Why Dealerships Lose $500+ Per Vehicle on Key Issues (And How to Fix It)
Most dealerships don't track how much they lose on key-related problems. Here's the math:
Trade-in comes in with one key? That's $150-400 to get a second one made, depending on the vehicle. Multiply that by 15-20 vehicles a month and you're bleeding money.
Lost keys in the lot? Every hour a car sits unsellable because nobody can find the key is revenue sitting on concrete. I've seen lots lose entire sale days over this.
The fix is simple:
Key audit every vehicle at intake — document how many keys come with each trade
Build key replacement into your reconditioning budget, not your "surprise expenses" line
Have a locksmith on retainer so you're not paying emergency rates every time
We work with dealerships across the area and the ones who treat keys as a line item instead of an afterthought save thousands per quarter.
If your shop is dealing with this, happy to break down the numbers for your specific volume.