Most of the time when you are locked out of your car, it’s just an inconvenience. But when your child or pet is locked inside, it is an emergency!
Unless you have Remote Unlock – Call 911 – they can get help to you much faster than anyone else you can call to get the car open!
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Avoid being locked out of your car!
The best way to avoid being locked out is to have an emergency car key! You have a lot of options…
One of the long-time solutions for car lockouts is the Hide A Key ($10) magnetic box in which you can hide a key and then clamp to the inside of your tire’s wheel well or behind the bumper of your car.
There are also “wallet cards” that have a plastic emergency key cutout. The big problem with these is that they can only be used a few times.
Grandpa TJ: How about just scotch tape a spare key to card that goes in your wallet?
For those of you who always have a cell phone with you, get a Stick-On Pocket ($9) for the back of the phone and put a spare car key (and house key) in it.
Grandpa TJ: I carry a small, wallet-sized pouch called an EDC ($16). It is always in a pocket or in immediate reach where ever I go – even more so than my phone! Besides emergency gear, I have both house and car keys in it. So if the front door blows shut behind me as I take out the trash or if I walk back to the car only to discover that my keys are locked inside, it’s only a minor annoyance to grab my EDC and get back in with the spare.
Remote Unlock
If you have one of the onboard emergency services such as OnStar, you may only need to call that service and request an unlock signal be sent to your car. Some car manufacturers (click here for a list) even have smartphone apps where you can send the unlock signal right from the app.
What are your choices? Pros and Cons
What do you do if you don’t have a spare key or Remote Unlock? Here are some of the “low-tech” ways to unlock your car.
Click on the green buttons below for detailed descriptions of ways to handle lockouts along with Pros & Cons for each method.
Pros: Easy to do. A professional locksmith will be able to handle almost all car lockout situations. They will usually have several ways to get into your car.
Cons: The initial call may cost $20 to $50 or more just to get the locksmith out to your car. Another factor is how long will it take for the locksmith to arrive, especially if it is late at night – which might also trigger an emergency service surcharge! Not a good choice if you are on a tight budget.
Pros: Far less expensive than getting a locksmith.
Cons: It requires having (or making) the right tool for the door lock and some know how to get it open.