Car keys 'cost hundreds to replace' - Confused.com

20/10/11

By Sarah Tawton

Losing your car keys is always annoying, but new research shows that replacing them can be expensive, too.

New keys can cost more than £200, according to consumer magazine Which?

The most costly keys to replace are the Mercedes-Benz S-class, priced at £235, and the Mercedes-Benz C-class at £231.

Owners of the Volkswagen Touareg will find themselves paying £226 for a new key, while Audi A4 drivers face a charge of £224 and a replacement key for a Nissan 370Z costs £212.

The lowest-priced replacement key was for the Vauxhall Corsa, at £127 on average.

Which? said a Saab 9-3 owner posted on its website describing how he had been quoted £580 for a replacement key. A fee of £380 was later settled on, he said.

"Keys cost a king's ransom but car theft has been cut dramatically," another motorist added.