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Crenshaw Lock

Broken Key Extraction in Panorama City · 24/7 mobile

Broken Key Extraction in Panorama City, CA

Crenshaw Lock Company provides broken key extraction in Panorama City, California, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We come to you, remove the snapped piece from your lock or ignition, and cut a working replacement key. Call (323) 997-8867 any time, day or night.

  • Mobile to your Panorama City location
  • Available 24/7
  • Price quoted before we start
Call (323) 997-8867or tap to call — we answer 24/7
Broken key stuck in a lock cylinder next to an extractor tool
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A key that snaps off in a lock is one of those problems that always seems to happen at the worst moment: in the doorway of an apartment after a long shift, at a shop's back door before opening, or in a car ignition in a hospital parking lot. The instinct is to jiggle it, pull with pliers, or squirt something in the cylinder. Please resist that. Those fixes usually push the fragment deeper or damage the pins, turning a simple extraction into a lock replacement.

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, and owner and lead technician David Shar built the business on mobile service. We have no storefront for you to visit. Our technicians travel to you in Panorama City with the tools needed to pull the broken piece, check the lock, and cut a new key on site where the lock allows it.

Panorama City has a lot of locks working hard: apartment unit doors, gates and mailboxes, retail storefronts, and original postwar house hardware that has seen decades of use. Worn locks and worn keys are the most common reason a key breaks, so part of our job is telling you honestly whether the lock is healthy or due for replacement.

How it works in Panorama City

  1. 1

    You call, we talk through what happened

    Call (323) 997-8867 and tell us where the key broke: front door, deadbolt, padlock, gate, mailbox, or vehicle ignition. We will ask whether the fragment is sticking out or flush with the face of the lock, and whether you still have the other half of the key. We will also tell you to stop forcing it.

  2. 2

    A mobile technician comes to your location

    We are fully mobile and available 24/7, so we drive to your apartment, home, shop, or parked vehicle in Panorama City. There is nothing to bring in and no shop to visit. Keep the broken half of the key if you have it, because it helps with matching the cut.

  3. 3

    Inspect the lock and the fragment

    Before pulling anything, the technician looks at how the key broke, how deep the piece sits, and what type of lock it is. A standard pin tumbler deadbolt, a worn knob lockset, a padlock, and an ignition cylinder each call for a different approach.

  4. 4

    Extract the broken piece with care

    Using fine extraction tools, the technician removes the fragment without drilling when possible, protecting the cylinder and the pins inside. If the lock is already badly worn or damaged, we explain the options before we go further.

  5. 5

    Cut a replacement key and test it

    Once the cylinder is clear, we cut a new key, using the broken half as a reference if it is available, and test it repeatedly in the lock. If the lock is sticky or failing, we can rekey or replace it so the new key works smoothly.

  6. 6

    Review what caused the break

    Keys usually snap because of wear, a binding lock, or a warped door. We point out what we found and whether a spare key, a rekey, or a hardware upgrade makes sense. You decide what, if anything, to add.

Need broken key extraction in Panorama City?

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What affects the price

  • The type of lock involved: a simple residential deadbolt, a high-security cylinder, a padlock, a mailbox lock, or a vehicle ignition each take different tools and time.
  • How deep the fragment is lodged and whether it is jammed against the pins, which determines how delicate the extraction needs to be.
  • Whether a replacement key can be cut on site from the broken half, or needs to be made from a code or by other means, which is common with some vehicle keys.
  • Whether the lock itself was damaged by the break or by earlier attempts to pull the piece out, which could mean repair, rekeying, or replacement.
  • The time of day and your location, since we serve 24/7 and after-hours calls are handled differently from daytime appointments.
  • How many locks or keys are involved, such as a manager dealing with several apartment units or a business with multiple doors.

Why Panorama City chooses us

  • Fully mobile since 1987: every job happens at your door, gate, or vehicle, and we do not run a storefront.
  • Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which matters when a key breaks late at night or on a holiday.
  • We try non-destructive extraction first and explain it plainly if a lock should be rekeyed or replaced instead of repaired.
  • We can extract the piece and cut the replacement in the same visit, so you are not left with an open problem.
  • Experience with the kinds of hardware found in Panorama City, from aging postwar tract-home locksets to apartment-complex cylinders and retail storefront hardware.
  • Owner-led standards: David Shar has been in the trade for decades, and we will tell you when a cheaper fix is the right one.

Broken Key Extraction across Panorama City

Panorama City has an unusual mix of lock work packed into a small area. Built beginning in 1948 by Fritz B. Burns and Henry J. Kaiser as the San Fernando Valley's first large planned postwar community, the core is still small Kaiser-era tract homes, many with original or aging entry hardware. After decades of use, those older deadbolts and knobsets are exactly where keys tend to snap. Around them, dense mid-century and later apartment and courtyard buildings fill in much of the area, particularly near the Panorama Mall district, where property managers deal with constant tenant turnover and worn unit locks.

Along the Van Nuys Boulevard corridor and at The Plant, the shopping center on the former General Motors Van Nuys plant site, storefronts and back-of-house doors take daily abuse. A key that breaks in a shop door at closing time is a security problem as well as an inconvenience, and we can extract the key and confirm the lock is secure before we leave. Staff and visitors at Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center and Mission Community Hospital also sometimes call about keys that break in vehicle ignitions or door locks, and we come to wherever the car is parked.

We serve ZIP code 91402 and the streets around Van Nuys Boulevard, Roscoe Boulevard, Woodman Avenue, and Nordhoff Street. If you are in Panorama City and a key has snapped, call (323) 997-8867 and a mobile technician can be on the way.

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Other Panorama City locksmith services

See all of our Panorama City services, or our citywide broken key extraction page.

Broken Key Extraction in Panorama City — FAQs

What should I do right after my key breaks in the lock?
Stop turning or pulling on it. Do not use glue, lubricant sprays, or pliers, since these can push the piece deeper or damage the pins. Keep any broken half of the key and call (323) 997-8867 so we can send a mobile technician.
Can you remove a broken key without replacing my lock?
In most cases, yes. We use fine extraction tools to pull the fragment out without drilling, then check the cylinder. If the lock is worn or damaged, we will tell you whether a rekey or replacement makes more sense.
Do you handle broken keys in car ignitions in Panorama City?
Yes. We come to your vehicle wherever it is parked, including hospital and shopping center lots. Call (323) 997-8867, and let us know the make, model, and year so we can prepare for the key type.
Will you cut a new key at the same visit?
Where the lock and key type allow, we extract the piece and cut a replacement during the same visit, then test it. Some vehicle and high-security keys need different steps, and we explain that when you call.
I manage an apartment building near Panorama Mall. Can you help if tenants keep breaking keys?
Yes. Repeated breakage often points to worn locks or keys. We can extract the broken pieces, then talk through rekeying, replacing worn cylinders, or master keying. Call (323) 997-8867 to discuss your building.
Do you come out at night or on weekends?
Yes. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we are fully mobile, so we come to you in Panorama City rather than asking you to visit a shop.
Why do keys break in older homes?
Wear is the main reason. In older postwar tract homes, original locks can bind, pins can wear, and door frames can shift, so more force is needed to turn the key. A worn key then snaps. Replacing the lock or adding a fresh copy can prevent a repeat.
How is the price determined?
It depends on the lock type, how deep the fragment sits, whether the lock was damaged, whether we cut a new key, and the time and location of the call. We discuss these factors when you call so there are no surprises.
DS

Reviewed by David Shar — Owner & Lead Technician

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County since 1987.

Last updated 2026-10-12.

Call (323) 997-8867 · Open 24/7