Case cracked, buttons worn through or blade snapped? Most of those can be repaired around your key's existing electronics, so there's no need for a new key or reprogramming. If the circuit board has failed or the fob has had a soaking, a repair won't last, and we'll tell you straight that a replacement is the right fix.
Let’s talk keys
Send your details and we’ll get back to you about your keys. For anything urgent, call us.
How it works
Repairs where they'll last • Honest about when they won't • 12-month guarantee • 450+ Google and Checkatrade reviews
We test the key before touching it, because the fault decides whether it's a repair or a replacement. Shells, buttons and blades are repairable. Circuit boards and water damage aren't.
A fob with dead buttons often just needs a battery, so that's checked first. Then we test whether the chip still starts the car and whether the remote still sends a signal. If both work, the electronics are healthy and a repair is worth doing.
When the case has split, the buttons have worn through or the key ring loop has snapped off, the circuit board and chip are moved into a new shell. Your key keeps its programming, so it works exactly as it did before, just without the tape holding it together.
A blade that has snapped, bent or worn down is replaced with a new one cut to your car's original code, not copied from the damaged blade. On flip keys, a worn flip mechanism is usually sorted at the same time. If the broken half is stuck in a lock or the ignition, we extract it first.
If the circuit board has failed, or the fob has been through the wash or been dropped in water, the electronics can't be relied on. Drying it out might bring it back for a while, but it usually fails again. That's a job for a new key, cut and programmed to the car: see car key replacement.
Same day
For split cases, worn buttons and broken blades, usually yes, in a single visit. Car key repair happens at your car, because the finished key needs testing on it, and it nearly always costs less than a new key.
If you've been searching for car key repair near me, we cover from the New Forest across to Portsmouth, taking in Southampton, Eastleigh, Winchester and Fareham. A photo of the key sent with your registration lets us tell you in advance whether it's a repair or a replacement.
Repair or replace
The fault decides it, not the age of the key.
A failed circuit board, a fob that has been through the washing machine or into the sea, or a remote that won't respond even with a fresh battery all need a replacement key. We cut it, program it to the car and test it, and where your old key is still recognised, we can remove it from the car's memory.
Common faults
Four problems account for nearly every car key repair call.
Usually along the seam, after years in a pocket. The board and chip are fine but held together with tape or an elastic band. A new shell fixes it permanently in one visit.
The rubber wears until the button no longer presses the contact underneath, or tears altogether. Fresh buttons come with the new shell, and the remote works properly again.
Usually at the base, often after the key has been used as a lever or caught on a heavy keyring. A new blade is cut to the code, and if the broken end is still in a lock, we get it out first.
This is the one that can't be repaired. The electronics may work for a day after drying, then fail. A replacement key is the reliable fix, and we can usually make one at the car the same day.
Pricing
A shell, button or blade repair costs considerably less than a new key, because the electronics and programming are kept. We price it from your registration and a photo of the key, so you know before we come out whether it's a repair or a replacement, and what it costs.
Nothing is paid upfront. Every price is given before anything is taken apart; if one symptom could be more than one fault, you hear each possible price on the phone first, then we confirm at the vehicle. Repairs carry our 12-month guarantee.
Related
Down to a single working key? Get a backup while you can: spare car keys. If the key looks fine but the car won't recognise it, it's likely car key programming. A key that won't turn in the ignition can be the key or the barrel, so see ignition repair.
By make
Most remote and flip keys can be reshelled or reblanked, though smart keys vary.
Volkswagen group flip keys, from the Polo and Golf to the Audi A3, wear their flip mechanisms and blades, and both are routine fixes. Vauxhall, Ford, Peugeot and Citroën flip keys are the same. A new shell or blade usually puts them right.
Many remote keys can be reshelled with fresh buttons. Smart keys vary more by make, so send us a photo first. If a reshell isn't available for your model, or the board has failed, we'll quote a replacement key instead.
FAQ
We come to you. Car key fob repair is done at your car, because the repaired key gets tested on the vehicle before we leave. Our area runs from the New Forest to Portsmouth and up to Winchester. Send a photo of the key and the registration, and we'll confirm whether it's repairable first.
No, not reliably. Water damages the circuit board, and even if the key works after drying, it usually fails again within days or weeks. The dependable fix is a replacement key, cut and programmed to the car. We can usually do that the same day at your vehicle.
Most often it's a flat battery, so try a new one first. If that doesn't help, the buttons may have worn through, which a new shell fixes, or the circuit board may have failed, which needs a replacement key. We test which it is before recommending anything, so you don't pay for the wrong fix.
Not usually. In a shell, button or blade repair, the original circuit board and chip move into the new parts, so the car still recognises the key exactly as before. Reprogramming only comes into it when a new key is needed, for example because the board has failed.
Yes. A snapped blade is replaced with a new one cut to your car's original code, so it fits the locks properly rather than copying any damage. If the broken half is stuck in a door lock or the ignition, we extract it first. The rest of the key stays as it is.
Most shell, button and blade repairs are done in a single short visit. We test the key on the car before leaving, checking the remote, the locks and the engine start. If the job turns into a replacement, that takes longer, and we'll tell you how long before we start.
From the van
April 2026Skoda Kodiaq
Smart key programmed on a Skoda Kodiaq for a customer in Havant, done on site from the SmartTech mobile workshop. Programming was carried out at the vehicle, then every function was tested so the key worked exactly like the original.
Havant
October 2025Kia XCeed
Smart key programmed on a Kia XCeed for a customer in Shirley, done on site from the SmartTech mobile workshop. The key was coded to the car's immobiliser through the diagnostic port, with remote buttons and keyless functions checked afterwards.
Shirley
May 2026Peugeot 2008
Smart key programmed on a Peugeot 2008 for a customer in Winchester, done on site from the SmartTech mobile workshop. The key was coded to the car's immobiliser through the diagnostic port, with remote buttons and keyless functions checked afterwards.
Winchester
What customers say
"I cannot recommend Alec enough. My transit custom lock was not turning. I did not know Alec at this point and called another locksmith. To cut a long story short the other locksmith attempted a repair and then gave up, leaving me with a van I could no longer use. I called Alec who came out next day; he repaired the damage done by the other locksmith and custom made a replacement ignition barrel so one key still does the doors and the new ignition. I couldn't be more pleased. Price was very fair too!"
"Did the work at a 3rd of the price of the dealership and I'm sure to a higher quality, the work was quick and professional. Could not recommend more!"
"Absolutely spot on! After ringing about 15 different companies who said they couldn't help and one company even saying the series of my car doesn't exist I found smarttech who I contacted who could finally help! The next day he came out and I now have access and a new key to my car! Fast and efficient polite service! Highly recommend!!"
All services