Locked Keys In Car | Non-Destructive Vehicle Entry From £95
Keys on the seat, in the boot or still in the ignition, and the doors locked? New Forest Auto Locksmith opens your car without breaking glass or forcing the door, anywhere across the New Forest, typically within 45–60 minutes of your call.
- Vehicle entry from £95
- 7 years' experience
- 8am–11pm, seven days
- No damage to locks, glass or seals
- Cars, vans and keyless models
Keys Locked In Car? Here's What Happens Next
If your keys are locked in the car, call with the make, model and location. Our car unlock service starts from £95 and typically reaches you within 45–60 minutes. The car is opened using specialist tools that work the lock rather than force it, so there's no broken window and no damaged door.
Check The Other Doors & Boot First
It sounds obvious, but walk round the car and try every door and the boot before you call. On some cars, the boot or a rear door stays unlocked when the rest lock. If a spare key is at home and someone can bring it, that may be the quickest fix of all.
If A Child Or Animal Is Inside
If a child or animal is shut inside, especially on a warm day, call 999 first. A car's interior heats up fast, and the emergency services come before anything else.
Non-Destructive Vehicle Entry: How The Car Is Opened
Non-destructive vehicle entry means opening the car with no damage to the locks, glass, door seals or paintwork. The method depends on the vehicle, its lock and how it's been locked.
Working The Lock, Not The Glass
On many cars, the driver's door lock is opened with a vehicle-specific decoder pick, made for that manufacturer's lock profile. It operates the lock in the same way the key would, so the lock works normally afterwards. The same tool often reads the lock's cuts too, which helps if a new key is needed later.
Long-Reach Tools Through The Door Gap
On some vehicles, a soft inflatable wedge creates a small gap at the top of the door, and a coated long-reach tool is used to press the interior unlock button or lift the handle. It's done carefully so the seals and paint aren't marked, and it isn't used on cars where a lock-based method is safer.
Deadlocks & Superlocking
Many cars double-lock when locked with the remote, which disables the inside handles and buttons. That rules out reaching in for the handle, so the lock itself has to be opened. It takes a little longer, but it's still done without damage.
After The Door Opens
Once you're in, we check that the central locking, the alarm and the remote all behave normally. If the keys were in the boot and the boot has its own lock, that's opened as well.
Cars, Vans & Keyless Models
Locked keys in car jobs cover most makes of car and van, from older models with simple locks to the latest keyless vehicles. Keyless cars aren't immune to lockouts: a key left in the boot, a fob with a weak battery or a car that relocks itself after a short time can all leave the key shut inside.
Locksmith, Breakdown Service Or Breaking A Window?
Locked out of car or van? The options are rarely as simple as they look, and a car lockout handled the wrong way can cost far more than it should.
| Mobile auto locksmith | Breakdown service | Breaking a window | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damage to the car | None intended | Depends on method used | Broken glass, possible seal and trim damage |
| Deadlocked cars | Opened through the lock | Varies | Inside handles may still not work |
| Cost | From £95 | Included in some policies | Replacement glass and cleaning up |
| Can also make a key | Yes, on site | Usually not | No |
Some breakdown policies include lockouts, so it's worth checking yours. Breaking a window is the worst option: replacement glass usually costs more than a locksmith, and on a deadlocked car you may still not be able to open the door from inside.
Car Unlock Service: From £95
Vehicle entry starts from £95. Because opening a car is similar work across most vehicles, it can be priced from a starting figure, unlike key replacement. We confirm the exact price for your make and model on the phone before we set off, and there's nothing to pay upfront.
What Can Change The Price
Deadlocked cars, some high-security locks, and lockouts where the keys are in a separately locked boot can take longer. If that applies to your car, you'll hear the price before we travel.
Agreed Before We Start
If the situation on arrival turns out different from what was described, we'll explain any change in price before starting, and there's no call-out charge if you decide not to go ahead.
Keys locked in your car right now? Call: 023 8218 2674
Locked Out Of Car: Common Situations
Most lockouts follow one of a few patterns, and each is handled a little differently.
Keys Locked In Boot
Keys locked in boot calls are common. With locked keys in boot, the key usually goes in with the shopping or the dog lead, and the boot shuts. On some cars the boot can be released once a door is open, which makes locked keys in boot a standard lockout. On others it has its own lock, which is opened separately.
Locked Out Of My Car At A Car Park
Most "I'm locked out of my car" calls come from car parks, beaches and Forest walks, from the coast at Milford on Sea to the car parks in Lyndhurst. Tell us the car park name or a what3words location, and we'll come straight to the vehicle.
The Car Locked Itself
Many cars relock automatically if no door is opened shortly after unlocking. Put the key down inside, close the door to fetch something, and the car can lock you out. It's a design feature, not a fault, and it's opened the same way as any other lockout.
Keys Lost, Not Locked In
If you can't see the key inside the car, it may not be a lockout at all. In that case, see Lost Car Keys, where a new key is made at the car.
Locked Keys In Car: Frequently Asked Questions
Other Help With Your Keys
If the key is in your hand but the car won't recognise it, see Car Key Programming. Anything urgent between 8am and 11pm is covered by our Emergency Auto Locksmith service. Vans are covered on our Van Key Replacement page. The full range is on our Services page.
Keys Locked In Car? Call With These Details
A couple of quick details and we can price the job and set off:
We open cars across the New Forest, from Hythe to New Milton. You can also contact us online.
- Vehicle make, model and year
- Where the keys are: on a seat, in the boot or in the ignition
- Whether the car was locked with the remote, as it may be deadlocked
- Exactly where the car is
Get a free quote in two quick steps
Send your details and we'll come back to you with a price. For anything urgent, calling is quickest.
- Price explained before any work
- No upfront payment
- Deal direct with the technician
Call To Get Back In
Vehicle entry from £95, typically within 45–60 minutes across the New Forest — or request a quote online.
“Lovely guy came out to get my keys from my boot and program a spare key. Affordable, easy communication, and excellent service!”