It happens to everyone: keys dangling in the ignition, doors locked, and your day on pause. Lockout Krew is San Diego's flat-rate car unlock service. We open cars, trucks, SUVs and vans across the county, day and night. No key-maker upsell, no mystery pricing when the tech arrives. You get a real quote on the phone and a locked door opened in minutes.
Every unlock is done with professional entry tools: air wedges, long-reach tools, and lock picks made for automotive locks. That means no bent door frames, no scratched paint, no damaged weather seals. If you're searching "car locksmith near me" from a parking lot right now, skip the rest of this page and call (619) 457-4260. We can be rolling in minutes.
Locked Keys in Car? Here's How We Get You In
Modern cars are tougher to open than the movies suggest, and that's a good thing, until it's your car. Our techs use the same non-destructive entry methods dealerships and roadside pros rely on: a protective wedge creates a small gap, a long-reach tool hits the unlock button or lifts the handle, and specialty picks handle older wafer locks directly. The whole thing usually takes a few minutes.
DIY tricks you'll find online (coat hangers, shoelaces, slim jims from the auto parts store) routinely break window guides, tear weatherstripping, and set off side-airbag sensors on newer vehicles. A $69 unlock beats a $400 trim repair. If you want the full honest rundown first, read our guide: what to do when you've locked your keys in your car.
Keys Locked in the Trunk
Trunks are their own puzzle: many cars won't pop the trunk while the doors are locked, and some seal the trunk release entirely. We open the cabin first, then use the interior release, fold-down seats, or the manufacturer's override to reach your keys. Same flat pricing, same no-damage standard.
Car Running With Keys Inside?
Engine running, doors locked, fuel burning: that's a priority call. Tell our dispatcher the car is running and we'll bump you to the front of the queue. The same goes for groceries melting in the back seat or a phone locked inside that you need for work. Call first, explain the situation, and we'll be straight with you about exactly how fast we can be there.
Child or Pet Locked in the Car? That's Free.
Call 911 first: police and fire respond immediately to a child or pet locked in a vehicle, and on a hot San Diego day minutes matter. Then call us: Lockout Krew responds to child-and-pet lockouts free of charge, priority-dispatched, 24/7. No invoice, no conditions. It's the industry's proudest tradition and we're keeping it alive. More on how this works in our guide on when police will unlock your car.
What We Don't Do (So You Don't Waste a Call)
We're unlock specialists, and we stay in our lane: we don't cut replacement keys, program key fobs, or make new keys for lost ones. If your keys are locked inside the car (doors, trunk, anywhere), we're your call. If your keys are lost or broken beyond use, you'll need a key-origination locksmith or your dealer, and we'll happily point you to one instead of charging you to find out. Snapped your key in the door lock? That we do handle. See broken key extraction.
Rental Cars, Keyless Cars & Everything Else
Rental car lockouts: we can open it if your keys are visible inside, but check your rental agreement first. Many companies want lockouts routed through their roadside line, and using it keeps liability off you. Keyless/push-start vehicles: yes, we open those too; the fob locked inside a keyless car is one of our most common calls. When in doubt, call and describe the car. Our dispatcher will give you a straight answer and a firm price.