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vehicle radios unlocked
Don't pay or wait more than you need to for a Sony radio code.
We generate all codes instantly, so whether you drive a Focus or a Transit, whether you listen to Capital FM or your own tunes – we'll get you back into your radio or sat nav in minutes.
When your Sony radio gets disconnected from the battery, usually due to a garage service or a low battery, it automatically locks and begins to ask for a radio code. As this is an anti-theft feature it's not possible to unlock a Sony radio without this code, but getting hold of your radio code is an easy process that can be done in minutes. Many dealerships and online decoders also claim to generate 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 Sony radio's code is by decoding it from the radio's serial number. This starts with a V followed by 6 numbers (e.g. V123456), and may be located at the end of a longer serial starting with SOCD. There are two methods to find your Sony serial number – a fast one and a slightly slower one.
Always double-check that the serial number you enter matches the serial number on your radio's display or sticker label, as we are usually unable to offer refunds for radio codes decoded from incorrect serial numbers.
If your Sony radio/stereo unit has number buttons, you may be able to reveal the serial number on the display without removing your radio. Try holding down buttons 1 and 6 for a few seconds and letting go. If nothing changes on your radio's display, try holding down buttons 2 and 6 instead.
If this method worked, the display will either show the serial number immediately or cycle through several screens for about 30 seconds and display towards the end. On some radio models the 7-digit serial number may display over two different screens, with part of it on one screen (starting with an M or V) and the rest on the screen after it. If this is the case take a photo or video of the codes on both screens, then combine them to get your full 7-digit serial number starting with M or V.
If your radio doesn't change at all when holding down either 1 and 6 or 2 and 6, or your radio doesn't have any number buttons, then you'll need to remove your radio to reveal the serial number on its label.
Don't worry – removing your radio is not as hard as it sounds, but it is the hardest part of getting a radio unlock code, which means that once you've done it the rest is easy. If you'd prefer to see this process visually, try this video.
For most Sony radio models, the only tools you will need are a cheap pair of radio removal keys that can be found at your local Halfords or not-so-local Amazon. First, look carefully around the front of your radio for two to four slots. These will be either flat and key-shaped, or square-shaped. If your radio has key-shaped slots (image 1), you'll need these radio removal keys.
If your radio has square slots (image 2), you'll need these radio removal keys. In a pinch, you can also try using everyday items that will fit into the square slots, such as barbeque skewers or screwdrivers, bearing in mind you'll need one for each slot.
If your radio is a newer model that doesn't have any visible slots to insert your radio removal keys into, you will first need to pry away the outer plastic trim from your radio to reveal the radio removal slots underneath. You can either buy a cheap pry tool, or alternatively may be able to use the Sony removal keys for this purpose.
Once you have your radio removal keys, insert each one into your radio's removal slots until you feel some resistance or hear a click. If your radio is the flat slot type, make sure you insert each key with the rounded side facing the inside of the radio (image 3). Finally, start pulling your radio/stereo unit out while pushing out on the removal keys - this will give them 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 insert it back into the dash.
Your Sony radio's serial number will look like one of the formats listed in this section, starting with either V or M. It will either be displayed clearly on its own (image 3), or in a longer version where the part starting with M or V is right at the end (image 4).
Once you have your serial number, all that’s left is to enter it into our Sony radio decoder and generator at the top of this page.
Always double-check that the serial number you enter matches the serial number on your radio's display or sticker label, as we are usually unable to offer refunds for radio codes decoded from incorrect serial numbers.
Sony radios that we are able to decode include:
Unfortunately, it's not possible to unlock a Sony 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 Sony 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 Sony 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 decoders - decodes the radio code from the radio's serial number, which gives us the best chance of unlocking your radio.
All our Sony 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 Sony 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 Sony radio.
This process varies depending on your vehicle's radio. Each of our Sony 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 5,000 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.
