If you bought a used car, should you think about the old keys?

The client's name has been changed.

Let's call the client Denis. He bought a used car and received two keys. Both worked fine. The seller seemed reliable, the car was officially registered, there were no problems.

But after a while Denis began to think:

“Do I know for sure that there are only two of these keys?”

A similar question often arises with apartment doors, but people apply the same logic to cars much less often.

Why the number of keys transferred may not be known

Over the years of operation of the car, the keys could be:

• from previous owners;
• family members;
• for services;
• among company employees;
• for tenants;
• from an insurance or leasing company;
• from other users.

This does not mean that anyone necessarily saved a copy. But the new owner cannot always restore the entire access history.

What can you do with car keys?

It all depends on the car. A modern car key may contain not only a mechanical blade, but also:

• transponder;
• remote control;
• electronic authorization;
• immobilizer.

Therefore, the issue is not limited to the mechanical part. Sometimes you can remove the old electronic key from the car's memory or reprogram the system. In other cases, separate diagnostics are required.

Do you need to change your car locks?

It's usually not a good idea to start with this solution. First you need to understand: *whether programming is required.

• what system is installed;
• how many keys are registered;
• is it possible to delete unknown keys;

For older cars the situation may be completely mechanical. For new ones - mainly electronic.

When is the question especially relevant?

If:

• the car was purchased with one key;
• the seller reported a lost second key;
• the machine was previously used by the company;
• the car was rented;
• ownership history unknown.