Very Big Problem

[ScotsSarah]

I have a very big problem and I was wondering if anyone could help or have been in the same situation as myself. My partner and myself purchased a Lexus IS 200 SE about 6 months ago and there was only 1 set of keys with the car which I stupidly have misplaced (I am absolutely gutted) I called Lexus who informed me because of the model I would need a full lock system etc costing around £1700 - everyone I have spoke to have said that this doesn't sound right, there must be some way of getting keys.

Any advice would be grateful - I am exploring my options before I have to go down the Lexus route.

Thank you

[aido]

To be honest I think they're right, you're stuck, but I didn't realise it was that much, thought it was closer to a grand.

Have you got any keys at all or have you lost the one set you did previously have?

Might be worth a call to the insurers, you may find you're covered, as if you've lost your keys someone could steal the car so they'd end up paying out the full value of the car - definitely worth an enquiry to see if they'll cover it for you.

Hope it works out for you.

[Mr Morse]

The dude is about right.....insurance job!

[ScotsSarah]

Thanks for your reply.

My partner is offshore at the moment and we haven't discussed where we are going to go from here if we do need to get a new locking system put in. I wasn't too keen in claiming on our insurance as we would lose our 3 years no claims but, then would my insurance go up that much, I don't know how it works.

We only got one set of keys when we purchased the car so, surely their must be another set kicking about somewhere or surely someone must have a keycode for lexus to give a new key? I was going see if my partner still has the Mans card who we bought the car off privately to see of he possibly has the duplicate (anything is worth a bash if it's going to save some money at the end of the day)

[Kazi]

Yeah, you're perttey screwed! But thats the idea behind the ECU. Anti- Theft!

No offence, but with one set of keys you should have thought about this a long time ago.

[ScotsSarah]

pmsfl - I know very stupid really but it's normally my partner who has the keys and I had them in my handbag because he was offshore and I needed to get something out the car and left them in my bag and I think my oldest daughter possibly could have been in my bag

[P38Aaron]

I got my car with 1 set of keys, after asking Lexus what a new key would cost (about £150?+ can't remember now) and what the damage would be if i lost the key, about a grand with new locks and ecu.

I took the new key option.

I hope you get sorted!

[ScotsSarah]

Yeah - tbh I don't know why we never got a second set made (common sense really) but, I am the only one to blame as partner is offshore and I had the keys - I didn't want to tell him and he was really calm when I told him and he laughed I thought he was going to kill me. He said these things happen. Anyway atleast if we go down this route i'll be getting duplicate keys made so in the future I don't want to be in this situation. I have 2 kids under 2 and it ain't good lol

[Unregistered_User]

Hi there,

Hope you get this sorted one way or another.

Regards,

Jamie

[Steve ( West Mids )]

I'd be searching round the house first, then try McDonalds, then see if the police have had them handed in , then contacting the insurance.

[Gareth]

Thanks for your reply.

My partner is offshore at the moment and we haven't discussed where we are going to go from here if we do need to get a new locking system put in. I wasn't too keen in claiming on our insurance as we would lose our 3 years no claims but, then would my insurance go up that much, I don't know how it works.

We only got one set of keys when we purchased the car so, surely their must be another set kicking about somewhere or surely someone must have a keycode for lexus to give a new key? I was going see if my partner still has the Mans card who we bought the car off privately to see of he possibly has the duplicate (anything is worth a bash if it's going to save some money at the end of the day)

I tend to use sites like elephant to gauge "what if" scenarios.

What if I got a disqualification, what if I crashed, what if I made a claim?

That way you can work out what the worst case scenario is before you buy a car, and the chances of something happening whereby you can't keep it anymore.

In this case you could get a quotation for your current insurance with egafant, and then just go back one page, add a claim with the appropriate details, and see what the difference is.

( The first part is important, because it gives you the difference, as opposed to the difference between your current insurance and if you were with egafant )

As for the second thing, I'm afraid that if it were the case then you'd both be very silly buyers.

Leaving a private seller with a set of keys to you car is dangerous.

It's one of the reasons why I don't give the seller my address.

They could just come along one night and take the car back!

OTOHT, most sellers are genuine, have no reason to want to keep keys, and what you got is what he had.

Hope you get it sorted, preferably by finding the keys!

G

[ScotsSarah]

I'd be searching round the house first, then try McDonalds, then see if the police have had them handed in , then contacting the insurance.

I have been searching round the house with no luck. I have reported them to the police and I have also kept in touch with the only places they could have went lost but with still no luck.

I keep dreaming that I have found them only to wake up with still no keys :duh:

[MrADeveci]

Have a serious sit down, and think ....... what the last thing you did was, and where you was, where the car is parked now, and how you would have got from the car, to where you are now.

Behind the sofa, wardrobes, fridge ? .......... I'm sure you haven't turned the house upside down !

I'm sure you will find the key, good luck !

[ScotsSarah]

Thanks for your reply.

My partner is offshore at the moment and we haven't discussed where we are going to go from here if we do need to get a new locking system put in. I wasn't too keen in claiming on our insurance as we would lose our 3 years no claims but, then would my insurance go up that much, I don't know how it works.

We only got one set of keys when we purchased the car so, surely their must be another set kicking about somewhere or surely someone must have a keycode for lexus to give a new key? I was going see if my partner still has the Mans card who we bought the car off privately to see of he possibly has the duplicate (anything is worth a bash if it's going to save some money at the end of the day)

I tend to use sites like elephant to gauge "what if" scenarios.

What if I got a disqualification, what if I crashed, what if I made a claim?

That way you can work out what the worst case scenario is before you buy a car, and the chances of something happening whereby you can't keep it anymore.

In this case you could get a quotation for your current insurance with egafant, and then just go back one page, add a claim with the appropriate details, and see what the difference is.

( The first part is important, because it gives you the difference, as opposed to the difference between your current insurance and if you were with egafant )

As for the second thing, I'm afraid that if it were the case then you'd both be very silly buyers.

Leaving a private seller with a set of keys to you car is dangerous.

It's one of the reasons why I don't give the seller my address.

They could just come along one night and take the car back!

OTOHT, most sellers are genuine, have no reason to want to keep keys, and what you got is what he had.

Hope you get it sorted, preferably by finding the keys!

G

Thanks for your reply

The person we purchased the car from works offshore with my partner on certain jobs although he doesn't see him that often - he purchased some 3l Honda civic thing. Tbh I don't know why he only had one set of keys so i'll possibly be contacting him to see but, i'm sure if he had a duplicate he would have passed them over as we live 3 hours away from him.

Our current insurer is Elephant.co.uk and my partner was disqualified from driving in 2002 and has only had his license back 2 years 7 months - thats why I was considering paying it myslf rather than through insurance as he still has to declare his disqualification and with no claims I would imagine the premium would be bounced up big time but. I appreciate what you are saying by getting a quote to see what our options are - you have to explore every possible option.

[Gareth]

I was caught speeding recently, 68 on a 40mph dual carriageway.

I haven't had a fixed penalty yet, so I fear a caught appearance is in the wind.

Hopefully it'll be 6 points and not a disqualification, so fingers crossed.

That's what caused me to move to the 220d - MUCH cheaper insurance than my GTA.

[Purvesh]

If your chosing to go the private route, is it possible to try breakers for a full locking system and ECU. Then get it fitted privately? Not sure if it will make a price difference in the end.... o and how will they get in the car?! Looks like one of the boot tricks might be in order...

Hope you get it sorted one way or the other.. :)

[Tony-Bones]

Sorry news indeed... We use a local company "Lock & Key" who can dismantle the barrel, map the configuration then make another key from that map.... They specialise in areas like high security entrance (safes shops and alike) maybe they can help? If you are interested i can find their number.

[Gareth]

Sorry news indeed... We use a local company "Lock & Key" who can dismantle the barrel, map the configuration then make another key from that map.... They specialise in areas like high security entrance (safes shops and alike) maybe they can help? If you are interested i can find their number.

I would imagine that they would need to have the car open to achieve that, though.

AFAIK lock picking doesn't work with the more recent generations of car locks, since you can't rake them, and they also don't respond to nudging.

I think that might mean you have to resort to entry by force.

Once you do open the door, the alarm is going to be a problem.

You can dismantle the door from the inside to get the lock barrel out and yes, if you can get it open you can see the tacks and make a key.

However you'd also need to get the immobiliser off, which may include replacing the ECU anyway.

At which point you'd want a new alarm fob, too.

What I'm saying is: Might end up being that expensive anyway.

I would imagine the bulk of the lexus fix route is the cost of the ecu.

If you can get around that with a second hand one then great.

A few things I don't know change this though:

Is the car currently locked? ( I think you suggested so )

Does the car have an alarm?

Is the alarm built into the ecu?

G

[Cous3]

Sorry to hear this..........Happened to me ages ago with another car I had, my little 'un must have taken the keys from my pocket.......Anyway we were due to be somewhere and no keys! Searched high and low for 3 days. Just as I was about to give up I looked at my partner who was standing in front of one of the central heating radiators. Something caught my eye at the bottom of the rad (double rad)........a tiny section of key was poking out. The little bugger had dropped the key and fob inbetween the rad!!!!!

Go check your radiators, inside and behind.

Keith

[Steve ( West Mids )]

Is it just the car keys? Is there any chance the keys could be inside the boot, last time you had them were you bringing shopping in? If so then maybe somebody on here could offer you some help via a PM / email. Let us know ....

[GreyArea]

I've been looking in to this as I also only have one set of keys. Lexus quoted me £2000. However, a mobile locksmith said he could do the job for £500, plus the cost of new keys, which I'd have to supply myself.

The reason it is so expensive is you either need a new ECU, or if the locksmith is able to, you can have the ECU reprogrammed.

It's worth looking around for a mobile locksmith that has the ability to do the ECU reprogramming and key cutting, as it will be cheaper than going to Lexus. You may also be able to claim for it on your insurance, although as you said, it will probably cause your premiums to rocket.

[ScotsSarah]

Sorry to hear this..........Happened to me ages ago with another car I had, my little 'un must have taken the keys from my pocket.......Anyway we were due to be somewhere and no keys! Searched high and low for 3 days. Just as I was about to give up I looked at my partner who was standing in front of one of the central heating radiators. Something caught my eye at the bottom of the rad (double rad)........a tiny section of key was poking out. The little bugger had dropped the key and fob inbetween the rad!!!!!

Go check your radiators, inside and behind.

Keith

Wee bugger - checked there and no luck unfortunately

Is it just the car keys? Is there any chance the keys could be inside the boot, last time you had them were you bringing shopping in? If so then maybe somebody on here could offer you some help via a PM / email. Let us know ....

I last used them just to take something out the inside of the car and then put them back into my handbag!

[Bloodygoodbloke]

IF you manage to get the keys id get donw to Lexus and get a spare set cut asap.

[jay m]

When my girlfriend lost her subaru keys, subaru were able to cut new ones from their records. How ever after maing our way into the car etc and towed it to the garage i noticed they had been sittin below the wipers the whole time! She thought e placed them in her handbag and missed and slid down the windscreen. Its a long shot but worth checkin on and around the car as she was highly embarassed when we told her lol.

jay

[ScotsSarah]

When my girlfriend lost her subaru keys, subaru were able to cut new ones from their records. How ever after maing our way into the car etc and towed it to the garage i noticed they had been sittin below the wipers the whole time! She thought e placed them in her handbag and missed and slid down the windscreen. Its a long shot but worth checkin on and around the car as she was highly embarassed when we told her lol.

jay

Yeah I phoned Lexus Aberdeen & Edinburgh and they both informed me that due to the model I needed new locks etc but it says in the manual duplicates can be made with a key number and surely they must hold this information.