First: don’t try the coat hanger
We say this with love, because we’ve met the aftermath: improvised entry wrecks cars. Wedges bend door frames so they never seal right again; hangers and rods snap linkages and scratch glass; and modern doors carry wiring, sensors and trim clips exactly where the videos tell you to poke. A £150 professional entry becomes a several-hundred-pound bodyshop visit in one enthusiastic minute.
Why there’s no single way to open every car
How we get in depends on the vehicle: the lock design, whether it’s deadlocked, whether the keys are in the cabin or the boot, the state of the car’s battery, and how that particular model controls its locks. The job is controlled, non-destructive entry using the method that suits that car — not forcing one favourite trick onto every door. That’s also why we ask a couple of questions on the phone before quoting.
On a motorway or fast road? Safety before the key, always: if you can’t get to a safe place, stay in the car, belts on, hazards on, and call 999. Ring us once you and the car are somewhere safe.
Your reg gets you one fixed number — usually back within minutes.
How professional car opening actually works
Depending on the vehicle we’ll pick the lock (the cleanest way in — the lock simply thinks it met its key), or use controlled access tools designed for the job. It’s quick — usually minutes once we arrive — and it leaves no trace. If your keys are visible on the seat, we’ll have you reunited fast; if the key is lost rather than locked in, we can make a new one at the roadside in the same visit.
The awkward but important bit: proving it’s your car
Before we open a vehicle we confirm you’re entitled to be in it — ownership documents or insurance, plus ID (there’s usually a way even when your wallet is locked inside too; we’ll talk it through on the phone). Any locksmith who’d open a car without checking would open your car without checking. The thirty-second check is part of the service.
Lockout questions, answered straight
Locked out of my car — who do I call?
Call a mobile auto locksmith — that's us: 07436 636367, answered 24 hours across Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. Not the dealer (they'll want the car brought to them) and usually not your breakdown cover (they often just call a locksmith anyway). If the car is somewhere dangerous — a live lane, or a motorway with no safe way out — stay belted in with hazards on and call 999 first. Safe spot? Then ring us.
Locked out of my car — how do I get in?
Honestly: you don't — not without damage. Coat hangers and wedges bend frames and snap linkages. A locksmith's entry tools open the car without a trace, usually in minutes, for around £150 fixed before we travel.
Locked out of my car — what do I do while I wait?
Stay with the car if it's safe; get somewhere warm and lit if it's not, and tell us where you'll be. If a child or pet is inside on a warm day, say so immediately — that jumps every queue — and if they're distressed, call 999.
Will you damage my car getting in?
No. We use professional non-destructive entry tools — the same class of kit dealers and breakdown services use. Locks, paint and door seals are left exactly as we found them, guaranteed.
There's a child locked in the car — what do I do?
Tell us immediately — a child or pet in a car jumps every queue we have. If the child is distressed or the day is hot, call 999 first: fire crews will break a window, and that is always the right call. We can be on our way while you're on the phone.
How much does it cost to unlock a car?
Around £150 for damage-free entry, fixed on the phone before we travel. No callout fee, no after-hours ambush — night rates are agreed up front like everything else.
