The Cost of Removing A Broken Key From Your Ignition
You’re enjoying your night. Everything is going perfectly, and life is good. You’re ready to head back home when your day comes to a screeching halt: your car key breaks, and now it’s stuck in your ignition. Ugh.
It happens to the best of us. Preventing these kinds of defects isn’t possible, and it becomes more and more likely the longer you have had your vehicle.
But this kind of accident can add a lot of unnecessary stress to your day. Should you try and pull the broken key out yourself with the tools you have on hand? Maybe you should scour Youtube in search of the best DIY solution? Or maybe you should just call your buddy who knows a lot about cars?
Unfortunately, all of these courses of action are incorrect. You car’s ignition, while simple on the surface, is one of the most crucial parts of its internal processes. Messing with it can result in a ton of unnecessary problems and mechanical defects. It’s a hassle, but more often than not trying to handle this kind of repair yourself will result in an even bigger headache than the one you started with.
Don’t fret: Clark’s Locksmith Solutions has you covered. We’re the go-to locksmithing center for the people of Portland, Oregon, and we have the tools and experience necessary to safely and efficiently remove your broken key from your car’s ignition.
So, how much does it cost?
It’s no secret that automotive repairs typically come with an enormous price tag. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with removing a broken car key stuck in the ignition. While the process is complex, we can take care of the defect for a far more manageable fee than those associated with other automotive issues.
There are some variables to keep in mind, however. No two jobs are ever the same, which means the cost of your repair will differ depending on a few crucial factors. Let’s take a look at the things you should keep in mind when considering the cost of the repair.
The largest factor to consider will be what type of key your car uses. Some are more complex than others, and the more complex the lock mechanism, the larger the fee will be for your repair. Thankfully, there isn’t a huge disparity between the two different key types, but it’s large enough to be worth mentioning.
The first type of key is a regular key. This hardware is a standard key that doesn’t include or interact with any software or security systems within your vehicle. As you might expect, the key’s simplicity means that a repair involving a standard key is the more affordable of the two.
Don’t be fooled, however. Removing a broken standard key from your car’s ignition is still a project that requires a lot of experience. It also calls for a lot of special locksmithing tools. So don’t try to handle the repair yourself just because your car uses a normal key; a shoddy DIY job with a regular key can result in just as many new problems as one involving a more complex model.
We have all the right tools to handle this job, and its simple nature means we can have you back on the road in no time at all. Removing a broken regular key from an ignition will typically run you between $100 to $150, depending on the severity of the repair. Some special cases will be slightly more, some slightly less.
Next up are transponder keys. These are more complex keys that interact with your vehicle’s security system. They use special microchips that activate your vehicle’s anti-theft protocols in case their sensors detect that something is amiss. As you might expect, working with these more complex keys make the repair a bit more complicated.
To remove these keys from your ignition, we use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) devices to recognize your key’s unique serial number. This information is required to remove the key from the ignition without activating your car’s security system.
We have all the right tools to make sure the repair goes off without a hitch. But in case it wasn’t clear, you should never attempt to remove these types of keys from the ignition yourself. Not only are you subjecting yourself to more potential defects, but you might make people think you’re trying to steal your own car! Kick back, relax, and let us handle this job. If your key comes with a key fob, the plastic module that houses the lock and unlocking functions of your car, it means you likely have a transponder key.
These types of repairs are usually around $250.
Why should I work with Clark’s Locksmith Solutions?
We’re available on a 24/7 basis and can drive to meet anyone within 30 miles of our shop. And we can come to assist you even if our in-store location is closed for the day. Our locksmiths are extensively trained, passionate, and highly personable, which means your repair will be a straightforward and stress-free process from beginning to end.
So what do you do when your key is broken inside the ignition?…Contact us at your earliest convenience to schedule your repair:
Clark’s Locksmith Solutions
1323 NW 16th Ave #1009
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 374-9303