Lost Your Mercedes Car Keys? Here’s What to Do Next

You are living the worst nightmare of every luxury car owner. You’ve checked your pockets and gone through your purse. You left the windows cracked just enough that rain might get in and ruin your leather seats. But your keys are nowhere to be found! Have you lost your Mercedes car keys? Here’s what to do next.

1. Contact your local authorized Mercedes dealership

If you lose your Mercedes car keys, the first step is to call your local authorized Mercedes dealership. They can assist you in getting a replacement key fob and programming it for your car. The key fob and programming pricing may vary based on the year and model of your Mercedes car, so you may be unable to trust a price you see online. Your local Mercedes dealership will be able to give you the most accurate information on the cost of your replacement key fob and programming.

2. Provide necessary information

Next, you must provide certain information when ordering a key for your Mercedes-Benz car. If you are not the car’s registered owner, they will likely require a notarized letter authorizing you to order a key on behalf of the actual vehicle owner. This notarized letter should contain the VIN, the owner’s full name, and your full name as the authorized party for ordering a new key fob. They may also require additional forms of identification to verify that you are the person authorized by the notarized letter.

3. Consider locksmith services

You may not have a key fob if you have an older Mercedes-Benz model car. You may use a traditional key to lock it and start the ignition. If you need a conventional key replaced, consider contacting an automotive locksmith. However, it’s important to note that only a dealership can replace smart and transponder keys. Locksmiths cannot help you with key fobs, but they may be able to help you with traditional keys for older cars.

4. Preventive measures

Popular wisdom tells us that prevention is the best form of medicine. This wisdom applies to keeping cars and our health. One way to prevent losing your key is to have a spare key made. You can typically order a duplicate or request a spare key from the dealership. Call ahead and find out the process for getting a duplicate key when you have the original.

Again, if you have a key fob with transponder technology, it is crucial to go through an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership, not a locksmith. A locksmith can only help you with spare keys if you use a conventional key for your older Mercedes-Benz car. A spare key will save you time, stress, money, and energy in case of future key loss.

5. Additional Notes

If you have a transponder key and have lost it, you may want to seek additional help. If you lost your key outside of your home, you should contact the property owner(s) of the last location you were aware of having it in your possession. You do not want someone to pick it up and use it maliciously to get into your car.

When getting a replacement key from your local dealership, they typically issue you one replicating your lost key fob, so the original one will work if you or anyone else finds it. To issue a brand new key fob and get it to work on your car, you need to reprogram its immobilizer system, which can cost you several hundred to over a thousand dollars in extra fees, not including the cost of your new key fob.

If you have had the bad luck of losing your Mercedes-Benz car keys, we are here to turn your luck around. Our Andre’s Auto Service team is Chicago’s most trusted European Auto Repair technician. For over thirty years, we have been helping our customers out of all their troubles when accidents happen to their incredible luxury vehicles. You may have run into some bad luck lately. You may be living your worst nightmare, missing the keys to your Mercedes-Benz. But there is no reason to panic. Contact us today, and we will get you into your car and back on your way.