Key Broke in Ignition? Stop. Read This First.

It’s the sound every driver dreads. You turn the key, there's a little resistance, you push harder, and... snap.

You look at your hand, holding the plastic head of the key. You look at the ignition, seeing the metal blade buried deep inside.

Don't panic. (Easy for me to say, I know).

But seriously, what you do in the next 5 minutes determines if this costs you $150 or $900.

Rule #1: Do NOT Insert Anything Else

I see this all the time. People panic. They grab:

• Superglue (The absolute worst idea).
• A paperclip.
• Pliers.
• The other half of the key to "turn it anyway."

Stop. If you push that broken piece further down, you might damage the wafers inside the cylinder. Once those are bent, I can't extract the key anymore. I have to drill out the entire ignition and replace it. That turns a simple extraction job into a major repair.

Can You Pull It Out Yourself?

Maybe. But be honest with yourself about your skills.

Look at the ignition. Is a piece of the metal sticking out enough to grab?

• Yes? If you have needle-nose pliers, you can try to gently pull it straight out. Do not twist.
• No? If it's flush with the lock or deep inside, walk away. You need specialized tools.

How We Get It Out (Without Drilling)

When you call a locksmith (like us), we don't just jam things in there. We use specific extraction tools.

1. We slide a thin, barbed probe alongside the key fragment.
2. We hook onto one of the cuts in the key.
3. We slide it out.

It sounds simple, but it takes "feel." If you jam it, you jam the lock.

Then What? (Getting a New Key)

Getting the metal out is only half the battle. You still need a key to start the car.

• If you have a spare: You're good to go.
• If you don't: We can usually cut a new key right there. We can often "read" the cuts from the two broken halves to duplicate it perfectly. If the key is too mangled, we decode the ignition lock itself to cut a fresh one from scratch.

Need Help in Houston?

If you're stuck in a parking lot with half a key, give us a shout. We handle this every day. It’s usually a quick fix if the lock isn’t damaged.

Call Houston Key Rescue at +1(281-845-4011). We’ll get the piece out and cut you a new key on the spot.