Ignition Repair & Broken Key Removal

Ignition cylinders wear out gradually. Every time you insert and turn a key, the internal wafers or tumblers inside the cylinder flex slightly. Over years of daily use — amplified by San Antonio's extreme summer heat, which can make metal components expand and contract repeatedly — those tumblers become fatigued. The most common symptoms include a key that turns harder than it used to, a cylinder that turns but does not engage the starter, a key that gets stuck mid-rotation, or a steering column that locks up unexpectedly. In some cases the cylinder itself is fine but the ignition switch behind it has failed electrically, meaning the car gets no signal even when the key turns smoothly.

Broken keys are almost always the result of using a worn or already-cracked key blank combined with a sticky or partially seized cylinder. When a driver forces a key that is meeting resistance, the thinnest part of the blade — typically just inside the cylinder mouth — shears off. The broken portion often lodges deep enough that it cannot be gripped with fingers or household tools, and attempts to fish it out with bobby pins or tweezers frequently push the fragment further in. Our technicians carry professional extraction equipment sized for dozens of vehicle makes and models, allowing us to remove the fragment cleanly and assess whether the cylinder itself needs service before cutting you a new key on the spot.

When a Pro San Antonio Locksmith technician arrives, the first step is always a thorough assessment before any tool touches your vehicle. We identify whether the issue is a broken key fragment, a worn cylinder, a failed ignition switch, or a combination of factors. For broken key extraction, we use specialized hook and extractor picks matched to the specific keyway profile of your vehicle's cylinder — a process that is designed to be damage-free to the cylinder so that, in many cases, the same cylinder can be rekeyed or reused rather than replaced entirely. We document the condition of the cylinder before and after so you have a clear picture of what was found.

If the cylinder itself is too worn to rekey reliably, we carry replacement ignition cylinders for a wide range of domestic and import vehicles. Cylinder replacement includes cutting a new key to match, and where your vehicle uses a transponder or chip key, we carry the programming equipment to pair the new key to your car's immobilizer system on-site. We also handle ignition switch replacement for situations where the electrical portion behind the cylinder has failed. Every step is explained to you before we proceed, and we confirm an exact up-front price — accounting for your vehicle type, the parts required, and your location — before any work begins.

Ignition trouble often arrives alongside a broader automotive locksmith need. Drivers who have snapped a key in the ignition frequently also need access to the vehicle first, especially if the broken portion is the only key they have. Pro San Antonio Locksmith technicians are fully equipped for vehicle lockouts across cars, trucks, SUVs, and motorcycles — and we serve the entire San Antonio metro, from the near-West Side to Stone Oak and from Helotes to Converse. If a child is locked inside a vehicle, call (210) 390-5422 immediately — we treat those calls as the highest priority and dispatch the nearest available technician without delay.

Beyond ignition work, our automotive locksmith services include: car lockout opening, trunk lockout opening, motorcycle lockout service, transponder key programming, laser-cut and high-security key duplication, smart key and proximity fob replacement, door lock cylinder repair, glove box and console lock service, fleet vehicle rekeying, and duplicate spare key cutting for cars, trucks, vans, and motorcycles. We also handle scenarios where a vehicle has no existing working key at all — a full key origination service using the vehicle identification number — so you are never left without options regardless of how the key was lost or damaged.

While this page focuses on ignition repair and key extraction, Pro San Antonio Locksmith is a full-service mobile locksmith operation. For homeowners and property managers dealing with a lockout or upgrade, we install and service door knob locks, deadbolts, and mortise locks — a high-security lock format common in older San Antonio commercial buildings and historic homes near the King William District. A mortise lock is a more complex assembly that sits recessed into the door's edge and offers significantly stronger resistance to forced entry than a standard cylindrical lock; our technicians are experienced with both installation and repair of mortise lock hardware across residential and commercial doors.

On the commercial side, our commercial locksmith capabilities include master key system design, high-security mortise lock installation, access control integration, panic bar and exit device service, and rekeying after employee turnover — services that multi-unit property owners and business operators along corridors like San Pedro Avenue and Commerce Street call on us for regularly. Whether you are managing a single storefront or a multi-building facility, our mobile team arrives with the tools and parts to handle the job on-site. For any home or business lockout, day or night, call (210) 390-5422 — we answer 24/7 and dispatch trained, insured technicians who confirm pricing before starting any work.

Pro San Antonio Locksmith offers the following distinct services across automotive, residential, and commercial categories: ignition cylinder repair, broken key extraction from ignition, broken key extraction from door lock, ignition switch replacement, transponder key programming, smart key and key fob replacement, laser-cut key duplication, car lockout opening, truck and SUV lockout opening, motorcycle lockout opening, trunk lockout opening, full key origination by VIN, spare key cutting on-site, door knob lock installation and repair, deadbolt installation and repair, mortise lock installation and repair, mortise lock rekeying, residential lockout service, commercial lockout service, master key system design and installation, high-security lock upgrades, access control system integration, panic bar and exit device installation, rekeying after tenant or employee change, lock change service for residential and commercial properties, safe lock service and combination changes, padlock and storage unit lock service, child-locked-in-vehicle emergency response, and 24/7 emergency locksmith dispatch throughout San Antonio and surrounding communities.

We understand that cost is a real concern, especially during a stressful roadside or emergency situation. Rather than posting figures that may not reflect your specific circumstances, we build every quote around four key factors: the type and make of your vehicle or lock hardware (a late-model vehicle with an advanced transponder system requires different parts and equipment than an older vehicle with a mechanical key), the nature of the work required (extraction alone versus extraction plus cylinder replacement plus key programming), the time of day and the urgency of the call, and the travel distance from our nearest available technician to your location. When you call, our dispatcher gathers those details and relays them to the technician so that by the time someone arrives — or in many cases before dispatch — you have a confirmed, all-in price. Nothing proceeds until you agree to that figure. There are no surprise charges added after the job.