Locked your keys inside your car? Here's how to get back in

Step 1: check what's really locked

Walk around the vehicle and try every door, the tailgate and the trunk. On many models auto-lock only applies to the front doors, or a rear door didn't close properly. Also look for a window left slightly open: a few millimetres is sometimes enough for a pro.

If your car has a manufacturer app (FordPass, MyChevrolet, Hyundai Bluelink, the Toyota app and others), check it: several allow remote unlocking if the service is active. A spare key at home, with a partner or at the office may also be faster than anything else.

Step 2: safety first

If a child, a vulnerable person or an animal is inside, call 911 right away, especially in summer. Within minutes in the sun, the interior temperature climbs dangerously; firefighters or police can act immediately.

If the engine is running with the keys inside, say so when you call a locksmith: it's a priority situation because of fuel use and the risk of someone driving off if a door ends up open.

Step 3: what not to do

The coat hanger in the seal, the metal ruler or the screwdriver to pry the door: those methods worked on cars from 30 years ago. Today they tear seals, scratch paint, unhook lock rods and can damage the wiring and airbags housed in the door.

Breaking a window seems fast, but it costs several hundred dollars to replace, leaves shards all over the interior and has you driving with a tarp. In almost every case, a locksmith costs less and leaves no trace.

Step 4: how a locksmith opens your car

An automotive locksmith slides a thin air wedge into the top of the door frame and gently inflates it to create a few millimetres of space. He then passes a long-reach tool that presses the unlock button or pulls the inside handle. For some models, he works the lock directly with make-specific tools.

Before opening, he'll ask for proof the vehicle is yours. If your papers are in the glovebox, he opens first, you retrieve them, then show them. As for insurance, some policies and roadside assistance plans cover lockouts: call your insurer or auto club to check, but compare their wait time with a locksmith's.

Step 5: special cases

With a smart key, many people believe the car can't lock while the key is inside. In practice it still happens: a weak key battery, a key left in the trunk or in a bag that blocks the signal, or a lock triggered with a spare remote. The door opens the same way, and we then check that the key is properly detected and that its battery doesn't need replacing.

If the keys are in the trunk of a sedan with no inside release, we first open a door, then go through the folding rear seat or work the trunk lock directly. For a pickup, a work van or a vehicle with a dead battery, say so on the phone: the locksmith then brings the right tools on the first trip, which saves you time and money.

A spare stored in a magnetic box under the car is tempting, but thieves know where to look; a trusted person nearby is a safer bet.

Step 6: keep it from happening again

The simplest solution is still a spare key within reach: at home, with a relative or at work. If your car has only one key, get a second one made now. It costs far less than making a key after losing every key you own, and an automotive locksmith can cut and program it right where the car is parked.

Also get into the habit of keeping the key in your hand or pocket when you step out of the vehicle, especially while refuelling, unloading groceries or clearing snow with the engine running. If your vehicle has a remote unlock app, activate it and keep your login up to date: on the day it happens, it's often the fastest fix of all.