Anyone know roughly what it costs to have a Locksmith open your car up?

[ThomWV]

I just bought a used car wednesday, it came with just one key. This afternoon I locked the key in the car, or more correctly I left the key on the seat when I closed the door (I was cleaning windows) and the car locked both doors for me. The car is an Acura and its tight with almost no exposed weather-stripping and seams protected by metal trim. There is no way to get a wire or a coat-hanger into it anywhere and nothing to grab if you did.

So for the first time in my life I'm going to have to venture into LockSmith land. I don't need the car until Monday, and in fact I could do without it then. So I don't need to ask for it to be opened tonight or tomorrow (Sunday). I can wait.

So my question is pretty straight forward. Have you got any idea what this is going to cost me? The car is at my home, the closest locksmith is about 12 miles away. There are about a half a dozen of them in the closest town (Morgantown, West Virginia).

[taterguy]

1. Quick! Join AAA and it's free

[RebelOne]

6. Right. I am an AAA member and locked my key in the car

and it did not cost me a cent for a locksmith to open it up.

[MiddleFingerMom]

10. Many services like this (towing, locksmith, emergency battery jump, etc.)...

.
.
.
... have a 48-hour waiting period before the services can be used.
.
.
.
The idea behind that (and it's a smart one) is, "Otherwise, why
would anyone pay premiums UNTIL the first service is actually
needed?"
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.
.

[oneshooter]

2. I have Triple A insurance. You get a "get out of jail" card with it.

In that road side service includes unlocking your car for you. Recommend that you get another key cut, once you get the vehicle unlocked.

[siligut]

3. I have an Acura Legend, with automatic locks, cost me $75

The automatic locks are more difficult, I gather. Sorry for your trouble, but congrats on getting a great car. Oh, this was in Bellevue WA and everything is more expensive there.

[grasswire]

4. about the cost of a AAA membership

Triple A. Great service. They'll come and open your car, jump your battery, tow you out of a ditch, give you discounts on many things, and even let you write a personal check for cash when you are stuck somewhere on the road.

Sorry to hear your news. In some places, the police will open a car.

[RebelOne]

8. AAA is worth the yearly price.

I have had my car towed twice and a flat tire changed twice and it was well worth the yearly membership fee. Before I joined AAA, I had a flat tire at home and it was $40. My membership fee was only $40 a year. Well worth it.

[LynneSin]

32. Thoughts

Some cops will help you with your locks but usually if you're living in a small community.

If you have a regular garage they might help. Mind you - you'd probably have to somehow get to the garage to get said item. I luck out my local garage is right around the corner and once when my battery died they charged it for me for free.

[Brickbat]

5. Probably about $75. I wouldn't pay more than 100.

[JonLP24]

7. Free depending on your insurance

It was for me.

[madinmaryland]

20. My auto insurance covers it also, in addition to towing and jump starts.

[bluesbassman]

9. Not sure, ask a drummer.

:rofl:

[LeftyMom]

11. $100ish here. Try Yelp reviews to find out who to call.

I've had good luck with both of the two mobile locksmiths I've ever had to call. Sadly, I'm a repeat offender at the locked-the-keys-in-the-car stunt, plus I had the only (expensive! electronic) key stolen to my work car once, which was fun to explain.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. It cost me $50 about 20 years ago.

I locked my keys in the car with the engine running....

D'oh.

[eppur_se_muova]

13. Copy the VIN and take it to the Honda dealer -- they can make a new key.

Just be sure to take proof of ownership.

[r54w32]

14. go to the Acura dealer Monday

They will punch a key for about $10.00
You will need the VIN/Registration & Photo I.D..
Make sure you have the V.I.N. for them or they can't look the lockset up to make you keys.
This is the cheapest and fastest way I have found to replace car keys.
If a locksmith breaks into it they could damage something and you get to pay for that too.
Go to the dealer and forget 3A or the locksmith.

[snagglepuss]

15. Sounds like good advice. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[r54w32]

16. Well Thanks

Snagglepuss.Nice to be here.

[ThomWV]

17. I expect it would cost a lot more than ten bucks to do that

The key blank for my car sells for $75 and then it has to be programed for the vehicle, which I'm told the Acura dealer will charge an additional $90 for. So a replacement key could cost me a good bit over $150 by the time its all said and done. At least that's what I was told at an Acura enthusiast's web site.

[r54w32]

27. Well

let some 3rd. party vendor break in to it then.If they wreck the guts in the door you will pay for that too.
The last one I did was my 95 Supra it was $8.00 plus tax.But it wasn't programmable.
What a hassle,good luck.

[Frosty1]

18. How to unlock a car without a key

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOi8d4LOr_4

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. Mythbusters;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ1jfhaL3Ec&feature=related

[Frosty1]

22. Cool

I wondered if it was a hoax.

[Shagbark Hickory]

21. Nowadays they just bring out a master key or some key that opens it. No slim jim required.

One time I locked my keys in the car at a Home Depot that was open and I went in and bought what I needed to make my own slim jim and actually was able to open the door with it.

On another occasion, I locked my keys in the truck at a Lowes (yeah I don't know what it is about hardware stores and locking my keys in the car) but unfortunately the store was closed and there was nothing else around that was open and my phone was inside the truck. I ended up smashing the sliding rear window. It only cost $75 to fix so I wasn't out too much money.

[OriginalGeek]

31. Lol that is like one of my proudest being a man moments

When I was poor broke college student I locked my keys in my Chevy Chevette at like 2 in the morning. I had two bucks and was in walking distance of an all night grocery store. I went in to see if I could find anything to get into the car and for a dollar fifty I found a 2-pack of hacksaw blades so I bought it and took it back to the car. I used one blade to cut a notch in the other and was in the car in under 10 minutes.


I suppose fathering a child was pretty cool too but it wasn't nearly as MacGuvery.

edit~ oh yeah, OP, if your insurance offers it, get the roadside assistance. I have Allstate and just a month ago my wife told me she bought into the Roadside Assistance thing and gave me a card for my wallet. Cool deal since last week I exploded a tire at 1am on the highway from Venice coming home to Orlando. I had every intention of changing the flat myself but when I got it down from the bottom of the truck, I found my spare was flat. Called the number on the card and they came out and filled the spare enough to get me to the nearest exit where I finished filling it with air (He just had a tank on his truck and not a compressor so it would only fill my big truck tire so much)

[monmouth]

23. If you're on good terms with your local law enforcement they might

just do you the favor...Buy one of their "Ball" tickets..LOL...

[Frosty1]

24. Some small town PDs will do it for free

Some Pds will charge a small amount. Some will laugh at you and tell you to call a locksmith.
Trust me I am a champion at locking myself out of my car.

[hunter]

25. The guys who rob cars have no problem breaking windows.

I leave my car unlocked. I think it freaks the car burglars out, maybe because they think it's some kind of trap so they move on to the next car.

Or maybe it's that my car looks like it's worth about $300 and there couldn't possibly be anything valuable in it.

Which is true.

Once someone went through one of our cars parked in our driveway. They made a mess dumping the contents of the glove box all over the floor, and digging through our kids' fast food trash and toys. They didn't take anything but they left a flashlight and a book of stamps on the seat. Maybe they ran off in a hurry when our dog barked or I was taking out the trash. Whatever, I had a cool new flashlight and a book of stamps. I asked the neighbors if they'd lost them, but they hadn't.

Locksmiths in my town charge $60-$75 for a simple open, anything they can do with a pick or a slim jim, but more, sometimes much more, if there are a lot of electronic or mechanical complications.

[UTUSN]

26. Should be $40 n/t

[pitohui]

28. less than $100

but why don't you just call around and ask?

if you have AAA, they'll open it for you i think but i've never tested them on this

[NewJeffCT]

29. Try the local police

My father is a now retired locksmith, but the one time I did lock my keys in the car, he told me to call the police (he was in Florida at the time.)

[dembotoz]

30. aaa all the way

been a continuous member for like 40 years now and it seems i always get my money worth of tows--sadly i must admit that i seem to only buy junkers......

but the maps and trip service are also nice.