Laser-Cut Car Keys

A laser-cut key — often called a sidewinder or internal-track key — has its cuts milled into the flat faces of the blade instead of notched into the edges. It is thicker, stiffer, usually reversible so it goes into the lock either way up, and it needs a different cutting machine from a traditional edge-cut key.

That machine is the reason this is worth naming separately when you call. A locksmith without a track cutter on board cannot produce this key, no matter how straightforward the rest of the job is.

How to tell which key you have

• Look at the edges. Traditional keys have jagged teeth cut into the edge; laser-cut keys have smooth edges.
• Look at the faces. A winding channel milled along the flat of the blade means laser-cut.
• Try it upside down. Most laser-cut keys go into the lock either way round.
• Feel the thickness. They are noticeably chunkier and stiffer than an edge-cut key.
• Age is a rough guide: they became common on mainstream vehicles from the 2000s onward, but there is no clean cutoff.

Have this ready

• Year, make, model and trim.
• The existing key if there is one, or a clear photo of the blade.
• Whether the key also carries buttons or is a bare blade.
• Proof of ownership.
• Where the vehicle is, since programming happens at the car.

Common questions

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