Breakdown Problem
Keys Locked In the Car — Honest Advice
We'll be straight with you: a recovery operator is not an auto locksmith. We don't pick locks or cut and program keys, and anyone who says they'll force entry to a modern car should worry you. What we can do is move the vehicle to somewhere it can be dealt with properly, or hold it safely until a locksmith or your dealer gets to you.
What you're likely seeing
- Keys visible on the seat with the doors locked
- Key fob lost entirely, no spare available
- Key snapped in the door or ignition barrel
- Keyless car that no longer recognises the fob after a battery failure
- Keys locked in the boot of a car with no rear seat access
Do this before anything else
- 1If a child or an animal is locked inside, call 999 first. That is an emergency and the fire service will attend.
- 2Don't try a coat hanger or a wedge on a modern car. Side airbag sensors, door seals and window regulators are expensive.
- 3Check every spare location before paying anyone — home, work, partner, and the dealer if the car was bought used.
On a motorway or dual carriageway, ring 999 and ask for National Highways before you call any recovery company. Motorway breakdown advice →
How we move the vehicle
If you have a spare key at home, the simplest and often cheapest fix is for us to recover the vehicle to your address rather than paying for emergency locksmith attendance. Where the vehicle can be put in neutral and steered we can load it conventionally; where it's fully locked with the steering lock engaged, we use skates or dollies to get it onto the bed without dragging it.
What it costs
This is priced as a standard recovery to your destination. It's worth ringing an auto locksmith for a quote too — for some situations they're the better-value option and we'll say so rather than take a job you don't need.
Full recovery cost guideQuestions we get asked
The service you probably need
Other problems we're called to
Tell us what the car is doing
Describe the fault on the phone and we'll tell you honestly whether this is a roadside fix or a recovery — and what it will cost — before a driver leaves.