Losing a key is always a stressful situation. You may be lucky and find the key after you search around for a while. However, sometimes it turns out that your key is well and truly lost. If the key in question was your transponder vehicle key, the fix is not just as simple as going to the hardware store and having a new copy made. Transponder keys are so named because they feature an electronic antitheft security chip inside the head of the key that communicates with your vehicle’s computer when inserted into the lock. 

Before you panic, we’ve compiled the following information into a guide to help you determine the best course of action if your transponder key is missing. By keeping a level head and following these tips, you’ll navigate this stressful situation with ease. You may even be able to prevent it from happening in the first place. Regardless of whether or not you’ve lost your transponder key, you may find this information helpful. 

Is My Car Key a Transponder Key? 

First, let’s go over what exactly a transponder key is so that you can know whether or not your vehicle has one and what it means. A transponder key is a vehicle key that usually has a plastic head, inside of which is an electronic microchip. This microchip is the transponder chip, responsible for transmitting and receiving electronic signals to and from your engine’s computer, respectively. 

A unique, one-in-a-million numerical code is sent from your key to the engine and the engine responds. If the numbers match, the vehicle will be allowed to start up. If not, the engine will not recognize the key, and the engine will not start. Even if the key physically matches the pins and tumblers inside of the ignition lock, it won’t work without the proper transponder programming. 

Ford was the first vehicle manufacturer to use a transponder key system, which they called Passive Anti-Theft System (or PATS) in 1996. It quickly spread among vehicle manufacturers who found transponder keys highly effective and affordable to implement. Even with keyless entry becoming the new standard for vehicle security, many remote key fobs also feature some form of transponder chip. So even if the item you’ve lost is not a physical key but instead a remote fob, it will probably need to be programmed by a locksmith or other certified professional. 

Preventative Measures 

Before we explain which steps, you should take upon losing your transponder key, let’s start by giving a rundown of smart preventative measures you can take to lower your risk of losing your key to begin with. These are simple steps you can take that make losing your transponder key far less likely.  

• Establish a Routine Involving Your Keys: Establishing a habit of checking that you know where your keys are when you’re not using them is a crucial part of ensuring they never get lost. 
• Have a Spare (or Two): All security professionals, including the experts on our local locksmith team, recommend that everyone has at least one spare key made for each important lock in their life. This includes spare keys for each of your vehicles, your home, and your business. 
• Keep Your Spare Safe: Having your spare key easily accessible in an emergency is vital. However, it’s just as important to ensure that your key isn’t easily retrieved by someone else. Never keep it stored in a place that someone else can steal it from easily. 

If You Lost Your Transponder Key

If you’ve looked everywhere for your vehicle key and you’ve come up missing, you might be feeling quite frustrated. This is probably especially the case if you don’t have a spare car key. It doesn’t have to be a stressful situation, however. Get on your phone and search for a qualified locksmith to replace your transponder key. Many people are not aware that many locksmiths are capable of offering this service at the fraction of the typical dealership cost. Additionally, a locksmith can perform this service and many others on demand, so you don’t have to make an appointment or wait for hours to have a new key made and programmed.  

While there are websites advertising transponder keys for sale online, professionals strongly caution against purchasing these, as these are often locked or defective keys that are impossible to reprogram. Instead of wasting time and money with online transponder keys, it’s a much better idea to turn to a qualifying local locksmith company to have your transponder key duplicated. 

Locksmiths use the same equipment as the dealership to copy and program transponder keys, but at a much lower cost. In addition, a locksmith can come right to you to perform this service, instead of the other way around. You can have a new key in your hands quickly when you count on a locksmith company for assistance. 

If Your Transponder Key was Stolen 

If, on the other hand, you have reason to believe that your transponder key was stolen and the thief knows which vehicle the key belongs to, you may have a more complicated situation on your hands. While you could just contact a locksmith to make a new master key to match your vehicle, there’s still the issue of someone unauthorized having access to your vehicle. Anyone with your vehicle’s key could open it and drive it away or steal what’s inside. You may want to have your vehicle’s door and ignition locks rekeyed instead. This is a process a locksmith performs that makes it so that the previous key no longer functions and only a newly crafted key will work.