Non-destructive entry first, always - and we re-key Schlage, Kwikset, and Baldwin locks on the spot while you watch
You get a price before we start. It does not change when we arrive. No surprises.
Medeco Car Key Cutting: The Los Angeles Owner’s Guide
Medeco car key cutting in Los Angeles typically runs $85 – $165 for standard automotive blanks and $140 – $275 for high-security sidewinder or transponder keys, with same-day service available across the metro area. We stock Medeco-compatible key blanks for most domestic and import vehicles at our Los Angeles facility, and our mobile units carry the precision cutters needed to match factory tolerances on-site. Most customers realize they need a new cut when the key sticks in the ignition, won’t turn smoothly, or the dealer quotes a two-week wait for a replacement.
Which Medeco Models This Applies To
Medeco doesn’t manufacture vehicle-specific keys the way they produce door cylinders. Instead, we cut Medeco high-security blanks to automotive specifications using their patented angled-cut system. The relevant product lines are the Medeco M3 and Medeco Biaxial key blanks, which can be cut to match many domestic ignitions when the owner wants pick-resistant key geometry.
To identify what you need, check the bow (the head) of your existing key for a stamped “M3” or “BiaX” marking, or look for the Medeco logo’s six-pin sidebar design. The keyway width matters: Medeco automotive blanks come in .320″ and .350″ shoulder-to-tip lengths, and mixing these up means the key won’t seat properly in your ignition. We measure before we cut.
OEM Medeco blanks run 30 – 40% above aftermarket equivalents from Ilco or Jet, but the alloy hardness is consistent batch-to-batch. For a daily driver in Los Angeles traffic, we usually recommend OEM. For a spare kept in a drawer, a quality aftermarket blank cut to Medeco tolerances works fine and saves you money.
Signs Your Medeco Car Key Cutting Is Failing
- The key hangs up halfway into the ignition. This usually means the cut depths have worn unevenly from years of insertion angle variation, or the blank has developed a slight twist from torque applied during starting. In Los Angeles, the combination of heat cycling and dust from Santa Ana wind seasons accelerates this wear pattern.
- You need to jiggle the key to find the “sweet spot.” The sidebar pins in a Medeco key interact with angled cuts at six positions. When those angles round off even slightly, the sidebar can’t retract fully, and you’re fighting the lock’s internal geometry instead of operating it.
- The key works in the door but not the ignition, or vice versa. Different lock cylinders wear at different rates. Door locks see less torque, so they tolerate a worn key longer. Ignition cylinders feel every thousandth of an inch of deviation.
- Visible cracking or bending at the bow. Medeco blanks use hardened brass alloys that resist wear but can work-harden and crack at the stress riser where bow meets blade. A cracked key will fail completely, often leaving a fragment in the cylinder.
- The dealer or previous locksmith cut a duplicate that never worked smoothly. Medeco’s angled cuts require a duplicator with sidebar tracing capability. Standard key machines copy the blade profile but miss the sidebar code, producing a key that looks right but won’t operate the lock’s security features.
Replacement Cost & What’s Included
Here’s what Medeco car key cutting costs in Los Angeles:
- Standard Medeco M3 automotive blank, cut and tested: $85 – $125
- Medeco Biaxial high-security blank with sidebar coding: $120 – $165
- Transponder chip programming (if required by vehicle): $45 – $85 additional
- Key extraction if broken in cylinder: $75 – $140
- Full ignition cylinder replacement with new Medeco-compatible key: $220 – $385
The range depends on your vehicle’s keyway complexity and whether we need to decode the lock or work from an existing key. We quote the full price by phone before dispatching a technician, and that written price is the price on the invoice. No call-out surcharge gets added when we arrive. Every cut key is tested in your lock before we leave, and the work carries our 365-Day Done Right Promise – if the key fails or doesn’t operate smoothly, we return at no charge.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely check whether your key is a genuine Medeco by looking for the stamped markings and inspecting for cracks. What you shouldn’t attempt: cutting your own Medeco key or trying to extract a broken key fragment from an ignition cylinder.
Medeco’s angled-cut geometry requires a code cutter with sidebar tracing – not the standard duplicator at the hardware store. A bad cut can damage your ignition’s wafers or pins, turning an $85 key replacement into a $300+ ignition rebuild. And if a key breaks off inside, the extraction tools sit millimeters from your airbag clockspring and anti-theft sensors.
We’ve cut Medeco keys for Los Angeles drivers since 2007. Call us at (910) 714-4287, tell us your vehicle year and model, and we’ll quote the exact price before anyone heads your way.
FAQs
In normal Los Angeles driving conditions, a properly cut Medeco automotive blank lasts 8 – 12 years before the angled cuts show measurable wear. The dry, dusty air during Santa Ana events can accelerate wear by introducing abrasive grit into the ignition, so keys on vehicles parked outdoors in neighborhoods like the San Fernando Valley or East LA may need replacement closer to the 7-year mark. Call (910) 714-4287 and we’ll inspect your key’s cut geometry for free.
No. Once the angled cuts or sidebar grooves have worn, the metal is gone and can’t be restored. In rare cases where a key was poorly duplicated, we can decode the original lock and cut a fresh key to factory depths, but the worn key itself becomes a paperweight. We carry the decoders and blank inventory to do this same-day in Los Angeles. Call (910) 714-4287 for an exact quote – estimates are free.
A straightforward Medeco car key cut from an existing key takes 15 – 20 minutes including testing in your door and ignition. If we’re decoding from the lock because no key is available, add 25 – 35 minutes for disassembly, pinning measurement, and verification. We stock the common Medeco automotive blanks on our Los Angeles service vehicles, so most jobs are one trip. Call (910) 714-4287 to confirm we have your specific blank in stock.
We stock Medeco M3 and Biaxial automotive blanks for most domestic and popular import vehicles, and we maintain a same-day supplier pipeline for less common keyways. Unlike dealer parts departments that may need 5 – 10 business days for a factory key order, we typically cut and deliver while you wait. Dunmore Locksmith is an independent service provider – we’re not affiliated with Medeco – but we’re factory-authorized to cut and program their high-security key systems. Call (910) 714-4287 to confirm availability for your specific vehicle.
Perry Osgood grew up in the Palms neighborhood of Los Angeles, a few blocks west of Culver City, where he spent enough time watching his uncle re-key apartment buildings to know this trade was more about trust than tools. He completed his locksmithing coursework at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College on Washington Boulevard, then spent the next two-plus decades working locks across the city – from deadbolts in Silver Lake to high-security commercial installs downtown. Today he runs Dunmore Locksmith on a simple rule: every job gets a written price before anyone touches a door, and every technician who goes out is someone Perry would send to his own mother’s house. A locked door should only stop the wrong person.
Ready for your Medeco key? Call (910) 714-4287 now. We’ll confirm your vehicle’s key type, quote the exact installed price, and dispatch a background-checked, photo-badged technician to your Los Angeles location – usually within the hour.
Written by Perry Osgood, Owner & Lead Technician, Dunmore Locksmith at Dunmore Locksmith, serving Los Angeles and nearby areas.