itself and the blade cut to code - more time, more equipment, and usually out of hours.
Do you need my original key to cut a spare?
It makes the job simpler and cheaper, yes. If you still have a working key, bring it out to the car. Spares can be produced without one, but at that point it's an all-keys-lost job rather than a spare.
Can I get a cheaper key without the remote buttons?
On many vehicles, yes. A simpler key that starts the car but has no central locking buttons is often available and is perfectly sensible for a backup kept at home. Ring with your registration and we'll confirm whether yours supports it.
Is it worth getting two spares at once?
Usually, yes. Programming additional keys during the same visit avoids a separate call-out later, so the cost per key is lower and you're never back down to one.
How long does a spare key take?
Adding a spare to a straightforward system is generally quick, though it varies by vehicle and key type. You'll get a realistic estimate on the phone before we come out.
Do I need proof the car is mine for a spare?
Yes, the same as any key job. Usually the V5C showing you as registered keeper, photo ID matching the address, and insurance or purchase paperwork where relevant. Any locksmith who doesn't check should worry you.
I've just bought a used car with one key. What should I do?
Getting a spare is sensible, and it's also worth asking about erasing keys you can't account for. On many vehicles, previously programmed keys can be deleted from the immobiliser so they'll no longer start the car.
Where should I keep my spare key?
Somewhere you can reach it but a thief can't - not in the car, not by the front door, and in a signal-blocking pouch if it's a keyless fob. Avoid keeping it with anything that shows your address.
Can you cut spare keys for vans and work vehicles?
Yes - Transit, Vivaro, Transporter, Sprinter, Trafic and more, plus agricultural equipment. For a work vehicle a spare kept at base is straightforward insurance against a stranded driver.
You Might Also Need
Still Got A Working Key? That's The Cheap Moment.
Call with your make, model and registration for an honest price on a spare — no call-out fee, ever.