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vehicle radios unlocked
Don't pay or wait more than you need to for a Ford radio code. We generate all Ford codes instantly, so whether you drive a Focus or a Transit, whether you listen to Heart FM or your own tunes – we'll get you back into your radio or navigation in minutes.
When your Ford radio, stereo or navigation becomes disconnected from the battery, usually due to a garage service or a low battery, it automatically locks and begins to ask for a radio unlock code. As this is an anti-theft feature it's not possible to unlock a Ford radio without this code, but finding your radio code is an easy process that can be done in minutes. Many dealerships and online generators decode the radio code from the VIN number, but this code will be incorrect if the radio has ever been changed in the vehicle's lifetime.
The most accurate way to get your Ford's 4 or 5-digit radio unlock code is by decoding it from the radio's serial number. Our instant Ford radio decoder currently supports the following serial numbers:
There are two ways to find your radio's serial number – a fast one and a slightly slower one.
Because we incur costs and fees for every code we generate, our money-back guarantee does not usually cover codes decoded from incorrect serial numbers. For this reason you should always double-check that the serial number you enter matches the serial number on your display or sticker label. However, we will make exceptions in obviously confusing cases, such as when a Q really looks like an O or an I that looks like an L.
If your Ford radio or stereo has number preset buttons, you may be able to reveal the serial number on the display without removing it. Try holding down buttons 1 and 6 for at least 5 seconds and then releasing. If nothing changes on your display, try the same with 2 and 6 instead.
If this method worked it will display an M or V serial number followed by 6 numbers, either on its own (image 1) or at the end of a longer serial number (image 2).
On some radio models the display will flash through several screens, with the first part of the serial number on one screen and the rest on the screen after it:
For these models it may be easier take a video or pictures of both the screens, then combine them to get your full 7-character serial number beginning with M or V. For example, the serial number on the display above would be V043088.
For many DVD player models the serial number will be on the DVD player itself, which is usually located under the front passenger seat.
Once you have your serial number, simply enter it into our Ford radio decoder and generator at the top of this page. If this method doesn't display anything at all on your radio, or you can't see a serial number that looks like M123456 or V123456, you'll need to use method 2.
Don't worry – removing your radio is not as hard as it sounds, and for most Ford models you won't even need to disconnect any wires. Simply slide out the radio from the dash and take a picture of the label at the top or side of the radio. The exact process depends on whether your radio has removal slots or not. Look carefully around the front of your radio for 2 or 4 holes: these will either be flat and key-shaped or square/slightly rounded.
If your radio has flat key-shaped slots (image 1), you'll need these radio release keys. If you're in a rush you can also try using everyday items that will fit into the slots, such as a few letter openers or thin bread knives - you'll need one for each slot your radio has.
If your radio has square or round slots (image 2), you'll need these radio release keys, or you can try using a few thin screwdrivers or barbeque skewers.
Once you have your radio release keys, insert each one into your radio's removal slots until you feel some resistance or hear a click. If you're using flat radio release keys, insert each key with the curved side facing the inside of the radio (image 3).
Finally, start pulling your radio out while pushing the release keys outwards, away from the radio - this will give the keys enough grip to pull out the radio. In most cases you won't need to disconnect any wires - simply take pictures of all the labels on the radio and click it back into the dash.
If you'd prefer to see this process visually, see this video.
If your Ford radio or navigation doesn't have any visible removal slots, the exact removal process depends on your radio's model. To find the easiest and most specific instructions for removing your model, search YouTube with your vehicle's model and mark number, or model and model year: for example, how to remove Ford Focus Mk4 radio or how to remove Ford Galaxy 2015 radio.
If your Ford vehicle has a display screen that's separate from the radio (image 1 and image 2) you don't need to remove your radio or navigation - simply follow the first part of a removal guide like this one (from 1 minute and 30 seconds) to remove only the display screen.
Look for a serial number at the back of the display screen that looks like V123456 (V followed by 6 numbers) - this is usually at the end of a longer serial number. Do not enter any serial numbers beginning with C7 - these are decoy serial numbers. If your display doesn't have a V serial number your radio does not need a radio code - if it's still asking for a code, contact us with your Ford vehicle's model and model year and we'd be happy to look into this for you.
Once you've partially removed your Ford radio from the dash and can see the sticker label on top of it, take a picture of it and compare with the image examples below to identify your radio's serial number.
For some serial numbers we may also ask for a part number to guarantee that the code we generate is accurate. Your radio's part number will be located on the same sticker label as the serial number and starts with 7 6.
For FMS/Sanyo/Panasonic models with numeric serial numbers, simply send us a picture of your radio's label and we'd be happy to help you manually decode your radio at no extra cost.
Once you have your serial number, all that’s left is to enter it into our Ford radio decoder and generator at the top of this page.
At RapidRadioCodes we're able to decode many Ford models that others aren't - we have plenty of customers who came to us because other sites couldn't decode their radio model and were surprised that we could, for a much cheaper price. This means we have one of the highest rates of success in the industry, especially for rarer radio models such as the TravelPilot X-Part models.
Ford vehicles and radios that we are able to decode include:
Unfortunately, it's not possible to unlock a Ford radio asking for a code without entering the code. This is intentional as radio unlock codes were originally designed as an anti-theft feature to make it harder for thieves to steal and resell car radios.
Due to the costs of running a small business providing radio codes around the world 24/7, it's not possible to sustainably offer Ford radio codes for free. There are many decoding services out there that attract customers with the word "free" only to reveal a price at the very last second or fail to deliver a code at all (as shown by their reviews). Our prices will always be shown up-front, and our radio codes are already priced as low as possible while still allowing us to stay in business, provide reliable English-speaking support to customers and continue adding support for more models and manufacturers.
Not only were we the first radio decoding company to offer radio codes for all manufacturers at one fixed price, we were also one of the first to charge as low as £4.99 - before we came along virtually no popular decoding company offered radio codes at such an affordable price. To this day we still beat 95% of our competitors on price, without making you wait around for your code.
Unfortunately it's not possible to generate a Ford radio code from the registration plate at all. Although most dealerships and some online decoding sites do use the VIN to decode the radio code, this is not reliable due to being tied to the car rather than the radio. This means that if your radio was changed since it was first manufactured, a radio code decoded from the VIN will be incorrect. For this reason RapidRadioCodes - like most online decoding sites - decodes the radio code from the radio's serial number, which gives us the best chance of unlocking your radio.
All our Ford radio codes are decoded instantly, displayed on the screen immediately after payment and sent to your email at the same time. To ensure that your code and receipt are sent to you, double-check that the email you enter when paying for your radio code is correct. If it's been more than 2 minutes since you purchased your code and you haven't received your email, get in touch with us so we can look into why this might be. In most cases this is down to a misspelt email address.
This means an incorrect radio code has been entered and you will need to leave the radio and ignition on for a while before you can try another code. This is usually between 30 minutes to a few hours, increasing with each incorrect attempt. After a certain number of incorrect attempts the radio will become locked (see below).
When a Ford radio code has been entered incorrectly 10 times the radio will display LOCKED - we call this a "soft lock", because on some models it's possible to bypass it by holding down button 6 for ten seconds. If this works, you will be given 3 more entry attempts - you shouldn't enter any more codes at this point until you have contacted us with a picture of your radio's serial number.
Once these final 3 attempts have been used, the radio will display LOCKED13 - we call this a "hard lock". Other decoders call this a permanent lock, but this is inaccurate. A hard lock can still be bypassed by physically taking the radio to a specialist with the hardware tools needed to clear the lock in the radio's EEPROM chip. However, this is a much more expensive process and it can often work out cheaper to buy a new radio. For this reason you should get in touch with us as soon as possible instead of wasting your code entries.
So you've located your serial number, entered it into our radio code generator, and received your decoded radio code in return. Congratulations! Now comes the best part: using your new radio code to unlock your Ford radio.
This process varies depending on your vehicle's radio. Each of our Ford radio codes come with simple instructions to enter your new code at no extra cost. To receive your entry instructions, double-check that your email address is spelt correctly at the payment stage. If it's been more than 2 minutes since you purchased your unlock code and you haven't received your email or receipt, get in touch with us so we can look into why this might be. This is usually down to a misspelt email address.
RapidRadioCodes™ is a small independent business based out of Sheffield, Yorkshire, in the North of the UK. Our mission is to be able to instantly generate radio unlock codes for all cars, vans and trucks, at a single fixed price that's cheaper than both the dealerships and other third-party decoding sites. Since first being established less than a year ago, we've already helped over 6,000 drivers, garages and car dealerships unlock their radios, and received hundreds of 5-star reviews across our TrustPilot and Reviews.io pages. Still have questions? See if we've already answered them in our main FAQ section.
