What Does a Valet Key Do? Is Having One Inside Your Vehicle Dangerous?

What is a valet key? Just like its name suggests, the valet key is an extra key intended for valets or repair shops. Using it, authorized personnel can park your car but can’t open the glove box inside the cabin or the trunk. This allows you to let a valet or mechanic drive your car without fear of having your valuables stolen.

Valet keys were a common feature in sports cars or luxury cars in the past, but that isn’t really the case anymore. If your vehicle did come with a valet key, it’ll look different so you can differentiate it from the master key. Honda vehicles, for example, have a gray valet key, which contrasts with the black master key.

How Do Valet Keys Work?

Valet keys are just like the master key but slightly shorter. A master key can lock and unlock the glove box and trunk because it has a few extra notches that aren’t present in valet keys. Valet keys can fit into the ignition cylinder perfectly, but they won’t open the trunk because the locks require a longer master key.

Some cars with keyless entry can also have valet keys. Some key fobs will have a physical key inside the key fob. If you hand the fob to a valet or mechanic, you can remove the physical key so they won’t have access to the trunk or glove box.

Are Valet Keys Dangerous?

Valet keys are generally safe, but they can be dangerous when left in the car. A lot of people usually just leave their valet keys in their glove boxes, and many car thieves are aware of that. If they can get into the car, they can potentially drive away with the vehicle by using the valet key.

If your car came with a valet key, make sure to not leave it inside your vehicle when you park your car. If you ever lose your valet key, then you should contact your vehicle manufacturer so that they can change your keys.

Modern Valet Features

Instead of a valet key, some newer vehicles have a valet mode that allows owners to set an alert if the car has moved outside a set perimeter. This mode notifies them if their vehicle has been moved to a far-away location.

Some manufacturers also put a chip inside the valet key, preventing the vehicle from traveling over a specific speed. This can discourage people from taking the vehicle on the highway or using it for a joyride.

There are also some vehicles that have a feature on their onboard computers that can lock the compartments and prevent the key holder from opening them. This feature should be enabled before the vehicle’s keys are given to a valet or mechanic. The feature is typically enabled and disabled by entering a unique passcode.

Overall, valet keys are pretty useful because they can give you some semblance of security when giving your car keys to mechanics and valets. That said, you should be careful about where you put your valet key. You shouldn’t put it inside the glove box because it can give a thief an easy way to drive away with your car.