Locked Out?

Have you ever been locked out of your car, and there is nobody around to help? If you have you will appreciate how important this bit of advice is. If you have not . . . some day you will appreciate this advice. Imagine being locked out of your car on a dark night with nobody around, or God forbid your child is locked in the car. These types of emergencies do happen, no matter how hard we try to avoid it. It used to be common to have a hide-a-key for just these reasons, but there was always the danger of having someone find the key and steal your car.

However, because all newer cars have programmed keys to make it harder for car thieves to steal your car, you can have a hide-a-key that will let you into the car, but not be able to start it. Of course this only helps when your keys are locked in the car (not lost), but this is a common and frustrating type of mistake. Here’s the deal — have a replacement car key made, but don’t have it programmed. This way you will have a way to get back into your car, but if someone finds it, they won’t be able to steal it. This bit of strategic planning can save you money by not having to call a locksmith (often waiting for hours for them to arrive). But, more importantly, it allows you to expeditiously solve what can be a serious problem and avoid the legitimate concern that if someone finds your hidden key they could steal your car. It is surprising how many people do not have a plan to deal with keys locked in a car.

Getting programmed keys can be very expensive (hundreds of dollars), but buying one and not having it programmed is fairly inexpensive (I found one online for $20). Take this advice, someday you may be very happy you did.