Whether you need to replace your stolen or lost car keys, require replacement car keys after breaking your set or you’ve accidentally locked keys in your car in Brisbane, Northside Car Keys can help.
How Long Does It Take to Replace a Car Key?
July 2, 2025
Given the wide variety of car keys that are now available, replacing a car key is no longer a simple task. There are many factors to consider, ranging from the specific type of key needed to the unique model and make of your vehicle.
The location and availability of a service provider that is qualified to replace the key also plays an important role. Key replacement lead times can vary too, depending on whether you are in the city centre or out in a remote territory or small rural town. Drivers can find themselves wondering how long does it take to replace a car key?. In some instances, keys might be replaced in an hour or less and, in contrast, it may take several days for keys that require special parts or advanced programming.
Types of Car Keys
Over recent years, car keys have become far more complex. The traditional car key, made of metal and mechanically cut, has a specific pattern that matches the internal elements of the locks on your car. From there, car keys that are flip-style appeared on the scene. These combine a key fob and a mechanical key blade that flips out at the press of a button.
Keyless entry systems, also known as proximity keys, are high-tech devices that use radio signals to communicate with your vehicle. With the key fob in hand, you are able to lock or unlock your vehicle, and start it manually without a physical key. Transponder-based car keys use a small chip as part of the key device. This chip is used to link to the ECU (engine control unit) of your car or ute.
How Types of Keys Affect Replacement Times
The type of key that you need plays a direct role in how long you can expect the replacement process to be. If you have a traditional, old-style metal key, a locksmith might be able to cut a new one in a half hour. These keys are the cheapest and quickest to replace because they don’t have electronic elements.
More sophisticated modern keys are far more complex, as they have to be programmed and then synced up with the onboard computer in your vehicle. Examples of these include remote fobs, smart keys and transponder keys. It might take a mobile locksmith 1 to 3 hours to replace one of these keys. If the key in question has to be ordered based on your VIN, expect the process to take considerably longer.
Factoring in Vehicle Make and Model
The specific manufacturer and model of your car has a direct impact on how long the key replacement process could take. If you have a common brand of car, the parts are more likely to be available in Australia.
High-end luxury or speciality imported vehicles may present more of a challenge. Some of these cars feature key systems that are proprietary, and necessitate specialised software and programming tools to create a replacement key. Learn more about these features at Northside Car Keys
The time it takes to replace your car key in Australia can vary greatly, depending on the make and model of your car and the exact type of key that you need. You may be able to get a new key from a mobile locksmith, a locksmith in town, or from a dealership. To avoid problems on the road, it pays to know ahead of time exactly who you would have to call for a replacement key, and how long the service might take.