Most people never think about car keys until they’re standing next to a car they can’t start. Here’s what actually goes wrong, and what each one involves.
The reasons we get called
You lost the only key. The expensive version, and it’s always the one people put off replacing. With no key to copy we cut a new one from the vehicle itself and program it to the immobilizer, so the car recognizes it. Most cars, most years, done at the car.
You’ve still got one key and you know you’re pushing your luck. Every all-keys-lost job started as a one-key car. A spare costs a fraction of a replacement and takes a fraction of the time, because we have the original to work from. If you’re driving on one key, this is the cheapest call you’ll ever make.
The key won’t turn in the ignition. Sometimes it’s the key, worn flat enough that it no longer lines up with the wafers. Sometimes it’s the ignition itself, full of wear from years of a heavy keyring hanging off it. We can usually tell which within a minute of looking at it.
The fob stopped working. Often a battery, which you can do yourself. If a new battery doesn’t bring it back, the fob may have lost its programming or given up, and that’s a short job to sort out.
The key is stuck, or broke off. Don’t pull on it, and don’t start the car and drive with it jammed. We extract the broken piece and work out what caused it, since a broken key usually means something in the ignition or lock is worn.
You’re locked out. Keys on the seat, engine running, kid or dog inside. If anyone is locked in the car in the heat, call 911 first and then us. Otherwise we pick it open, no slim jims and no prying, because modern doors have wiring and airbags inside them.
The door lock itself has failed. A lock that spins freely, a cylinder damaged in a break-in, a door that the key no longer operates. Worth repairing before it’s the only working door on the car.
What we’ll ask you for
Year, make and model, and whether you have any working key at all. Those three answers decide what we bring and what it costs, and we’ll tell you the price on the phone rather than on arrival.
We’ll also want to see that the car’s yours: registration or title, and your ID. We ask everyone, every time.
Before you call the dealership
A dealer can do most of this, but the car usually has to get there, which means a tow when it won’t start. We come to the car instead, and we’re generally cheaper for the same work. Worth a phone call to compare before you book the tow.
Lost a key, or down to your last one? Call 844-644-6539 with the year, make and model.
