5 Hacks to Get Keys Out of a Locked Car

If you’ve ever locked your keys in your car, you’ll know how distressing it is. Being unable to unlock your car and drive anywhere, out of the blue, can be a serious downer. Not to mention that your car is your home away from home and now you’re locked out!

Even worse if you’ve locked yourself out while far away from your actual home.

Because this happens to the best of us and often in the least expected moment, PD Insurance has rounded up some solutions. In this article we share five hacks to unlock your car when your keys are stuck inside:

1. Spare key to the rescue

With any luck you have a spare key and you know where you’ve stored it. If so, it’s a matter of Ubering or taxiing there and back with key number two. Pricey but effective.

You might consider calling your significant other, housemate, parent or house key buddy to come to you with a spare key in tow. On the latter, it’s always a good idea to have a third set of keys cut and stored with a family member or friend or at your place of work. Somewhere you can easily get to or where there’s someone you can easily reach.

With the best of luck, you might even have your spare key on you, although it’s usually a good idea not to keep both sets together.

Ideally this location should be near where you regularly drive so if you do end up with locked keys in the car you know your course of action.

2. Unlock your car using an app as your spare key

Nowadays many modern cars manufacturer also offer you an app that can give you the power to lock and unlock your car using your phone. This is great because it gives you another spare set of keys so to speak.

To use this option you’ll need to have had the foresight to install and sync the app before you locked the keys in your car. Once you have the app installed it should give you the option to sync your own car keys with the app.

Check with your car manufacturer after giving this a read for more information.

3. Double check you’re really locked out

In some lucky instances you might discover your car isn’t fully locked. Before phoning a friend or roadside assistance (up next), be sure that every door really is locked.

By some trick of fate people sometimes find their boot or one of the doors isn’t locked and that’s your way in. You might get a few glances from people around who’re wondering if you’re trying to nab someone else’s car. But if it works it’s well worth it!

Also be sure to read about cool ways to find your lost car keys.

4. Call roadside assistance for keys locked in a car

A simple solution to remove the stress factor from having your keys locked in your car is adding roadside assistance to your car insurance. Roadside assistance is your standby support for breakdowns 24/7.

Locking your keys in your car counts as a kind of breakdown where roadside assistance can swoop in to rescue you. Plus it means you’ll have a bunch of rescue options. For example, roadside assistance personnel can bring your keys to you or take you to your keys.

Let’s say you don’t have spare keys, they’re lost, or woe betide your car has swallowed them too… Your roadside assistance team can arrange for a locksmith to come and retrieve your locked keys from your car. Often they can simply do that for you, then and there.

To access your PD car insurance roadside assistance, call 1800 776 473. Let them know where you are and what's happened and give them your car registration and your car insurance membership number. Don't have roadside yet? You can add it to your PD car insurance policy - just call the number above and let us know.

5. Old school way to get locked keys from in your car

If you have an old school car with manual locks you might be able to pull a MacGyver using DIY tools to unlock your car keys. Some of these methods work for newer cars too.

There are a bunch of ingenious methods you can choose from. Your options will very likely depend on what tools or substitute kinda-tools you have at hand or can borrow from people nearby.

Here are some options you can try, each with their very own YouTube instructional video:

Key jiggler

Wire coat hanger

Duct tape

Screwdriver

Wedge

Take care with these methods as it's easy to damage your car in the process. Although you might be inspired by all the members of the A-team, you might want to take it easy and simply call roadside assistance.

Add roadside assistance to your car insurance

Having car insurance can take a weight off your mind. From accidents and theft to damage caused by floods, fires and storms, a comprehensive car insurance policy will help you pay for repairing or, if need be, replacing your car.

For only a little extra out of your annual budget you can include roadside assistance in your plan. This gives you the confidence that if your car suddenly won’t start, your tyre’s flat or you’ve locked your keys inside, help is always just a few digits away.

Get award winning car insurance with PD today. Click below to get your quote.