Locking your keys in the car is one of the top three roadside calls in NYC. It happens to everyone eventually — especially when you're in a rush, or when the car has a keyless system that keeps the key fob in your pocket while you're standing outside with the doors locked.
Old-school method: slim jim. A flat metal strip slides between the window and the door frame to hook the lock mechanism from inside. Worked great on cars built before 2010. Does not work on modern cars — and actively destroys them.
Why slim jims destroy modern cars: side-impact airbags are mounted inside the door, positioned to deploy outward and upward in a side collision. A slim jim slid down the door cavity hits the airbag module. That contact can either fry the module (requiring a $2,000+ replacement) or, worse, deploy the airbag, which then has to be replaced along with the seatbelt pretensioners. Any tow operator still using slim jims on modern cars is running an expensive liability.
What works on modern cars: air wedges. An inflatable wedge slides into the door frame at the top corner and inflates to create a small gap between the door and frame. A long-reach tool then threads through the gap to manipulate the door lock or unlock button from inside. Done properly, no contact with the airbag module, no door seal damage, no paint damage.
Some modern vehicles are genuinely harder. High-end Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Porsche often have complex anti-theft systems that lock out the manual door mechanism when the fob is out of range. Tesla has a proximity system that won't open even with the emergency mechanical key if the car thinks it's locked down. For these, we may recommend calling the dealer's roadside line or towing to the dealer.
Keys locked in the trunk (not the cabin): almost every modern car has a mechanical trunk release linkage accessible from inside the cabin. We get into the cabin first (standard lockout procedure), then pull the trunk release. Done.
Dead key fob battery: common issue that doesn't feel like a lockout until it happens. The fob sends a coded signal to the car — when the battery dies, the signal doesn't transmit. Most vehicles have a mechanical key hidden inside the fob that can open the door manually. If you can't find the mechanical key, we can open the car and help you locate it or recommend next steps.
Vehicles with no mechanical backup: a few modern vehicles (some newer EVs, some luxury cars) are proximity-only with no mechanical key backup. If your fob battery dies, the car won't unlock without dealer intervention. We can often still open these using tools that bypass the proximity system, but every so often it's genuinely a dealer call.
Flat rate for standard lockout service: $85. On-scene time typically 5–20 minutes. If we arrive and the situation genuinely requires dealer intervention (rare), we don't charge the lockout fee — you pay only what we actually accomplished.