Just to underline what many of us know (especially Ford owners).
Ensure you have a spare (a third in Ford cases) key.
It is a cheap insurance option.
Check out what the situation is with your vehicle both before you buy it / take delivery.
DT today.
Lost car keys 'cost motorists £98 million'
Motorists are being forced to spend as much as £326 on replacement car keys because of increasingly sophisticated alarm systems, according to a new survey.
A poll of 2,000 drivers found 16 per cent had lost their keys at least once while as many as one in ten did not own a spare set.
The report by Britannia Rescue estimated the total replacement bill for those who do not keep a spare set of keys would be £98m.
It usually costs about £200 to design, make and programme a new key but those used in some new cars cost significantly more, the survey found, as it is no longer a case of cutting a piece of metal to shape.
Advanced alarm and immobiliser systems mean Ford Focus owners face paying up to £266 for replacement keys, while Nissan Micra owners would have to spend as much as £326 to get back behind the wheel.
Martin Milliner, of Britannia Rescue, said: "Accessing vehicles built since 1998 is generally more time-consuming and expensive for drivers due to the introduction of increasingly sophisticated alarms, immobilisers, and shielded locks.
"The cost of getting back behind the wheel could really rocket if work is needed on the ignition or security system as well, but one clear way of avoiding this issue is to look after your spare key and keep it in a sensible place."
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I really need to do this. I only had one key with the Mondeo, which means I can't program a new key myself. The "official" way is to spend £200 with the Ford dealer which is of course, obscene. You can get keys "cloned" by a good automotive locksmith, but I've heard mixed reports about how reliable this is.
But I do miss the day when you could just go into your local Timpson's and spend a fiver.....
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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Last year when I ordered a duplicate key for my Hyundai, I had to pay only £50 including the key and programming. Looks cheaper compared to other brands.
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Picking up my new car alst Thursday I was offered car key insurance at £30 / yr - £50 for 3 yrs!!
I have been driving for 43 years and in that time I have not lost a car key. Often the person who loses their car keys is the same careless type of person who loses their mobile phone, watch, house keys - I know I worked beside that type of person.
It must be in the genes as his daughters were also accident prone and lost most things as well
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When I bought my C-Max it came as standard with one remote key, and one normal key. To help clinch the deal I insisted the dealer give me an extra remote key, knowing how expensive it would be if the remote key got lost. The normal key has now been filed away in a safe place for emergencies.
My wife still manages to regularly misplace her key though, and often borrows mine. If we had only one key she might look after it better...
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I don't know whether it's me not understanding the issue, but I got a spare key two years ago for my 03/03 Focus (not the remote key, but one which has a blue "chip") from a Ford dealer for about £10. Admittedly it wasn't a genuine spare, but I've used it regularly without any problem.
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L\'escargot.
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