It has happened to just about everyone that owns or drives a car, truck, or SUV. The door is locked, and the keys are either inside, or they have been misplaced. If you need to get in, you may need the services of an automotive locksmith to help you. If there are no other options and you need the vehicle opened, you might not have any choice but to have the locked picked or changed.

Opening the Doors

Depending on the situation, you may only need to open the car and retrieve the keys from inside. Getting the door open may not require a locksmith, but if the lock is damaged, they may be the only option you have. Many roadside assistance companies have tools to open the door, but they cannot deal with a damaged locked or ignition, and in some of the newer cars, the tools they have are not only not effective, trying to use them can be dangerous. In these situations, the locksmith is your only option.

Replacing a Damaged Lock

If you have a damaged lock on your vehicle, you may need to have it replaced, and while you could buy a new lock from your local dealer and install it in the car, the lock will not be keyed to match the existing locks. You could change the other door lock as well, but that just doesn't make sense because the truck or rear hatchback is most likely keyed to match the doors. The simplest solution is to get the lock changed by a locksmith that can set it to work with your existing keys. In the event of a broken, damaged lock, they can sometimes be repaired, but again, it would take a locksmith with the right tools and the right knowledge of the lock to do it.

What About Keyless Entry?

If you have keyless entry in your car and the key fob is inside the car, you might have a larger problem. The modern systems that are being used are very hard to open as security features are being added daily to make these new cars harder to steal. You will have to check with the locksmith to see if they can gain access to your car, so be sure to ask when you call. There is no point in getting them out to look at your car if they could have told you they couldn't get in. For keyless entry systems, you may just have to get a new key fob or controller from your local dealer to work with your car.

For more information, contact your local auto locksmith.

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