Believe it or not, people lose their car keys as often as their apartment keys, wallets, mobile phones, lipsticks or any other tiny things that belong to the group of bare necessities. However, the loss of the keys somehow brings the biggest panic to our head. This isn’t even the only reason why we are forced to ask for a replacement – we might also break the key while trying to take them out of the lock or someone simply steals them along with our whole bag and the rest of the things inside.

First of all, there are several types of these, so let’s clarify each of them and tell a word or two about how they can be replaced.

Basic

These look pretty ordinary and you’re probably seeing them regularly and everywhere. They’re quite similar to apartment keys and their replacement is never too expensive. Of course, it’s up to you if you’re going to get yourself a new one by going to the locksmith or at a car dealership. The first ones will copy your key and take a really small amount of money while having your key replaced by a car dealership would be undoubtedly more expensive – the only difference will be the logo of your car brand on the piece.

Transponders

These keys possess a chip and it’s definitely much more difficult to steal cars that are locked by them. Upon the invention of pieces like these, car thefts were significantly reduced all over the world. Car dealerships are in charge of them, as they know how to program them and replace the damaged or lost units. The other option is a good locksmith.

Switchblade

These are practical as if they get bent, you may only switch the broken part and not the whole key. But if you forget them somewhere or drop them, you’ll need both parts: the fob and the shank which could be quite expensive because of complex programming.

Laser-cut

Laser-cut keys are thicker than other types and they are also more pricey. You probably won’t be able to find them in every store nor will any locksmith know how to make another one. It’s a unit that is also formed with a transponder chip and requires programming.