Lost and Stolen Car Keys

Losing your keys can be hugely stressful, especially as you always seem to lose them at the most inconvenient moment. However, having your keys stolen can be even more stressful as you know someone potentially has access to your vehicle.

Stolen Keys

When your car keys are lost or stolen there are 2 major inconveniences you will face:

The cost to replace them
The security of your car

If your keys have been stolen then your car is more likely to be taken. However if you lose your keys your car should be at less risk, unless you leave any documents or cards showing your address with the keys. There has in fact been a rise in keys stolen from owners properties, with tactics like fishing through letterboxes with long hooks.

What to do if your keys are stolen:

Park your car away from your home or workplace until the locks have been changed.
Use a steering wheel lock or wheel clamp until your locks have been changed.
Call the police straight away and get a crime reference number, this will be needed for any insurance claim.
Do not leave your new keys lying around the house, thieves usually strike twice.

Reducing the Risk of Theft

If your car keys have not been lost or stolen and you simply want ideas on how to reduce the risk of your car read our car key safety guide.

	Don’t keep your house and car keys on the same key ring, this is more inviting for the thieves and you will increase the risk of a home burglary.
	Hide your car keys in your house. By leaving them beside your front door within reach of your letterbox could make them easy to hook out.
	Make sure you don’t leave your bag unattended whether you are out, at work or at some ones house, you never know when a thieve will strike.

Car Crime Facts and Figures

Car crime accounted for 13% of all recorded crime in England and Wales.
Between 2007 – 2008 almost 1.5 million vehicle related thefts were recorded.
You can increase the security of your car by ten times by having extra security equipment.

Why not take a look at our car crime map to see the worst hit areas. Click here to view our car theft map.

Lost or Stolen Keys Insurance

If your car keys are stolen from your home, this is not usually covered by your home insurance. Stolen keys can be claimed through your car’s insurance however you will probably be faced with an excess which can be more than the costs to replace the keys or locks in the first place and may also increase your premium upon renew.

There are specific car key insurance policies available which means that your keys will be covered and it won’t affect your car insurance premium or no claims bonus.

We recommend taking out insurance as it is fairly inexpensive in comparison to the costs you could end up paying if you need to change your cars locks.

Ways to claim for Lost and Stolen Keys

There are a number of ways that you can claim for lost or stolen car keys. The most obvious place to turn is to your car insurance provider, however there are other ways you can claim including:

Your car warranty provider (only if keys are included in the policy)
Your breakdown cover provider may include car key protection
Specialist car key insurers which usually provide a key fob

Tips if you have lost your keys:

Don’t park your car near your home or work until you have changed the locks.
If you have to park at home or at work use a steering wheel lock or wheel clamp.

Tesco offer a service whereby they provide you with a keyring so if your keys should be lost, they will send them back to you if someone finds them and notifies them.

Other Helpful Information

If you do not have specific insurance for lost or stolen keys then you can normally claim the costs to replace your locks from your car insurance provider. The excess may be more than it costs to replace your keys and can push your premium up.

You can always try a locksmith as some can change the locks for a range of cars. If you are looking to take out a car warranty plan then why not check out the ETA and Warranty Direct who offer car key cover in their policy.