Where To Look For Your Lost Car Keys

Car keys can get lost no matter how much effort you put into keeping an eye on them. And if you share them with your spouse or family, you’re probably looking for your car keys almost every day.

Car keys get lost frequently and can be found in the wrong coat pocket, random grocery bags, and sometimes even in plain sight, in the middle of the kitchen counter. And that’s before your kids or pets use them as their new favorite toy.

A poll of 2000 drivers by Lloyds Bank Car Insurance found that 26% of drivers had lost their car keys, and one in 20 had been a victim of car key theft.

Source: Lloyds bank

In the past, losing your car keys wasn’t such a big deal; you had a spare lying around, and getting a duplicate wasn’t a big, expensive deal. You could get a replacement car key in almost any hardware store or locksmith’s, or, if you were really out of luck, the nearest car dealership.

Source: choice.com.au

The technological advancements we’ve seen in the past 10 years in car technology also include keys for cars. To make cars more difficult to steal, several features were added to the keys, which now also make the keys almost impossible to duplicate without a substantial cost.

Depending on the make and age of your car, a lost key replacement can cost you anywhere from $50 to $500 dollars.

But before you start replacing your lost car keys, make sure they're not just lying around at home, hiding under a pile of something. 

Below are a few suggestions about how you can find lost car keys at home.

Where to look for your lost car keys

Check your car

We rarely get out of our car emptyhanded. Make sure you didn’t accidentally leave your car keys in the ignition or in the car door while you were taking other things out of your car.

It can also happen if you’re distracted by a phone call or thinking about something, you can easily fall into ‘auto mode’ and forget to take your car keys with you.

Retrace your steps

If your car keys are not in the ignition, check any surface you passed on your way from the car. Did you put something in the fridge or your kitchen counter? Did you go to the bathroom? Did you throw anything in the trash or your washing machine?

Search thoroughly and pick up anything that your keys could be hiding under.

Related: What to do if you can't find your car keys

Recheck your pockets and your bag

Check every pocket of everything you were wearing that day, maybe you got distracted and put your car keys in a pocket that was most convenient and not the one you usually use.

If you just came home, check the area around your shoes too. Sometimes we put things down for a second to use our hands to take off our shoes.

Check cluttered areas

You may have put the keys down in their usual spot, and they just slid or were pushed under a pile of something. Check any cluttered areas thoroughly and pick up anything your keys could be hiding under.

Most of the time, a quick second search will do the trick and you'll find your missing car keys in no time. 

When that happens, it's probably a good idea to get a spare car key made. If this option is too costly, you can always attach a key finder to your keys instead. 

You can connect a Bluetooth car key finder to your phone through an app and use it to make your missing keys ring when you can't find them.