Broken Key Extraction for Cars and Vans On Site in Devon, Dorset and Somerset, New Key Cut the Same Visit
Dean of DB Car Keys, the mobile auto locksmith from Honiton, extracts broken keys from car locks and ignitions across Devon, Dorset and Somerset, arrives in 20 to 60 minutes and removes the fragment in 10 to 25 minutes.
A key that snapped in a door lock or an ignition barrel stays in the lock until the right tool lifts it out. Extraction tools remove the broken key with no further damage to the lock, then a replacement key is cut and programmed at the car. Broken car key extraction costs £60 to £130, and the price is given by phone before travel, with no call out fee.
Key snapped in the lock? Call the locksmith
Broken key extraction costs £60 to £130. Dean confirms the price and the arrival time on the call.
Dean has worked as a mobile auto locksmith since 2009 and is fully insured and DBS checked. 66 Google reviews rate DB Car Keys 5 stars, and the price is given before Dean travels.
Broken Key Extraction Cost and Price Factors
Broken key extraction costs £60 to £130 with DB Car Keys, and three price factors set the figure, the lock, the depth of the fragment and the time of the call. The price is given by phone before travel, with no call out fee. The table gives the price of the extraction and of the four jobs that sit closest to it.
| Broken key job | Price | What the price covers |
|---|---|---|
| Broken key extraction from a door lock, a boot lock or an ignition barrel | £60 to £130 | The fragment is removed with extraction tools and the lock cylinder is inspected, in 10 to 25 minutes. |
| Replacement transponder key after the extraction | £100 to £280 | A new blade is cut from blank stock and the chip is programmed to the car at the same visit. |
| Spare car key cut and programmed before a worn key snaps | £80 to £220 | A second key made from the working key, which costs less than an extraction with a new key. |
| Emergency vehicle unlocking when the snapped key leaves the car locked | £60 to £150 | The car is opened at the vehicle, and the replacement key is cut afterwards. |
| Key fob repair for a cracked case or dead buttons | £40 to £100 | The remote part of the key, for a fob that is broken while the blade is sound. |
A snapped key removal and the replacement key are two prices. The extraction is one price, and the new key is priced by the make and the key type.
Dean states the price of the broken key extraction before the work starts, with no call out fee. Workmanship carries a 30 day guarantee, and payment is taken on completion by cash, by bank transfer or by card where card payment is available.
Four Reasons Car Keys Snap in the Lock
Car keys snap in the lock for four reasons, a worn key blade, a frozen or stiff lock, heavy commercial use and salt air corrosion. Key blades are made from brass or nickel silver, and both metals wear, corrode and fatigue with repeated use. A key in daily use for 5 to 10 years builds up micro fractures that the eye does not see. The snap often comes without warning, on a slightly stiffer turn on a cold morning or in a worn barrel that takes a touch more force. Broken key extraction removes the fragment that stays in the barrel.
Most car keys carry a chip in the head of the key. The replacement for a broken car key is therefore a transponder key, cut and programmed at the car after the extraction.
Four common reasons car keys snap
Worn Key Blade
Years of daily use wear the blade profile and create stress fractures at the shoulder, the most common snap point.
Frozen or Stiff Lock
A cold or corroded barrel takes more turning force, and that force on a worn blade snaps the key.
Heavy Commercial Use
Van keys are used dozens of times a day with gloved hands and in awkward positions, which puts high stress on the blade.
Salt Air Corrosion
Coastal locations such as Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Weymouth and Exmouth speed up the corrosion of key blades.
📍 Real call out, Marsh Barton, Exeter
"Ford Transit and VW Transporter ignition snaps are the callout we see most in the industrial estates of Exeter. A commercial driver turns the ignition key at 7am after a cold night, applies a fraction more force than usual, and the blade breaks cleanly in the barrel. The engine does not start, the driver is not able to get the fragment out, and the working day is immediately on hold. We carry specialist ignition extraction tools and are typically on site within 45 minutes."
📍 Real call out, Lyme Regis, Dorset
"Holiday callouts along the Dorset coast are a regular part of our work, and Lyme Regis car parks see several broken key jobs every summer. Salt air accelerates corrosion on key blades. A family returns to their car after a day on the beach, the key feels slightly stiff, they apply a bit more force, and the blade snaps. Two hundred miles from home, children waiting, no idea where to turn. We reach Lyme Regis from Honiton in under 30 minutes."
📍 Real call out, Bridgwater, Somerset
"A Land Rover Defender owner near Bridgwater had the ignition key snap during a cold start on a working farm. The nearest Land Rover dealer was 40 miles away and was not able to help until the following week. We attended the farm on the Somerset Levels, extracted the fragment cleanly, and had a replacement blade cut and programmed within the hour. The Defender was back in use the same morning."
⏱ Six times a broken key takes professional extraction
Six Broken Key Situations and the Next Step
Six broken key situations cover almost every call, and each situation has its own next step. The table gives each situation with what it means and the next step. A driver with a key stuck in the ignition or a snapped key in the door starts with the matching row.
| Situation | What the situation means | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Key snapped in the ignition barrel | The engine does not start, and the fragment sits among the spring loaded tumblers. | A priority call out. The fragment is extracted and a new key is cut at the car, with no towing. |
| Key snapped in a door lock | The car still opens through another door or the boot, and the lock is not safe to use. | The fragment is extracted and the barrel is inspected for wear. |
| Key broke off in the boot or tailgate lock | The cargo area does not lock or open. | The fragment is extracted and a replacement blade is cut on the same visit. |
| Fragment flush with the face of the lock | Nothing stands out to grip. A flush break is the most common break. | A hooked extractor or a spiral extractor grips the fragment from inside the barrel. |
| A DIY attempt pushed the fragment deeper | Pliers, glue or a spare key moved the fragment further into the barrel. | Stop and call. The barrel is assessed after the extraction. |
| Key bent, cracked or visibly worn | Wear on the shoulder or the tip puts the key at risk of a snap. | A spare key is cut from the working key before it breaks. |
One call with the make, the model, the lock and the town gets a price and an arrival time, across Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
Broken Key Extraction in Four Steps
Broken key extraction runs in four steps from the call to driving away, in a single visit with no towing.
The Call
Describe the break, ignition or door lock, with the make and the model. Dean confirms the job and gives an accurate arrival time before leaving.
The Arrival
The van carries specialist extraction tools, hooked picks, spiral extractors and broken key removers, built for door locks and ignition barrels.
The Extraction
The fragment is removed without touching the barrel teeth. The lock cylinder is inspected for wear or damage after the extraction.
The New Key
A replacement blade is cut and the transponder chip is programmed, with car key programming on site. The driver leaves with a working key, all in one visit.
Broken Key Extraction Times at the Vehicle
Ignition, Door and Boot Lock Key Extraction
Key extraction covers the ignition barrel, the door lock and the boot lock, and each barrel type takes its own extraction approach.
Ignition Barrel Extraction
The engine does not start and the fragment stays in the barrel, which makes this the most time critical broken key job. An ignition barrel is more complex than a door lock, with several spring loaded tumblers that trap a fragment. Ignition snaps are attended as priority call outs. Pliers carry a significant risk of damage to the barrel.
Door Lock Extraction
The car still opens through another door or the boot, and the door lock is jammed with a broken key fragment, so the lock is not safe to use. A cold weather snap is the most common cause, on German vehicles most of all, where door lock cylinders stiffen in winter. The fragment is extracted cleanly and the barrel is inspected for wear.
Boot and Tailgate Lock Extraction
The vehicle opens, and the boot or tailgate lock holds a broken key fragment, so the cargo area does not lock or open. The fault is most common on commercial vans, where the rear doors are worked with a separate key dozens of times a day. The fragment is extracted and a replacement blade is cut on the same visit.
Vehicles Attended Most for Broken Key Extraction
Broken key extraction is attended most on vans and on older passenger vehicles, and some makes and models are more prone to a snapped key across Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
Commercial keys are turned dozens of times a day, often with gloves and in awkward positions. Ford Transit ignition snaps around the trading estates of Exeter are the most common extraction job.
Older vehicles with original keys that have never been replaced are the most at risk. A visibly worn key is the sign to have a spare cut before the original snaps. Call 07830249408 for a spare key quote.
Recent Broken Key Extraction Callouts
Six recent broken key extractions across Devon, Dorset and Somerset, each with its time.
Ford Transit, key snapped in the ignition, new blade cut on site
BMW 3 Series, door lock fragment extracted after a cold weather snap
Vauxhall Astra, key snapped at the ignition shoulder, full extraction
Land Rover Defender, ignition barrel snap on a farm call out
VW Transporter, boot lock fragment removed, replacement blade cut
Peugeot 207, worn key snapped in the door, barrel inspected and cleared
The list of broken key extractions is updated regularly. Call 07830249408 for an arrival time at the vehicle.
Dean, DB Car Keys
Mobile Auto Locksmith and Broken Key Specialist, Honiton, Devon
Dean is the car locksmith who answers the phone, extracts the broken key and cuts the replacement. Dean is fully insured and DBS checked, and has extracted broken keys across Devon, Dorset and Somerset for over 15 years.
Dean on Broken Key Extraction Jobs
Three points on broken key extraction jobs in the first person, as Dean and DB Car Keys state them.
On a flush break
“Flush breaks are actually the most common scenario and are exactly what our extraction tools are designed for. Hooked extractors and spiral broken key removers grip the fragment from inside the barrel. No part of the key needs to protrude above the face of the lock for us to remove it safely.”
On the barrel
“Our specialist extraction tools are designed to remove the fragment without touching the barrel walls. After extraction we assess the barrel condition and advise if a replacement is needed.”
On a worn key
“Once a key shows visible wear on the shoulder or the tip, it is already at risk. Getting a spare cut and programmed now costs a fraction of an emergency extraction callout, and leaves you with a backup if the original fails.”
What DB Car Keys Customers Say
Verified Google reviews from broken key and car key customers across Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
Vehicle Makes Covered for Broken Key Extraction
The extraction tools cover the lock barrel types of all UK vehicle makes.
Call 07830249408 with the registration, and Dean confirms the job on the call.
Broken Key Extraction Areas in Three Counties
Broken key extraction reaches every area of Devon, Dorset and Somerset, 24/7.
All EX, PL and TQ postcodes, with industrial estates and remote rural areas.
DT postcodes, where the salt air of the coast raises the number of broken keys.
TA and BA postcodes, with the Somerset Levels, the Glastonbury area and the A303 corridor.
Call 07830249408 for an arrival time in EX, PL, TQ, DT, TA and BA postcodes.
Broken Key Extraction FAQs
Sixteen common questions about a broken key in a car lock and broken key extraction, with the answers.