What should you do first when you're locked out of your car?
Most car lockouts begin the same way. The door shuts, the keys or fob are sitting in a cupholder or on the seat, and the handle won't budge. Sometimes the keys are still in the ignition with the engine off. Sometimes you set them in the trunk while loading bags and closed the lid. Either way, you're standing outside a car that belongs to you with the keys on the other side of the glass.
Before you call anyone, take a minute for a few quick checks. They cost nothing, and now and then they solve the problem on the spot.
If a child or a pet is inside the car, do not wait for a locksmith. Call 911 first. Even on a mild day the inside of a closed car warms up faster than most people expect, and that is a situation for emergency responders. We can be the second call.
- Walk around the car and try every door, the rear hatch, and the trunk. One of them is occasionally unlocked.
- Think about where a spare key is. A family member at home or at work may be able to bring it to you.
- Check whether your insurance, your car's manufacturer app, or a roadside plan you already pay for offers remote unlocking. Not every car or plan has it, so it is worth a quick look before you pay for a service call.
- Move yourself to a safe, well-lit spot if you can, and keep your phone charged. You will need it to give us an accurate location.
How does a car lockout service work, step by step?
A lockout call is simple on paper, but small details decide how smoothly it goes. Here is how we handle it from the first ring to the moment you drive away.
One point of honesty: no opening method is risk-free on every vehicle. Some cars have stiff or aged weatherstripping, some have tightly fitted doors, and some have more delicate door wiring and electronics than others. We tell you about any concern specific to your car before we start, not after.
- You call (213) 577-1366. A person answers at any hour. We ask for the make, model and year, exactly where you are, whether the keys are in the cabin or the trunk, and whether anyone or any animal is inside the car.
- We talk through how the job will work and what will affect the cost, and we give you a realistic arrival window based on where our vans are and the traffic between us and you. We would rather tell you something honest than something comforting.
- A technician comes to you in a mobile van. Before opening the car, we ask for proof that you are entitled to it, such as a photo ID that matches the registration or other paperwork tied to the vehicle. This protects you as much as it protects us.
- The technician looks at the door and the glass and picks the gentlest method that suits that vehicle. Usually that means making a small working gap at the door frame and reaching the lock or handle from inside, but the exact approach depends on the car.
- Once the door is open, we check the weatherstrip, the paint, the glass and the door operation together with you, so you can see the car is in the same condition it was in when we arrived.
- We confirm your key or fob works, go over the total with you, and you are on your way.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Keys locked in the trunk: is that a different problem?
It can be. A trunk lockout looks identical from the outside, but how we solve it depends on the car's layout.
On many sedans, the first step is the same as any other lockout: get into the cabin. From there, we may be able to reach an interior trunk release or fold the rear seat to reach the trunk. On hatchbacks and SUVs the cargo area is usually part of the cabin, so a trunk lockout is often just a door lockout in practice.
Some vehicles have no interior trunk release, or the release is electronic and does not respond when the car is locked or the battery is low. We cannot promise one approach for every model. We look at your specific car, tell you what we find, and explain the options before we begin.
There is one more situation worth mentioning. If the fob itself is in the trunk and the doors are locked, some cars will not accept a second unlock command, and the trunk may not respond to the lock button on the door. If this describes your situation, tell us when you call. It helps us bring the right tools.
What affects the cost of a car lockout?
We don't post prices on a web page because a lockout is not one fixed job. What we can do is tell you exactly what moves the cost, so nothing about the quote feels like a surprise.
When you call, ask for the full total, including any travel or after-hours component, before you agree to send a van. A reputable locksmith will answer that clearly.
- Time of day. Nights, weekends and holidays take a technician away from other plans, and that can affect the cost.
- Distance and traffic. Hawaiian Gardens is roughly 30 miles from our Westwood storefront, and how far a van has to travel is part of the picture.
- The vehicle. Some doors are simple to work with and others need more time and care. Newer vehicles with more electronics or tighter door seals often take longer.
- Where the keys are. Keys in the cabin are a different job from a fob locked in a trunk with no interior release.
- What else is going on. If the key is lost, broken or the fob is damaged, you may need more than an unlock. That is a separate service with its own factors.
- Access. A car in an open lot is quicker to reach than one in a tight space where a van cannot park close by.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Locked out in Hawaiian Gardens: where these calls tend to happen
Hawaiian Gardens is about one square mile, which makes it one of the smaller and denser cities in Los Angeles County. A vehicle lockout here is rarely far from something familiar, so the easiest way to help us find you is to describe the nearest landmark or cross street. Everything in the city shares ZIP code 90716, so the ZIP will not narrow it down. A cross street or a business name will.
Along the Carson Street corridor near The Gardens Casino, you might step out of the car and shut the door with the keys inside. If that happens, tell us the entrance of the lot you are in or the closest cross street. We also work with businesses along Carson, so if a work vehicle is the one locked, say that on the phone. The same goes for the Norwalk Boulevard corridor, where many residents live in apartment complexes. If the keys in your locked car are on the same ring as your unit key, you are locked out of two things at once. Say so when you call. We can open the car first, and our apartment lockout service covers the door if the key is still stuck inside.
Around the Pioneer Park and Civic Center area on Pioneer Boulevard, and near the C. Robert Lee Activity Center and Lee Ware Park and Pool on Wardham Avenue, a lockout often happens when you are getting kids, bags or gear out of the car. Near the Fedde Sports Complex and Elaine Avenue, the neighborhood is mostly small post-war homes, and a lockout is usually a driveway or curbside problem. On the east edge by Coyote Creek and the adjacent bike path, tell us exactly which side of the street and which direction the car is facing. It helps us find you.
As for weather, Hawaiian Gardens sits on the flat coastal plain several miles inland. Marine-layer mornings are damp, but the salt-air corrosion you would see in true beach cities is modest here, and summer heat is moderate. That matters for a car because rubber seals and door mechanisms tend to hold up well in this climate. It does not change the fact that a closed car warms up, so keep pets and children out of any locked vehicle.
What if it is more than a lockout?
Sometimes a lockout turns out to be the first sign of a bigger key problem. A fob may have a dead battery. A key may be worn or cracked. You may have lost the key entirely, and the car is locked because you left it somewhere, not because it is inside.
If you cannot find your key at all, that is a different job. See our page on lost car key replacement. If the fob is damaged or no longer responds, our key fob replacement page explains how that works. If you need a new key cut and matched to your car, transponder key programming is the page to read.
We want to be plain about the details here. Whether your key contains a transponder chip, and whether a replacement requires programming, depends on the make, model and year. Information about a specific vehicle can be incomplete or conflicting, so we confirm by VIN and in person rather than guessing. For some vehicles, a particular key may be available only through the dealer. If that applies to yours, we will say so honestly instead of promising something we cannot do.
Opening a locked car is separate from all of that. A simple lockout does not need a new key or programming.
Locked out or need a locksmith now?
We answer around the clock, every day of the year.
Call (213) 577-1366Why call Wilshire Lock & Key for a car lockout?
We have been in business since 1987, and we serve 140 cities across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, Hawaiian Gardens among them. We are a real storefront at 10740 Wilshire Blvd in Westwood with mobile service vans that come to you.
When you call, you are talking to our company, not a call center passing your job to whoever picks it up. There are no dispatch middlemen between you and the technician. David, who owns the business and is our lead technician, oversees how we work, and that includes the way we handle vehicle lockouts.
California requires locksmith companies to hold a license from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, known as a BSIS LCO license. Ask any locksmith for the license number before work begins. It is a fair question and a good habit.
If your lockout happens late at night or in an unfamiliar spot, our emergency locksmith service page explains how we handle urgent calls. The phone number is the same: (213) 577-1366, answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.
How can you avoid the next car lockout?
Most lockouts are preventable with a few small habits.
None of these will matter at the moment you are standing at the curb, but they are worth setting up once the situation is over.
- Keep a spare key somewhere that is not in the car and not on the same ring as your house key. A trusted person or a secure spot at home works well. If you need one cut, our key duplication page explains the options.
- Make it a habit to check for your keys or fob before you close the door, especially when your hands are full.
- Replace fob batteries as soon as the buttons get sluggish. A weak fob is a common reason people stop trusting the lock button.
- Read your owner's manual about auto-lock settings. Some vehicles lock themselves under certain conditions, and knowing how yours behaves can prevent a surprise.
- Save our number, (213) 577-1366, in your phone before you need it.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a car lockout take in Hawaiian Gardens?
The opening itself is usually the shortest part of the visit. The total time depends on where our van is when you call, traffic, and how your particular vehicle responds. We give you a realistic arrival window on the phone instead of a number we cannot stand behind.
Will opening my car damage it?
Our goal is always to open the car without damage, and we choose the gentlest method suited to your vehicle. No method is risk-free on every car, so we tell you about any concern specific to your vehicle before we start. After opening, we check the door, glass, weatherstrip and paint with you.
How much does a car lockout cost?
It depends on the time of day, how far the van travels, the vehicle, and where the keys are. We explain those factors on the phone and go over the total before sending anyone, so ask for the full amount upfront.
Do I need to prove the car is mine?
Yes. We ask for photo ID and paperwork that ties you to the vehicle, such as registration. This is standard practice and it protects you from someone else getting into your car.
Can you open my trunk if the keys are locked inside?
Often yes, but it depends on the car. On many vehicles we can open the cabin and reach an interior trunk release or fold the rear seat. Some models have no interior release or an electronic one, so we confirm in person what is possible.
Do you come to me anywhere in Hawaiian Gardens?
Yes. Our mobile vans serve the whole city, including the Carson Street and Norwalk Boulevard corridors, the Pioneer Park and Civic Center area, and the streets near the Fedde Sports Complex. Give us the nearest cross street or landmark, since everything shares ZIP 90716.
What if I lost my car key instead of locking it inside?
That is a key replacement job, not a lockout. Whether a replacement needs a chip or programming depends on your make, model and year, and we confirm by VIN and in person. In some cases a key may only be available from the dealer, and we will tell you if so.
Are you really available at night and on holidays?
Yes. Our phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round at (213) 577-1366. After-hours service can affect the cost, and we explain that on the call.
Should I try my insurance or roadside plan first?
It is worth a quick check, since some plans and manufacturer apps include unlocking. If they cannot help quickly or you would rather not wait, call us. We will walk you through what we can do.
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Reviewed by David, Owner & Lead Technician, Wilshire Lock & Key — in the locksmith trade since 1987.
Last updated 2026-10-11.