One key is a risk — get a spare before it's gone
A lot of the car key calls we get in Gainesville start the same way: the car came with two keys, one disappeared a while ago, and the last one just went missing. Making a spare while you still have a working key is the fastest and least expensive car key job there is. Waiting until every key is lost turns it into an all-keys-lost job, which takes longer and costs more.
We copy and program:
- Transponder keys — metal keys with a chip in the head. They look simple, but the car won't start unless the chip is programmed to it.
- Remote head keys and flip keys — the blade and the lock/unlock buttons in one piece.
- Smart keys and push-to-start fobs — the car detects the key in your pocket. We program them and cut the emergency blade hidden inside.
- High-security (laser-cut) keys — the wavy-groove blades on many newer cars.
Where we meet you
Our vans are set up to work in a parking lot, so you don't need to bring the car anywhere. We make keys in driveways in Haile Plantation and Tioga, in the lots at Butler Town Center and the Oaks Mall, at UF Health and office parking along Archer Road and SW 34th Street, and at student apartments near campus. Tell us the address — or the garage and the level — and the car's year, make and model, and we'll give you a price before a technician drives out.
We work on all makes except Tesla, Lucid and Polestar. For some of the newest European models, the key has to come from the dealer; if that's the case for your car, we'll tell you on the phone instead of wasting a trip.
Worn keys and broken shells
Keys wear down after years of use, and a worn blade can stop turning the ignition or the door lock. Sometimes the chip and the remote are fine and only the shell or the blade is broken — then we can move the electronics into a new shell and cut a fresh blade, which costs less than a whole new key. Bring what's left of the old key and we'll check.
