If you’ve locked keys in your car, you can try a few tricks to retrieve the keys yourself.
DIY methods:
- Check every door and window
- Fetch the spare key
- Unlock your car using your vehicle’s app
If these don’t work, you may need to call in a professional lockout service provider. Here are the methods they’ll use to unlock your car:
- Create an opening with a pump wedge
- Pull the locking mechanism with a string or a “slim jim” (for older car models)
- Push the unlock button with a wire
Professionals you can call for help:
- Mobile mechanics
- Roadside assistance (from an independent provider, insurer, or car dealership)
- Locksmiths
- Towing companies
- Police (in an emergency)
Want to learn more about getting into your locked car?
Read on to fully unpack each method and get a cost breakdown on the different kinds of professional locksmith services. We’ll also share some tips to help you avoid getting stuck with a locked vehicle again.
This Article Contains:
- What Should You Do When You Lock Your Keys in the Car? (4 Steps)
- 4 Ways an Auto Professional Will Access a Locked Car
- Who to Call for Help When You’re Locked Out of Your Car (+ Cost Breakdown)
- How Do You Avoid Getting Locked Out of Your Car?
- 4 FAQs About Getting Back Into Your Locked Car
What Should You Do When You Lock Your Keys in the Car? (4 Steps)
When you find yourself unable to access your locked vehicle, these are the first four things you should try. Do steps one through three before booking a car locksmith service:
1. Check Every Door
While it may seem like an obvious tip, it’s easy to panic and forget to check every door handle. You can even check your trunk if it’s open.
2. Use Your Spare Key
The easiest way to access a locked car door is with the spare key or fob. If your key is at home, contact a friend or relative to bring it to you. Alternatively, you could take a cab to pick it up.
3. Access Your Car’s App
If you have a modern car, you may be able to unlock it through the remote unlocking feature available in your car manufacturer’s app. However, this only works if your app is paired with your vehicle.
4. Call for Assistance
If all else fails or you can’t leave your vehicle, you can contact a car locksmith service or a mobile mechanic. Car lockout service professionals and mobile mechanics have the specialized tools and expertise to unlock your vehicle.
IMPORTANT: If there’s an emergency (e.g., children locked in the car or your safety is compromised), you can also contact the police.
Wondering how an automotive locksmith will access your vehicle?
Read on to discover the tools and tricks they’ll use.
4 Ways an Auto Professional Will Access a Locked Car
CAUTION: You may come across lockout kits online that contain the same tools professionals use. However, trying these methods yourself can easily cause expensive damage to your doors or windows, which your auto insurance may not cover. That’s why it’s best to leave the job to a professional.
Depending on your car model (whether you drive an older or newer vehicle), a lockout service professional may use one of the following methods to unlock your car safely:
1. Pry Open the Door with an Inflatable Pump Wedge
If no windows are open to allow access to the vehicle, a locksmith may use a pump wedge (an inflatable device) to open the locked door.
Here’s what they’ll do:
- Insert the uninflated pump wedge between the door and the door frame.
- Pump up the wedge with air to create a gap.
- Insert another pump wedge to create greater access through the door if necessary.
- Then, reach through the gap (either by hand or with a long-reach tool) to press the lock button, pull the unlock switch, or retrieve the car key.
2. Pull the Lock with a String
This method works on an older car with a manual lock and entails using a string or wire (sometimes from a coat hanger) to pull up on the door lock knob. Here’s how a professional does it:
- Tie a loop (noose or slip knot) at one end of the string. It should tighten when they pull on it (like a cowboy’s lasso).
- Locate an opening in one of the windows or put the string through the gap created by the pump wedge between the car door and frame.
- Drop the string down to hook the noose around the door lock knob and ensure the noose is tight.
- Pull the string to open the locked car door. Alternatively, the locksmith may hook the string around the window winder (if there is one) to lower the window.
3. Access the Locking Mechanism Inside the Door
Another method for accessing a manual lock system on an older vehicle involves the car lockout service professional using a “slim jim” (a thin, flexible piece of metal with a hook on the end).
To retrieve your keys, the car locksmith will:
- Create a small gap between the window and door, or use a pump wedge, to access the lock mechanism if necessary.
- Insert the slim jim between the window and the weather stripping, while not damaging the glass.
- Maneuver the slim jim until it hooks onto the locking mechanism.
- Pull up on the car lock to open the door.
4. Press the Unlock Button with a Piece of Wire
For a newer vehicle with an electronic car lock (keyless entry system), the car unlocking service requires pushing the “unlock” button with a stiff wire (like from a coat hanger).
Here, the locksmith will:
- Unravel the coat hanger to create a straight wire (if a proper wire tool isn’t available).
- Thread the wire through the door frame seal above the “unlock” button.
- Lower the wire until it rests over the button.
- Push the lock button until it engages, and the door unlocks.
Now, locksmiths aren’t the only service providers trained to help in a car lockout situation. You have several options for whom to call in a pinch, and the costs vary between them.
Who to Call for Help When You’re Locked Out of Your Car (+ Cost Breakdown)
These are your best options for professionals to call during lockouts. You may need to make a few phone calls to find out what’s available to you.
- A mobile mechanic service: Mobile repair experts, like AutoNation Mobile Service professionals, can come to your driveway to unlock your car and handle other on-the-spot repairs.
Cost: Request a free quote online - Roadside assistance (RA): Your car insurance policy or vehicle purchase agreement with the car dealership may include RA to help in a lockout situation. Alternatively, you can pay a membership fee to a roadside assistance provider to access the service.
Cost: Roadside assistance service memberships cost between $60 and $420 annually. If you have RA as part of your auto insurance policy or dealership contract, the cost would be included in your existing fees. - An automotive locksmith: They specialize in unlocking vehicles and can replace or reprogram a physical key or fob if needed.
Cost: $75 – $250 (potentially more after hours or on weekends and holidays) - A towing company: Some companies offer locksmith services and can tow your car to a dealership or service center if necessary.
Cost: $50 – $150 (potentially more after hours or on weekends and holidays)
Wondering if the police can help in such situations?
Unless it’s an emergency, they’re unlikely to come out for a lockout, but you can try calling the non-emergency line to check. There’s a minimal chance they’ll come and help you for free.
Once the locksmith or other auto professional helps you get back inside your vehicle, you may feel anxious about experiencing lockouts in the future. Let’s explore some preventative steps to avoid paying for a professional locksmith again.
How Do You Avoid Getting Locked Out of Your Car?
Here are a few tips to prevent yourself from needing to call a professional locksmith for a future lockout:
- Lock your car from outside: Make a habit of holding onto your car key and locking your doors after you exit your vehicle.
- Keep a spare key: For extra safety, get a key replacement from your car manufacturer. You can store it at home, in your wallet, or even in a specialized key lock box attached to the vehicle’s exterior.
- Attach your key to a lanyard: This makes your car keys more visible, helping you avoid future lockout scenarios. It also helps create the habit of putting the keys around your neck before exiting the vehicle.
- Replace the key fob battery often: This prevents a dead fob from causing a car lockout if you have a keyless entry system. For modern vehicles, key fob batteries last between 4 and 6 years, or 2 to 3 years for smart keys.
- Check your app settings: You may be able to change some settings to prevent the car from locking while the key is inside.
Got more questions?
Check out these FAQs.
4 FAQs About Getting Back Into Your Locked Car
Finally, let’s bust a few myths and take in some other helpful information about lockout situations:
1. How Long Will It Take to Get Your Car Unlocked?
Service providers could take up to a few hours to reach your location. Once on site, they could take just 5 to 30 minutes to unlock your car.
2. Should You Break a Window if Your Keys Are Locked in Your Car?
Breaking a window should only be a last resort in an emergency, for example, if you’re stuck in extreme hot or cold weather or far from help.
Car windows can be costly to replace, starting from $200 in the best-case scenario and going up to $2,000+. Moreover, glass shards can be tricky and even more expensive to clean up.
To make matters worse, your car insurance may not cover the damage if you break the window yourself.
3. Can You Open a Car Window with Tape if You’ve Locked Keys Inside?
No! Videos online of people opening their windows with tape are usually faked.
Cars are designed to prevent the window from being pulled down, as this would make it easy for someone to steal your vehicle.
4. What Should You Do if Your Car Keys Are Locked in the Trunk?
Start by following the same initial tips — checking doors, windows, your app, etc.
Then, there are a few other things you can try in this scenario:
- If you have access to the inside of the car: Look for a lock mechanism for your trunk or fold down the back seats.
- If you’re locked out of your car: The locking mechanism is often near the pedals on the driver’s side. Look under the vehicle for a rubber plug that you can remove to reveal a hole through which to access the mechanism. Use a wire or screwdriver to push or pull the locking mechanism to open the trunk.
If you still can’t get into your car or trunk, an auto professional, such as a mobile mechanic, can assist you.
Locked Out? AutoNation Mobile Service Gets You Back on the Road Fast
A car lockout is terribly frustrating, especially on modern vehicles with extensive security systems. If you’ve tried every car door (and the trunk) or can’t find your spare key, you’ll need a mobile mechanic or locksmith service to come to the rescue.
Interested in having a mechanic come to you to take care of all your vehicle’s needs?
Reach out to AutoNation Mobile Service, and we’ll assist you from your driveway!
We’re a mobile auto repair solution available seven days a week, and we provide a 12-month,12,000-mile warranty on all repairs.
Contact us for all your car maintenance solutions.