Auto Keys (trading as Auto Island Ltd) is a locally-owned automotive locksmith and diagnostic company serving Christchurch and the Canterbury region. Operating since 2009, the business has built a strong reputation — rated Excellent across 265 Google reviews — for fast, professional, and affordable key replacement and locksmith work across the Christchurch and Selwyn districts.
The company's core speciality is automotive key solutions: smart keys, transponder keys, remote keys, and immobilizer keys for a wide range of makes including Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, and Subaru. They supply new, aftermarket, and original second-hand units, work with top brands like Xhorse and KD, and import original Japanese keys for reset and reuse. Services cover all-keys-lost recovery, key reprogramming, and deletion or disabling of lost or stolen keys.
Beyond locksmith work, Auto Keys offers comprehensive mechanical and electronic services: ECU, ABS, SRS, and BCM module repairs; vehicle diagnostics and fault code scanning; control module cloning and data recovery; vehicle servicing including engine, transmission, gearbox, and differential work; glazing (side and quarter glass replacement); and general mechanical repairs covering engines, brakes, cooling systems, suspension, and exhausts. The team is also a Suzuki Swift Sport specialist with specific expertise in the ZC31 and ZC32 models, including ECU tuning and access to Japanese auction parts. A courtesy Suzuki Swift is available for service clients. Afterpay is available.
Losing your car keys or locking yourself out of your vehicle is one of those situations where speed and expertise matter more than almost anything else. Auto Keys — trading as Auto Island Ltd — has been solving exactly those problems for Canterbury drivers since 2009, building a reputation as the go-to automotive locksmith across Christchurch and the Selwyn district.
With an Excellent rating from 265 Google reviews, the business has clearly earned the trust of the region. Reviewers consistently highlight three things: speed (many jobs done in 30 minutes or less), affordability, and a technician who clearly knows what he's doing. One customer summed it up well: "He showed up and sorted it like an absolute legend. Quick, professional, and clearly knows his stuff. Saved me from arguing with my car in a carpark."
The core service is automotive key replacement and locksmith work. This covers the full range of modern key types — smart keys, transponder keys, remote keys, and immobilizer keys — for a wide variety of makes including Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, and Subaru. The team supplies new keys, aftermarket units, and original second-hand keys imported from Japan and reset to new. They work with quality brands including Xhorse and KD, and offer on-site programming for most vehicle makes and models.
For those who've lost every key — a more stressful situation than losing just one — Auto Keys handles all-keys-lost recovery and full reprogramming. They also offer a security service: deleting or disabling lost or stolen keys so the vehicle can't be accessed with them.
Lockouts are handled across Japanese, European, Korean, and American vehicles, even when the mechanical key has failed, the remote isn't working, or the battery is flat. Door lock actuator repairs and fuel flap actuator issues are also in scope.
Beyond locksmith work, Auto Keys has grown to offer comprehensive mechanical and electronic services. On the electronics side: ECU, ABS, SRS, and BCM module repairs; vehicle diagnostics and fault code scanning; control module cloning and data recovery including VIN correction; and repair of flooded or damaged electronic keys (including Mercedes-Benz fishtail keys). On the mechanical side: general repairs covering engines, belts, cooling systems, brakes, suspension, and exhausts; and full vehicle servicing including engine, transmission, gearbox, and differential work using manufacturer-specified or equivalent oils. Glazing is also available — side glass and quarter glass replacement.
For Suzuki Swift Sport owners, Auto Keys offers something beyond general automotive servicing: genuine specialist knowledge of the ZC31 and ZC32 models. The team carries stock of common replacement parts — from coils to clutch forks — has access to Japanese auction sourcing for harder-to-find components, and offers ECU tuning for performance enhancement. A courtesy Suzuki Swift is available for service clients while their vehicle is in.
For anyone with a Swift Sport looking for a mechanic who actually knows the platform rather than treating it as a generic hatchback, this is a meaningful differentiator.
For urgent situations — lockouts, lost keys, dead vehicles — the best first step is a direct call to 020 4011 1533. For non-urgent enquiries, the website at autokeys.kiwi has a detailed enquiry form that asks for your rego, make, year, model, and key situation, which helps the team prepare for the job before arriving. Afterpay is available for those who need to spread the cost.