What an Automotive Locksmith Does
Everything to do with the locks and keys on a vehicle, done where the vehicle already is.
A dealership orders against your VIN and books you in. A mobile van carries the cutting and programming equipment to the driveway, so the lock work, the key work and the security check happen in one visit. Six jobs cover almost everything people ring about in Fort Collins, and each one has its own lock and key page below with the price factors set out. Car work runs off the same van as every other job a Fort Collins locksmith is called out for.
Keys and Fobs
Three jobs, and which one you need depends on what you still have.
Car Key Replacement
Every key gone. The lock code is read from the vehicle, a new key is cut to it, and the chip is programmed before we leave.
Key Fob Replacement
A dead or damaged fob, and a residential security risk if it was on the house ring. Supplied and paired on site, with the door lock and boot release tested afterwards.
Transponder Key
The chipped key nearly every vehicle since the late 1990s uses. Cut to the door lock, then paired to the immobiliser.
Programming and Lock Repair
Three more, and two of them are lock work rather than key work.
Car Key Programming
A key that turns the ignition lock and will not start the engine has not been programmed. Done through the diagnostic port.
Key Fob Programming
Pairing a fob you already own. Cheaper than supplying one, and we check the frequency before anyone drives out.
Ignition Repair
A worn ignition lock that has to be jiggled. The lock cylinder is rebuilt and re-keyed to the key you already carry.
Which Automotive Locksmith Job Do You Need
Four questions settle it before anyone quotes a price in Fort Collins.
- Does anything still work? One working key makes every job cheaper than all-keys-lost
- Does the lock turn? If it turns and will not crank, that is programming, not cutting
- Is the ignition lock stiff? A lock you have to jiggle is a repair waiting to strand you
- Do you have the VIN? It decides the chip and the lock code, and it saves a wasted trip for residential and vehicle work alike
The Locks on a Vehicle
There are more locks on a car than most people count, and each can fail on its own.
A door lock, a boot lock, a glovebox lock and an ignition lock, and every one of them is a separate cylinder that can wear, seize or lose its key. A worn door lock is a security gap the moment it stops locking; a worn ignition lock strands the car. Most of the lock work we do on a vehicle is the ignition, because that is the lock that gets turned twice a day for ten years while the other locks sit still and quietly lose their security.
The security side matters too. A door lock that has been forced leaves the vehicle unsecured even though it still shuts, and a lock that has been picked or drilled by somebody else needs replacing rather than repairing. Where a lock is the weak point on an otherwise sound car we say so, price the lock, and leave the residential and commercial security work to the same locksmith on the same visit rather than sending you to a second trade.
Security, Not Just Access
A lost key is a security problem as well as an inconvenience.
A key that is gone rather than broken is a key somebody may be holding. Where the lock allows it the old key is wiped from the vehicle at the same visit, so the security of the vehicle is restored rather than just its access. That is standard on an all-keys-lost job and worth asking for on any other. The same locksmith covers residential and commercial security work, so a lost ring that opened the house and the premises as well as the vehicle is one call-out rather than three.
Your Fort Collins Automotive Locksmith
Licensed and insured vehicle lock and key work across Fort Collins and the towns around it. Every lock is opened and every key is cut in a safe, non-destructive way, and the price is quoted before the van leaves.
Locksmith Services
Automotive, residential and commercial locksmith services across Fort Collins and Larimer County.
- Car Key Replacement
- Key Fob Replacement
- Mailbox Lock Service
- Keypad Lock Installation
- Key Duplication
- Key Fob Programming
- Lock Rekeying
- Key Cutting
- Car Lockout Service
- Commercial Access Control Systems
- Car Key Programming
- Transponder Key Programming
- Door Lock Repair
- Lock Change
- Smart Lock Installation
- Broken Key Extraction
- Commercial Master Key Systems
- Deadbolt Lock Installation
- Safe Opening & Cracking
- Emergency Lockout
- Lock Installation
- Ignition Lock Repair
- House Lockout
- Commercial Panic Bar Installation
Every job on this list is priced before anyone drives out, and the lock stays working unless you asked us to change it.
Call a Fort Collins Locksmith
A locksmith answers this phone around the clock, and the response is fast when your security cannot wait.
Frequently Asked Locksmith Questions
The questions Fort Collins drivers ask a locksmith most, on car keys, fobs and ignition service.
Do I have to tow it to a dealer?
Almost never. A Fort Collins locksmith brings the cutting and programming equipment to wherever the car is standing, so work happens on your driveway not a forecourt. A Fort Collins dealer orders against your VIN and wants it delivered. Exceptions are a few new models where the maker releases lock data only to franchised dealers, and a locksmith says so on the phone, not after driving out.
The key turns but the engine will not start. Why?
The blade was cut and the chip was never paired. A key that turns the door lock and the ignition lock but leaves the engine dead has a programming fault rather than a cutting one, the commonest reason a cheap online purchase fails a locksmith. Programming is a separate step at a separate price, and the door lock is never touched.
What if they are all lost?
Then a licensed Fort Collins locksmith reads the lock code off the car before anything is cut. That is more work than copying a spare, so the service costs more, and on some 2018-and-newer models there is a security wait of up to an hour that no locksmith can shorten. Say on the phone whether anything still works, because it moves the price.
Can you fix an ignition that has to be jiggled?
Yes, and it usually means rebuilding the lock rather than fitting a new lock. A worn ignition lock is rebuilt in Fort Collins and re-keyed to what you honestly still carry. Left alone that lock strands you on the coldest morning of the year, and the security of the vehicle goes with it.
Do you cover more than vehicles?
Yes. The same Fort Collins professional covers residential door locks, commercial security, emergency call-outs and strongboxes, so a lost ring that opened the residential door and the premises too is one call rather than three. A rekey or a new lock runs on that visit, and the security of every lock is checked by an insured team. Emergency work runs around the clock and is quoted fast, before the van leaves the yard.
Professional Locksmith Service Pricing
Locksmith service pricing in Fort Collins is quoted against the specific job before anyone starts.
Automotive Locksmith Pricing
| Service | What it covers | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Car Key Cut & Programmed | Most makes, cut and programmed on site | $139 – $350 |
| Fob Programming | Chip and proximity keys | $139 – $245 |
| Transponder Programming | VIN required | $139 – $245 |
| Ignition Repair | Any vehicle | $139 – $350 |
| Car Lockout | Non-destructive entry | $55 – $165 |
| Broken Extraction | Vehicle cylinder or ignition | $139 – $245 |
Service charge ranges vary with location, time of day and what the locksmith finds on site. Lock and security upgrades are quoted separately. Late nights, holidays and the longer runs out of Fort Collins can cost more.
Get a quote for the service you need today, call (970) 803-1100