Budget Buster -- Lost car keys!!

[IDoDis]

I lost my whole set of keys last week. I made it home with the keys, so I figured they were in the house somewhere. I looked for hours to no avail. I think I must have thrown them away accidentally when I had a handful of trash that I took outside to our outdoor trash bin. Of course the next morning was trash day so by the time I realized my keys were lost, the trash had already been picked up.

So I called the dealer to find out how much it would cost for a new key to be made for a 2010 Corolla. It was $260 for the key plus $120 to program it!! I looked on ebay and found a key for a little under $50, but I'd still have to pay to get it programed once it arrived (It came with the directions to program the door locks, trunk opener, and alarm sound, but it also needed special programming to start the car). I called around and found a locksmith that would program it for $60.00.

The key arrived today, so I met up with a mobile locksmith who used his equipment to program it, but it didn't work. He said the key had the wrong chip in it. He said he sees that happen quite often with keys are not bought from a dealership (I my keys several years ago with my Ford Windstar and had no problem buying an aftermarket remote).

So I had to pay him $250 for the key and the programming which at least was not as much as the dealership wanted. I'm so bummed! I guess I should be glad that I didn't have DH's truck key on my keychain. I hardly drive his truck so I keep that key somewhere else. I'm still out the $50 I paid on ebay and need to deal with getting a refund on that, too.

Oh, and now that I bought the new key and replaced all of my other keys, I'll probably find the ones I lost.

Anyone else have any nightmare lost keys expensive stories?

 

[Nissi]

MY DS19 is a scatterbrain to say the least. A few weeks ago, he lost a set of keys at his friend's house. They searched everywhere for 2 days straight. Finally, he started to call around locksmiths and the dealership to ask about prices. It was much like what you were quoted. The guy at the dealership said that 95% of keys have chips in them and that is what is so expensive about replacing them. My son did not have the money to do this for a few days and when he finally went to the dealer, the key was only $15 because it had no chip in it. My prayers were answered.

Two weeks later, he lost them all over again.

I hope you get your eBay purchase refunded to you.

 

[Swimalie]

Wow, that is expensive. So far I have never lost my keys (knock on wood) but now I know how much it can cost. My dealer (I just bought the car a month ago) gave me a key punch that has the code to my car on it. That key punch is in one of my safes. If I lose the car key, they can reorder one based on that key punch. Still sounds like it would be expensive to do, though.

 

[kleubanks]

I feel your pain. Two weeks ago, I accidently locked my keys in my trunk....120 miles from home. Thankfully, when we bought the car, the salesman wrote the keycode on the back of his card. I was able to call my husband, get the key code and my poor 83 year old father was able to get me to a dealership 5 minutes before they closed. With the key code, he was able to cut a key for 4.75. I could have kissed the man! Who knows how much a locksmith would have cost plus the time waiting for him etc!!

Thank you Jack Matia dealership in Elyria, Ohio!!!

 

[msmayor]

I work at the Customer Service counter of a large department store, and you'd be AMAZED at the number of key chains we have in our lost and found with those very expensive key fobs.

There must be at least 40-50 sets of keys that have never been claimed.

 

[bcinohio]

I just had to do this. I have a 2010 Town and Country with the key and remote as one. I had the extra key with me when we went walking one night and we I got home I must have thrown it away with some trash I had in my hand because I looked everywhere and couldn't find it. It cost me $160 to get a new one from the dealer. I was so upset. Your right about a buget buster.

 

[cookingqueen123]

If you have AAA plus they reimburse up to $100 for lost keys.

 

[monorailsilver]

I just had to do this. I have a 2010 Town and Country with the key and remote as one. I had the extra key with me when we went walking one night and we I got home I must have thrown it away with some trash I had in my hand because I looked everywhere and couldn't find it. It cost me $160 to get a new one from the dealer. I was so upset. Your right about a buget buster.

I have a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan & the dealer told us the fob was $250 if we lost it.

Thankfully I 'lose' my keys in my house. But my dh carry's the 2nd fob on his key chain & I really wish he wouldn't for fear he will lose it.

 

[Just*the*ten*of*us]

Ouch, that rough!!! I dont have a key story, but my husband went to the grocery store to get a case of water last week, and put his wallet on the bumper of the van as he was loading it into the back, and then drove away without getting his wallet....needless to say it was gone by the time he realized what he did and went back.

 

[IDoDis]

I just had to do this. I have a 2010 Town and Country with the key and remote as one. I had the extra key with me when we went walking one night and we I got home I must have thrown it away with some trash I had in my hand because I looked everywhere and couldn't find it. It cost me $160 to get a new one from the dealer. I was so upset. Your right about a budget buster.

Sorry the same thing happened to you, too! I still can't believe I threw my keys away, but I must have because that's the last time I had them in my hand.

For those who have been able to make cheap keys, you are lucky! If your key has the remote buttons on it and a computer chip to start the car, you are SOL if you lose them (even if you have the key code). I can't even imagine how much it would have cost me to have another key made if we hadn't had DH's key to get the new key cut! Just paying the $300 was enough for me! I will now guard my keys with my life!

Ouch, that rough!!! I dont have a key story, but my husband went to the grocery store to get a case of water last week, and put his wallet on the bumper of the van as he was loading it into the back, and then drove away without getting his wallet....needless to say it was gone by the time he realized what he did and went back.

Oooh, that's such a bummer! Sounds like something else my scattered-brain would do! I've been known to buy a large drink at a gas station, put it on the hood of my car while I'm filling the tank with gas, and then drive off with the cup still on the roof of my car! I hear it crash when I turn a corner.

I've always wanted to take a big plastic cup like that and superglue it to roof of my older car right over the driver's door and drive around like that! People would be staring and honking at me and pointing up at the cup telling me I left my cup on my car. It would be an awesome practical joke!

 

[MineMail]

If you have AAA plus they reimburse up to $100 for lost keys.

REALLY? I didn't know that - thanks, that's a great tip I hope I never have to use.

 

[Disneyliscious]

Four years ago I got my dream car. It came with 2 keys. One had the remote, the other didn't. Within 3 weeks I had lost the key with the remote. Tore my house apart and never found it. I have used the regular key for 4 years now. It was over $200 to replace the key with the remote.

Last night we were moving furniture around in my house. Move a couch that had been moved at least 5 times in those 4 years. When we picked it up, guess what fell out of the bottom? You guessed it.....my lost car key and remote.

I wouldnt worry about a programmed key. Just get them to cut you a regular key like in the "old days". And then get a spare.

 

[IDoDis]

Four years ago I got my dream car. It came with 2 keys. One had the remote, the other didn't. Within 3 weeks I had lost the key with the remote. Tore my house apart and never found it. I have used the regular key for 4 years now. It was over $200 to replace the key with the remote.

Last night we were moving furniture around in my house. Move a couch that had been moved at least 5 times in those 4 years. When we picked it up, guess what fell out of the bottom? You guessed it.....my lost car key and remote.

I wouldnt worry about a programmed key. Just get them to cut you a regular key like in the "old days". And then get a spare.

I checked into this, too. Just for a regular key to manually open the doors and start the car, it was going to be $60 for the key plus $60 to program the key code to start the car. My car (2010 Corolla) still needs a code to start the engine that has to be programmed by the dealer or a specialty locksmith that the dealers contract out to. I talked to 5 locksmiths before I found one that had the software.

So even without the remote locks & trunk opener, it still would have been $120 (even more if I'd had the dealership do it). Since the car is so new, I decided to pay and have the good key.

Oh, and about the AAA -- It's not really a reimbursement. I had to use a locksmith when I lost my Windstar key. I had to call AAA and then they sent out their own contracted locksmith who made me a new key for $100 and I had to pay $50. I didn't have the premier AAA, just the regular plan. I found out that I could have had my own locksmith come do the same thing for $60, so I only saved $10.00 because the AAA locksmith jacked up his prices before taking off the $50 AAA benefit.

 

[cookingqueen123]

Oh, and about the AAA -- It's not really a reimbursement. I had to use a locksmith when I lost my Windstar key. I had to call AAA and then they sent out their own contracted locksmith who made me a new key for $100 and I had to pay $50. I didn't have the premier AAA, just the regular plan. I found out that I could have had my own locksmith come do the same thing for $60, so I only saved $10.00 because the AAA locksmith jacked up his prices before taking off the $50 AAA benefit.

I have the Plus membership and it was a reimbursement. I sent the receipt and they sent me a check. It paid for my years membership right there.