Car Key and Lockout Guides
Plain answers about car keys, fobs, ignitions and lockouts.
Dead Key Fob? How to Get In and Start the Car
How to unlock and start a push-button car when the key fob battery is dead, and how to tell a dead battery from a bad fob.
How to Avoid a Car Locksmith Scam
The warning signs of a locksmith scam when you are locked out of your car, and the four questions that protect you.
Types of Car Keys Explained: Metal, Transponder, Flip and Smart
How to tell which kind of car key you have, how each one works, and what that means when you need a replacement.
Key Won’t Turn in the Ignition: Causes and Fixes
Why a car key will not turn in the ignition, the safe things to try yourself, and when the ignition needs repair.
Locked Your Keys in the Car? What to Do and What to Avoid
What to do when the keys are locked inside the car, what not to try, and when it is an emergency.
Dealer or Locksmith for a New Car Key?
How a dealer and a mobile locksmith compare for a replacement car key on cost, speed and convenience, and when the dealer is the only option.
Lost All Your Car Keys? What to Do, Step by Step
A calm plan for when every key to the car is gone: what to check, who to call, what paperwork you need and how the new key is made.
What Decides the Cost of a Replacement Car Key
The six things that set the price of a replacement car key, and the questions to ask so the quote you hear is the price you pay.