Check for immediate danger
- Call 911 if someone is trapped and in danger.
- For an ordinary lockout, check for a safely available spare key or an authorized remote-unlock option.
- Avoid forcing doors or trying improvised entry methods.
What to do
- Check the situation
If a child, vulnerable person or pet is trapped and in danger, call 911 immediately. Otherwise move to a safe place and note your exact location.
- Check legitimate access
Try another door or hatch only if it is safe, look for a spare key, and check whether the manufacturer’s app or roadside program offers remote unlocking for your vehicle.
- Avoid improvised entry
Do not force a window, pry a door frame or follow a social-media method with a coat hanger, string or wedge. These methods can damage seals, glass, paint, trim or internal parts.
- Request help
Call a qualified lockout provider. Give the vehicle year, make, model and location. Be ready to show that you are authorized to access the vehicle.
Important limit
Key-fob issues and a dead vehicle battery can change the way an electronic lock behaves. Mention those details when you call.
How to reduce the chance of this happening
Keep a spare key in a secure place, check the fob battery, and confirm that you have the key in hand before closing the door.
Need authorized access to your car?
Once you are safely stopped, call with your location and vehicle details. Read about car lockout service or roadside assistance. Confirm suitability, availability and price by phone.
Call (312) 451-5785English & Spanish assistance · Hablamos español.
Sources and vehicle-specific instructions
Follow your vehicle owner’s manual for procedures and equipment limits. These sources informed the general safety guidance:
More help from Rick’s
For a service assessment in Lake View East or Chicago’s North Side, see the roadside assistance guide or Rick’s main website. Confirm availability, price and vehicle fit by phone.