Frequently Asked Questions

We cover Exeter and a wide area of Devon and Somerset — including the city centre, Marsh Barton, Heavitree, St David’s and all surrounding neighbourhoods. Outside Exeter, our main areas include Honiton, Exmouth, Tiverton, Sidmouth and Chard. See our full coverage map.

For Exeter city centre, Marsh Barton, Heavitree and most EX1–EX4 postcodes we typically reach emergency callouts within 45–60 minutes. Rural areas across East Devon and Somerset may take a little longer given the distances involved. We always give you an honest time estimate when you call — we will never leave you guessing at the roadside.

Cost depends on your vehicle make, model and key type. Basic transponder keys for common vehicles such as a Ford Fiesta or Vauxhall Corsa start from around £100–£150 all in. Premium vehicles cost more. We always confirm the exact price before starting any work — no surprises. See our 2026 pricing guide for a full breakdown by vehicle type.

Yes — even with no working keys at all we can programme a new key for most vehicles. Our lost car keys service uses EEPROM programming for vehicles where standard OBD port access is not possible, covering all the common makes and models we encounter across Devon. Call us with your registration number and we can advise before setting off.

Yes — we are fully mobile. We bring everything to you: cutting equipment, diagnostic hardware, programming tools and key blanks, all in a fully equipped van. We regularly work at homes and workplaces across Exeter city centre, Marsh Barton industrial estate, Cranbrook, Topsham, Honiton and throughout Devon. There is no workshop to visit and no recovery truck needed.

Yes — we operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including all bank holidays and Christmas. Our 24 hour emergency service covers the full Exeter area and Devon. The time of day or day of the week does not affect whether we can help.

We ask for your driving licence and your V5C vehicle registration document or insurance certificate. This is standard practice across the industry and something any reputable auto locksmith will require before starting work. If you are on holiday in Devon and do not have your V5C with you, a driving licence plus a screenshot of your digital insurance certificate is usually sufficient — call us to discuss.

We cover virtually all makes and models. The most common we work on across Devon include Ford, BMW, Mercedes, VW and Land Rover — along with Vauxhall, Toyota, Nissan, Renault and all other major UK brands. See our full brands page.

In almost every case, yes — significantly cheaper. Main dealer pricing reflects franchise overhead that an independent mobile specialist does not carry. The technical work is equivalent. On a BMW or Mercedes, the difference can be £200–£400 for the same job. Read our full breakdown: auto locksmith vs main dealer in Exeter.

Very possibly. An engine that turns over but does not fire is one of the clearest signs of a transponder or immobiliser fault. Our transponder key service covers chip and antenna faults, and our immobiliser diagnostics service covers deeper ECU and system faults — including all-keys-lost scenarios where the vehicle will not start at all.

Yes — commercial vehicle key replacement is a significant part of our workload across Devon. We regularly assist tradespeople at Marsh Barton industrial estate and businesses across the Exeter area. We cover all major van makes: Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, VW Transporter, Vauxhall Vivaro and more. A lost van key should not mean a lost working day.

We accept card payment, bank transfer and cash. Payment is due on completion of the work. We always confirm the total price before starting — there are no hidden charges and no separate parts or labour fees beyond the agreed price. Contact us if you have any questions about pricing before booking.

Yes — proximity keys (push-button start, keyless entry) are a growing part of our work across Devon as more modern vehicles come through. Our key programming service covers all major proximity systems including BMW Comfort Access, Mercedes Keyless Go, Land Rover KESSY and VW Kessy. We programme both the immobiliser function and the proximity element in a single visit.

Yes — our immobiliser diagnostics service covers everything from a key that is simply not recognised through to ECU–immobiliser mismatch after a second-hand ECU replacement. We use both OBD diagnostic access and EEPROM chip reading for cases where standard port access is not possible. This is specialist work — most basic auto locksmiths without EEPROM capability cannot resolve these deeper faults.

In most cases, yes. Dealers sometimes advise customers that only they can supply a replacement key — this is often not accurate. Our key programming service covers the vast majority of makes and models, including BMW FEM–BDC, Mercedes ESL–EIS, VW MQB and Land Rover KESSY systems that dealers often describe as dealer-only. There are genuine edge cases — very new models or unusual variants — where manufacturer access is truly required, and we will tell you honestly if that applies to your vehicle.