Locked myself out of my car. Can the dealer do anything?

They should be able to help, but it usually takes 24–48 hours to get a spare key cut and shipped. I don’t know how dealers operate where you are, but here they will come and get you and drop off a loaner car if you need one.

If your car has one of the electronic fobs that opens the door, they should have some on hand that they can program to get your door open.

A loaner car would do me no good as I have no money for gas or anything, really. My card is in my car. I have no cash and I hope I can get this resolved tomorrow because I will run out of food and won’t be able to eat. Plus, I couldn’t park it without getting a ticket because I don’t have a parking pass for it and I can’t transfer mine over.

I do have one of those “electronic” things that open my door. I hope they can program something or have a “master” one that will open mine.

I got a new trunk key for my old Corsica from the GM dealership with just the VIN (well, they also required proof of ownership and a few dollars) but it only took about five minutes.

Of course that was just an old key with no electronics…

yeah I don’t need a new key/electronic thing. I just need to use a “master” one for all of 2 seconds to get my door open so I can get my key that’s inside. I’m hoping it won’t cost too much for them to do that. They don’t need to make me anything.

Goddarn it, I HATE THIS TOWN. I feel stranded and without help. No one can get any help here. In my hometown, this would never happen because we actually have services available.

The police here are full of crap too. I had 2 guys brag to me how my car would be EASY to open and how they’ve done it a lot to cars my type, even though they couldn’t name the type. Right. Then they struggled for so long and somehow blame it on my car. Yeah, okay.

I can’t get a spare ID from my college either for a few days. The ID-making lady is only here on select days and so they have nothing for me. And because my college wants to be ‘high tech’, there are no keyholes for physical keys, so they can’t issue me a key. For food, they tell me “Oh go borrow from friends” but I don’t know anyone who is on the meal plan anymore and everyone is low on meals now anyway.

I’m so glad I’m a senior and will be leaving soon. I want nothing more to do with this place.

Ugh. Sorry had to vent.

Dealer mechanics rarely leave the garage.

Unless you have some form or roadside assistance like AAA, getting anybody (like a non-dealer mechanic) to come out could be pretty pricey; I used to live practically next door to a garage and got charged $65 to have them drive half a mile to where I was stuck, hook up, and pull me 20 feet.

Your best bet is to find some way to the Honda dealer. I have been known to walk in some strange places, and once accidentally wound up on I-980 on my mountain bike at night with no lights, no shoulder, and cars wizzing inches away at typical freeway speeds. Trust me, when you want/need to be someplace, you find a way.

Are they gonna have to tow my CAR to the dealer? Christ. I thought they could just come out here.

God I hate this place. I don’t have a bike either because the college won’t let you. I’m either going to have to blow someone to give me a ride or I’m walking. which isn’t advisable because it’s on a highway and there are no sidewalks here

But once I get there, aren’t I screwed anyway? Because then they’ll have to tow my car.

You can get in for free, easily, just find a brick laying around, give it a hurn (I reccomend back passenger window), and BAM! Your in!

Well… on the bright side at least you know your car is pretty secure.

@Lightlyseared

Yes I was just mentioning that on FB, lol!
No one is getting into my car. If 2 experienced policemen with a slimjim couldn’t get into it, then some asswipe thief won’t be able to either. :D

When that happens to me, I call a locksmith. They charge about $50 to come out. They have a machine that reads the VIN and then produces the correct key.

I would call a locksmith but there is none in this town. At all. Nearest is 40 miles away.

You may just end up having to replace a window.
The police in your town actually spent a half an hour trying to get it open for you?
In reality, that is pretty awesome. I don’t know of any police department that would take the time to do that. It takes them 4 hours just to show up unless there’s guns or blood in my town.
Take @XOIIO ‘s advice. Break out a back window and when you’re getting your window repaired, have a spare key made.

I have to say in all honesty that breaking a window is probably the quickest easiest and cheapest way to solve the problem.

Have you tried calling the dealer?

It’s probably too late but do you want us to make some calls for you?
What did you end up doing?

I have successfully tried the technique of prying the door open a crack, slipping a wire coat hanger inside bent into a long hook, pulling the keys out of the ignition and pulling the keys out through the door. It was a hire car though and so there wasn’t many keys on the keyring so I could get them out easily. It didnt shatter the window. (I say “I” have, I wedged a wallet in the door to keep it wedged open without having to continually strain the window pulling on the door. Other people did the rest)
I am pretty sure that a locksmith will travel 40miles to come unlock a door but it may well end up cheaper to break a side window. I had my car broken into the other day and my insurance charged me £75 to replace the window buut be careful if you do that as if it is a moving window (i.e. opens) then it is possible to break the mechanism inside the door too which is very costly to replace. I was lucky and they broke a fixed window in the back and reached round to the door at the front to get in as I only have a little 3 door hatchback.

What did you end up doing?

Step 1:
Get a AAA membership
Step 2:
Use AAA membership

They have gotten me out of many a sticky situation. Including the time I locked myself out of my 2006 Cadillac STS with nothing on but my boxers.

I was changing for the gym. It is a story for another day.

Try the coat hanger method. Just slide it around until it unlocks. I myself haven’t tried it. I can’t believe the police couldn’t unlock your car. Usually, they should be able to.

Your only option would be the Honda place. See if they can pick you up. I bet they’d pick you up if you explain your situation or perhaps offer to pay.

You should make a copy of your car key in case this happens again and keep the spare in your pants pocket or someplace you can easily get to it.

@AshlynM I can. The police tried to help my mother in a similar situation. After 20 minutes, she got fed up, took their Slim Jim, and got it in under 30 seconds. Made them look foolish, but she got in.

Before you start breaking windows, call the nearest glass replacement place and find out which one would be cheapest to replace. That is the one you break out.

The window on the drivers door of an ‘85 Corolla is $125 installed by a local mechanic. I know this because someone broke into my car. I would wager that you would pay more for any window on a Fit, especially at a dealership. Regardless, of you go that route, I would take the rearmost window on the drivers side out and unlock the back door. It’s the easiest (and probably cheapest) to replace, and will have the least effect on your visibility if you have to cover it with plastic for a few days while you save for repairs.

Recently produced cars have electronic security. You can’t use the equivalent of a skeleton key. I locked myself out of my car and it took the locksmith several hours to get in and create a key at a rather steep price.

@LostInParadise Why do you think I dislike many newer cars, especially VW?

How far is the dealer? Can you call a taxi to take you there?

What town are you in?
The dealership should be able to help. Call them and be nice.

Okay UPDATE.

I called the dealer. They told me that they would be able to help me (make a key once I give my VIN) but….the machine for the keys is broken until further notice. :( I was sad. I asked the guy at Service for suggestions. He gave me the name of this garage.

I called the garage and asked about their unlocking method, if they had such a service. The lady did not answer me as to what the method was. I asked her if they could assure me that my car wouldn’t be damaged by the method (whatever it was, she wouldn’t tell me yet) and she told me I was being rude for asking such questions and that if I was going to ask such questions, then she didn’t want me as a customer. I told her that she just missed out on some money and hung up on her.
I’m planning to write a BAD review about that garage on Google soon

So I was about to give up hope, when I did ONE LAST ditch effort to look for a locksmith. I found ONE listing for this one little place in town that I did not see before, but it’s not well known since most don’t seem to know about it…I was told a locksmith wasn’t even HERE. I called and the service was $40 and the guy (old) promised me that he wouldn’t damage my car. He came out. He was in his late 60s, short, and almost deaf. He used a small air pressure thing to slightly open the door, thread in a wire, and POP it was unlocked. I was so relieved my eyes watered up. I thanked him like 10x and wrote him a check.

Of course then my college security came by, were suspicious of this exchange, asked me a bunch of questions (“What are you doing?”), and kinda harassed me for calling a locksmith up to unlock my car when there is the police who will do it for free…which I already tried.

So yeah. That locksmith is AWESOME. A little silver lining!

Glad you got everything taken care of @seekingwolf.

Thanks for the update

$40 is real cheap. The next time I lock myself out of my car, I am going to pay for his airfare to come over. It would cost me less than what I had to pay the last time.

“I’m planning to write a BAD review about that garage on Google soon”

That’s a good idea.
There’s also Yelp, which is a site that’s based on reviews of local businesses.

Glad for the happy ending. The ‘thing’ the locksmith used is a common way to get in now. Quick, no damage, and the door is unlocked – well, in my case, by lifting the inside door lock switch. BTW, it is always good to know your car. My Dodge does allow a spare key to open the door, but not operate the car.

So glad you resolved your problem. Locking yourself out of your car stinks. I’ve done it myself once.

When my oldest daughter was a baby I locked her in the car with the keys! See, it could be worse,

Why write a check for 40$?

My guess is @seekingwolf was out of cash and the locksmith didn’t want to leave without having payment of some type in hand. A check is better than a promise if it comes down to court over nonpayment.

Yes, You are right WestRiverrat. I left my debit card in the car with my keys (d’oh) and therefore would be unable to run to the ATM until AFTER the guy unlocked my car. And the nearest ATM was like 3 miles away. >< I didn’t want to be like “hey, wait here while I drive off to get cash” so I paid with my checkbook, which I always leave in my room in my dorm.