What to do when you’re locked out of your car?

How would you react when you're stranded either in or out of your car? Many would feel anxious, guilty, angry, or frustrated. This is not only inconvenient but also puts you in a situation where you would rather pay through your nose instead of trying to salvage the situation by using your presence of mind.

Usually, you find yourself in such a situation when the first thing that comes to mind is having a sound sleep in a bed after a hard day at work or when you’re heading home after a field day at the beach. Instead of trying to find your car key, many tend to panic and try to gain access to the car using means which could backfire.

What you should do when you’re locked out

First things first, keep calm. It can be very stressful to know you’re locked out of your car, especially if you have urgent issues needing your attention at home or work. First, recall your day, where did you go? Whom did you visit? Where did you keep your bag? Maybe you could find your car keys at the places you visited. Go there and check again. Also, talk to the people who look after the place if there was anyone who had found your car keys. Last but not the least, check near your car and also in person to see if you’ve had your car keys near you or you may have forgotten about them.

When all of this doesn’t work, you then proceed to the next step.

Seek professional assistance

When you’re sure you have lost your car keys and don’t have a backup, you will need to contact a Locksmith service. Though you could gain access to your car with the help of DIY methods, most technologically-advanced cars these days make it impossible to try to unlock the car with the help of objects like a wire, crowbar, or others. Even if you try to do so, you risk damaging your car to an extent that would cause you to spend through your nose for repairs.

You could search for terms like ‘Locksmith in Phoenix’ or ‘Locksmith near me’ and find a list of locksmiths who work in the neighborhood. Before you call them over, confirm if they work with the car’s make and electronic locks. After all, they will charge you to come over and get you access to your car.

Though you could technically also contact a local dealership, the most they could do is replace the lock-in entirely rather than give you access to the car. They may also charge you for towing the car to the dealership for this.

A professional car locksmith would be the best option here. Do not call the first person you find online, do a little bit of vetting before you choose a locksmith that can actually solve your problem. Though they may charge a little bit more than expected, at least you do not have to worry about getting into the situation again.