Lost/mislaid the only key for the car. Any options?

HurdyGurdy

My husband has lost the only key he has for his old car. Last remembers having it when he moved it off the driveway last week when his new car was delivered. It's not been seen since, although he is adamant that he brought it into the house after locking the car up.
It's  a 54 plate Ford Focus and he was going to sell it. Obviously that's  not going to happen if he can't open it! 
Are there any options here? The car's isn't worth a fortune, so to replace the door locks and ignition locks isn't going to be cost effective. Is it is possible in any way to get a key for it without having an original key to copy from? 
(It's probably a bit too soon for me to be reminding him "I told you to get a copy made or you'd be stymied if you ever lose it )

AdrianC

HurdyGurdy said:

(It's probably a bit too soon for me to be reminding him "I told you to get a copy made or you'd be stymied if you ever lose it )

This is probably the perfect moment...

There's two problems here.
One is the actual physical key that unlocks the door.
The other is invisible, and within that key - the immobiliser chip...

Talk to a Ford dealer - they may well have the codes on record, and be able to supply you with a key cut and coded to the car. But it won't be cheap... I'd think you're looking into the hundreds of pounds. But the alternative is not just replacing the physical locks, but probably the engine management ECU because of the immobiliser.

Failing that, get him searching a bit harder.

Ebe_Scrooge

I was going to say the same - a Ford dealer will almost certainly be able to sort you out, but at a price.  It's getting the right immobiliser code that's the tricky part.

Ah, the good old days when I was first driving my trusty old Escort - if you ever locked your keys inside, just approach the nearest fellow-Escorter in the car park and ask to borrow their key :-)

Nearlyold

AA and probably RAC both offer new key services when the vehicle is locked and the key is lost. My wife lost her keys in a field when taking the dogs for a walk, phoned AA they turned up next day with a key already cut to fit the lock, opened the door and coded the key to the car (it was a 2009 Renault) in about 10 minutes, we'd previously bought a blank off E Bay with an un-coded chip (which we'd never got round to having coded and cut) and he cut and coded that Key F.O.C. on the spot. Cost us about £250 for the AA one so not cheap.
She found the keys in the field about 2 weeks later!
There are also probably independents like this one near you https://3dautokeys.co.uk/get-a-quote?msclkid=77b8592b4c6e1ad9e36d06b7765e4859 

DiddyDavies

Have you had a good look inside of the new car (especially under the seats) just in case he had it in his pocket when getting in to check it out or drive it?

knightstyle

Ford garage charged £260 to come out and sort this for a neighbour. But they only got 1 key for that!  I think Ford can add a third key to the two already registered when the car was new but may be more of a problem if more needed.

fatbelly

Ebe_Scrooge said:

I was going to say the same - a Ford dealer will almost certainly be able to sort you out, but at a price.  It's getting the right immobiliser code that's the tricky part.

Ah, the good old days when I was first driving my trusty old Escort - if you ever locked your keys inside, just approach the nearest fellow-Escorter in the car park and ask to borrow their key :-)

I used to be able to open my Cortina with the front door key to my house!

livetoclimb

Lost my partners only key on a dog walk a week ago today. Had an auto electrician out the following morning who picked the lock, replaced the key with a remote fob and a spare ‘normal’ key, and coded out the lost keys within an hour, for £220. Would have cost £180 for just the remote key. That was for a 2015 Fiesta - not sure whether there are more cost effective options for an older car? We had the added pressure of being 6 miles from home and in a council car park only open during daylight... although the parking attendant was extremely sympathetic and didn’t give us a ticket. 

HurdyGurdy

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. He will definitely be having a thorough search at the weekend - and not allowed out in his new toy (car!) until he's properly searched  

Looks like he might have to bite the bullet and pay for a locksmith to pay a visit.

AdrianC

HurdyGurdy said:

...and not allowed out in his new toy (car!) until he's properly searched  

Hide the keys.

cymruchris

Come back and let us know if he finds it - and if he doesn't what you had done and what it cost - as that might help other numpties in future who lose their keys.