Stop using the key and keep every piece. Do not glue or tape a snapped blade back together, and do not dig at a stuck piece with pliers. A locksmith can extract the piece from the door or ignition, cut a new key from the halves or the key code, and often reuse the chip or program a new key so the car starts.
- Keep both pieces of a broken key, because the blade carries the cuts and the head usually carries the chip.
- Glue and pliers are the fastest ways to turn a simple extraction into a lock or ignition repair, and a taped-together blade tends to snap again inside the lock.
- A piece stuck in a door, trunk or ignition comes out with extraction tools, usually without replacing the lock.
- The new key is cut from the pieces or the key code, and the chip from an intact head can sometimes be reused or a new key programmed to the car.
What to do right after your car key breaks
Stop, keep every piece, and do not put anything else in the lock. Then work out which break you have, because a snapped blade, a piece stuck in a lock and a cracked shell are three different fixes.
- 1Stop turning
If the key snapped while turning, leave the lock alone. Trying the stub or another key in the same lock can push the broken piece deeper.
- 2Keep both halves
Put the blade and the head in a pocket or a bag. The blade carries the cuts we can read, and the head usually carries the chip or the remote.
- 3Note where the piece is
Is part of the blade stuck in the door, trunk or ignition, or did the key come out in two pieces? If a piece is stuck, is it flush with the lock face or sticking out?
- 4Check for a spare
A working spare gets you moving, but do not try it in a lock that still has a broken piece inside.
- 5Call or text us
Give us the year, make and model, where the piece is, and whether the car started on that key before it broke. We quote a flat rate before we dispatch.
Why glue, tape and pliers make a broken key worse
Each one either pushes the broken piece deeper or locks it in place. Do not glue a broken key, in the lock or out of it.
- Superglue in a lock can bond the broken piece to the wafers or wick into the cylinder, and a short extraction becomes a lock or cylinder replacement.
- A glued or taped key may survive a turn or two, then break again inside the ignition, often in a worse spot.
- Pliers and tweezers grab the very end of the piece, slip, and push it further in. Broken pieces often sit flush or recessed, so there is usually nothing to grip anyway.
- Pins, paper clips and small screwdrivers scratch the keyway and can bend the wafers that read the key.
The one exception: if a good length of blade is sticking out of the lock and it slides out with light finger pressure, that is fine. If it does not come with light pressure, leave it for us.
How a locksmith gets a broken key out of a lock
With thin extraction tools that slide in beside the broken piece, catch its cuts and draw it out. In most cases the lock stays in place and keeps working, with no drilling.
Door and trunk locks are usually the quicker jobs. An ignition takes more care because the piece sits deeper and the cylinder has to turn freely afterward. If the key broke because the ignition was binding, we check for that as well, since a new key in a binding cylinder can snap the same way. Our guide to a car key stuck in the ignition covers that side of it.
Once the piece is out, we test the lock and tell you whether the cylinder needs attention. A key rarely snaps for no reason, and that check is what keeps the new key from following the old one.
| Option | Ventura County | San Diego County | Time on-site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition Key Extraction | $95-$200 | $105-$225 | 15-35 min |
| Door Lock Key Extraction | $75-$175 | $85-$195 | 10-30 min |
| Trunk Lock Key Extraction | $75-$175 | $85-$195 | 10-30 min |
| Broken Key + New Key Cut | $150-$250 | $175-$275 | 25-45 min |
| Cylinder Assessment After Extraction | $100-$175 | $115-$200 | 15-25 min |
| Preventive Key Inspection | $75-$125 | $85-$150 | 10-15 min |
Flat-rate ranges from our current price list. The exact quote depends on year, make and model, and the price we quote is the price you pay. Full details: Broken Key Extraction in Ventura County or in San Diego County.
Can a new key be cut from the broken pieces?
Usually, yes. With both halves we can read the cuts and cut a new blade on our Xhorse Condor or Dolphin machines. If the pieces are worn, damaged or missing, we can often cut the key from the key code instead.
Cutting from code is often the better choice for an older key. A worn key copied from a worn key copies the wear, while a key cut from code comes out to factory spec. As a NASTF Vehicle Security Professional, we have registry access to key codes that manufacturers release only to vetted professionals, and ownership verification comes first on every job.
Mercedes-Benz is the exception at EZ Car Keyz. We extract broken keys from Mercedes door and trunk locks, but new Mercedes keys go through the dealer. Our Mercedes-Benz key guide explains why.
Will the new key start the car? What happens to the chip
If the car needs a chip to start, the new key has to be recognized by the immobilizer. Depending on the vehicle, we either reuse the chip from the broken key's head or program a new key to the car.
Most modern cars use transponder keys: a chip in the head that the immobilizer must recognize before the engine will run. A metal copy without the chip opens the doors but will not start the car. When the head of a broken key is intact, the chip usually survives the break.
Flip keys and remote head keys put a remote in the same head. If the blade snapped or the flip mechanism broke but the electronics still work, the fix can be a new blade or a new shell with the original electronics moved over. If the electronics are damaged too, it becomes a full key replacement, covered in our car key replacement service.
| Option | Ventura County | San Diego County | Time on-site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Metal Key Replacement | $50-$100 | $60-$110 | 15-20 minutes |
| Transponder Key Replacement | $150-$250 | $150-$275 | 30-45 minutes |
| Flip Key / Switchblade Key Replacement | $150-$275 | $160-$300 | Under 45 minutes |
| Laser-Cut / Sidewinder Key Replacement | $175-$300 | $200-$325 | About 30 minutes |
Flat-rate ranges from our current price list. The exact quote depends on year, make and model, and the price we quote is the price you pay. Full details: Car Key Replacement in Ventura County or in San Diego County.
What if only the plastic shell or flip mechanism broke?
Then the key may not need replacing at all. A cracked shell, a flip blade that will not lock open, or a split case around a remote can often be fixed by moving the working parts into a new case.
Use a cracked key as little as possible until it is fixed. A loose blade wobbling in its shell puts uneven force on the ignition, and a chip that falls out of a split head leaves you with a key that opens the doors but will not start the car. If you have to drive before it is fixed, a wrap of tape around the cracked head, kept off the blade, holds the chip in place. That is different from taping a snapped blade back together, which does not hold.
We quote a shell swap by phone or text before we dispatch. If the new shell needs its blade cut to match your old key, the cutting is part of that quote, not an extra on arrival.
Toyota broken key shell replacement in Oxnard, CA
Why car keys break, and how to keep it from happening again
Keys usually break from wear and leverage: a worn blade, a stiff lock or ignition, a heavy keychain, or a key used as a tool. Fix the cause and the next key lasts longer.
- Do not use the key to pry, open packages or scrape anything.
- Keep the keychain light so the blade is not levered every time you drive.
- If a lock or ignition is getting stiff, have it looked at before it snaps the next key. Our ignition repair service covers that work.
- Replace a key that is cracked, bent or worn thin before it fails, ideally with a key cut from code.
- Keep a working spare. Here is why a spare matters.
If a key looks tired, the preventive key inspection in the extraction table above is a quick check of the blade for wear and of how it turns in your locks. We cover Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, San Diego County and Malibu, from Oxnard to Escondido, 6:00 AM to 11:30 PM, 7 days a week.
