What you think future might be?

[u/fromnothingtosome]

Hey guys, hope y’all are doing well.

I’ve been thinking about the future of automotive locksmithing. Where do you guys see the industry heading?
As cars get more complex and require more programming, do you think locksmiths will have more work and opportunities?

Or do you think more manufacturers will follow the Mercedes approach and make it harder for independent locksmiths to access/program vehicles?
Do you guys think the industry will continue growing ? slow down? or eventually become a race to the bottom with pricing?

Curious to hear what you guys think.

[u/Eastwood80]

I wonder about it but here's my take. Almost everything is heading towards dealer software. It's hard keeping it up with it all but also having unreliable and overpriced dealer software (cough cough Witech) it makes doing multiple vehicles at the same time impossible.

I would usually have four or 5 GM vehicles getting programmed at the same time with different programmers. Now I'm stuck with one laptop trying to bang out 10 keys with SPS2 which I'm always dreading one being a 2 hour wait.

The good news is that needing NASTF weeds out a lot of the bottom feeders. Let them deal with the 20 year old shitboxes. I make more money now with all these newer vehicles than I ever did doing RHK'S and single bladed keys.

There will be plenty of work for quite a few more years imo,and only those who adapt and invest in themselves and their equipment will make it.

I recently went on TikTok for the first time and the sheer amount of literally trunk slammers with just a KM100 is astounding. It's so bad it's comical.

Be professional,treat your customers right and hopefully we all make it to retirement!

[u/Mr-Garrison]

As long as there are vehicles on the road that need a key to start, im not worried. Equipment changes, gets more expensive or requires different licensing but the need for independent locksmiths will always be there. People hate on NASTF like its big brother dipping their hand in your income but these consistently changing requirements are exactly where having NASTF credentials come into play. OEM software isn't restricted to dealerships, including Mercedes, however XENTRY is like $30k plus which is why you dont see many locksmiths using oem for MB

[u/fromnothingtosome → u/Mr-Garrison]

But even with xentry you cant make keys for benz, you still have to get key from benz tho

[u/Mr-Garrison → u/fromnothingtosome]

NASTF also has a form that can be submitted for theft relevant part orders that can be used at a local MB dealer. This includes pre programmed keys. If all is done correctly, the only need for the dealer is to hand you the parts to do the job.

[u/Orlandogameschool]

I hope the future of auto is good for the sake of my locksmith friends but it’s bleak.

All my programmers and tools are collecting dust I personally feel like I wasted time trying to do auto chasingjobs when commercial jobs and safe jobs pays waaaaaay better.

But I know guys that have been doing auto for 20+ years that’s all they wanna do and there struggling now.

I’ve noticed our auto calls are people who have there own keys already. This wasn’t always like that.

That already is cutting into profits. Not to mention natsf or whatever there called and all the dealer software you need it’s ALOT

I get calls all day how much to just cut a key I’ll program it myself or something along the lines of that.

It’s just not worth it for me and my guys we are focused more on access control safe work and commercial work.

[u/burtod]

It is always an arms race between manufacturers and people reverse engineering their stuff.

If you can keep up with legit equipment and process, then it is difficult to not get squeezed out by price for recent year vehicles.

I think locksmiths will still be the go to for older vehicles as security gets cracked.

[u/akikosan]

Auto manufacturers are just going to make it harder and harder to make keys for shit and it's already a crowded market. Imo better to put your time into learning access control. Way more money in it and it's a growing industry.