Open 24/7 · Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County

(323) 997-8867
Crenshaw Lock

Broken Key Extraction in Reseda · 24/7 mobile

Broken Key Extraction in Reseda, California

Crenshaw Lock Company provides broken key extraction in Reseda, California, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are fully mobile, so we come to your door, car, or business, remove the snapped key piece, and cut a working replacement. Call (323) 997-8867.

  • Mobile to your Reseda 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
Open now(323) 997-8867

A key that snaps in the lock is one of those problems that always seems to happen at the worst moment: the door you use every day, a cold morning before work, or late at night when you just want to get inside. In Reseda, where so many homes and apartments still run on locks that are decades old, it happens more often than people expect. Metal fatigue, a worn key, a swollen or gritty cylinder, or a deadbolt that no longer lines up with its strike can all turn an ordinary turn of the key into a break.

The most important thing is to stop and not force it. Pushing, twisting with pliers, or trying to fish the piece out with a paperclip or glue often pushes the fragment deeper or damages the pins, turning a simple extraction into a lock replacement. If part of the key is still sticking out, leave it alone and call us. If it is flush or deep inside, the same advice applies.

Crenshaw Lock Company has served Greater Los Angeles and Ventura County since 1987, and David Shar and our team work entirely on the road. There is no shop to drive to. We bring extraction tools, key-cutting equipment, and replacement hardware to you, take the broken piece out of the cylinder, and make you a new key so you are not left with a lock that works only once.

How it works in Reseda

  1. 1

    You call, we talk through what happened

    Call (323) 997-8867 any hour. We ask whether the key broke in a door, deadbolt, padlock, mailbox, or car ignition, whether any piece is still sticking out, and what kind of lock it is. This helps us bring the right tools and tell you what to avoid in the meantime.

  2. 2

    We come to you

    We are fully mobile, so we travel to your home, apartment building, shop, or vehicle in Reseda. There is no storefront to visit. We look at the lock first to see how the key broke and how deep the fragment sits.

  3. 3

    Careful extraction of the broken piece

    Using purpose-made extractors and fine tools, we grip the fragment and draw it out along the keyway without scarring the pins. When the key snapped because of a binding deadbolt, we note that, since the cause matters as much as the fragment.

  4. 4

    Check the lock and find the cause

    Once the piece is out, we test the cylinder. On older post-war homes, a door that has shifted over the years can make the bolt drag against the strike and put heavy strain on the key. We check alignment and the condition of the lock so the same break does not happen again.

  5. 5

    Cut a replacement key

    We cut a new working key from the broken pieces, the lock itself, or by code as needed. We test it several times in the lock, and in the case of an ignition, confirm it operates properly.

  6. 6

    Repair, rekey, or replace if needed

    If the cylinder is damaged or the strike needs adjusting, we explain the options plainly before doing anything. Often a strike realignment or rekey solves the underlying problem. You decide what is done.

Need broken key extraction in Reseda?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

What affects the price

  • The type of lock involved: a standard house deadbolt, a high-security cylinder, a padlock, or a car ignition each take different tools and time.
  • How deep the broken piece is lodged and whether it is flush with the cylinder face or well inside the keyway.
  • Whether the lock is damaged and needs repair, rekeying, or replacement after the extraction.
  • The kind of replacement key required, such as a standard cut key versus a transponder or other vehicle key that needs programming.
  • Whether the door frame or strike plate needs adjustment because of settling or misalignment.
  • The time of day and the location of the job, since we operate around the clock and travel to you.

Why Reseda chooses us

  • Fully mobile service: we come to your door, car, or business in Reseda rather than asking you to bring anything anywhere.
  • In business since 1987, with experience on the older builder-grade locks common in mid-century tract homes and apartments.
  • We look for why the key broke, not just how to remove it, which matters on doors affected by decades of frame settling.
  • Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
  • We explain options before work begins, so you know whether an extraction, rekey, or replacement makes sense.
  • Extraction and a new key in one visit, so you are not left with a lock you cannot use.

Broken Key Extraction across Reseda

Reseda is a flat, lived-in part of the central San Fernando Valley, and its housing shapes the calls we get. In the Reseda Park residential area and the streets around it in 91335, many homes are small 1940s and 1950s stucco bungalows and ranch houses. Some still carry their original or early replacement locks. After years of settling, including the effects of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, whose epicenter was in Reseda, door frames can shift just enough that a deadbolt rubs against its strike. A key forced through a binding bolt is a common way keys snap.

Along the Reseda Blvd commercial district and the Sherman Way corridor, we see a different mix: mid-century dingbat apartment buildings where locks get heavy use and turn over between tenants, and small businesses near the Reseda Theatre marquee that open and close their doors every day. A property manager may call about a key that broke in a unit lock before a turnover, and we can extract the piece and rekey while on site. A shop owner on Sherman Way may want an extraction and a sturdier deadbolt in the same visit.

Whether you are near Reseda Park and the lake, by the Reseda Recreation Center, toward Vanowen St or Victory Blvd, or in 91337 closer to the Sepulveda Basin and the LA River edge, we come to you. We also reach drivers stuck with a snapped key in an ignition on Tampa Ave, Wilbur Ave, Saticoy St, Roscoe Blvd, or near the US-101 on-ramps.

Locked out or need a locksmith now?

24/7 Mobile Locksmith across Greater Los Angeles & Ventura County. We answer 24/7.

Call (323) 997-8867

Other Reseda locksmith services

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

Broken Key Extraction in Reseda — FAQs

What should I do right after my key breaks in the lock?
Stop turning or pulling, and do not use glue, pliers, or a paperclip. Those can push the piece deeper or damage the pins. Call us at (323) 997-8867 and we will tell you what to do while we head your way.
Do you offer broken key extraction in Reseda at night?
Yes. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and fully mobile, so we come to your location in Reseda whatever the hour. Call (323) 997-8867.
Can you get a key out of a car ignition?
In many cases, yes. We extract the broken piece from the ignition and can cut a replacement key. Whether the new key needs programming depends on the vehicle, which we confirm when you call.
Will you need to replace my lock?
Often not. Many locks work fine once the fragment is removed. We test the cylinder afterward and only recommend repair or replacement if it is damaged or worn, and we explain the reason first.
Why does my key keep sticking in my older Reseda home?
Homes from the 1940s and 1950s have often settled over the decades, including after the 1994 earthquake, and that can misalign the deadbolt and strike. The bolt then binds and strains the key. We can adjust the strike and rekey if needed.
Can you extract a broken key and rekey the lock in one visit?
Yes. For property managers rekeying apartment units on Reseda Blvd or anywhere else, we can remove the broken piece and rekey the lock while on site, so the old key stops working.
Do I have to bring the lock or my car to a shop?
No. We are mobile only, with no storefront to visit. We bring the tools and key-cutting equipment to your home, business, or vehicle.
How do I find out what the job will cost?
Cost depends on the lock type, how deep the fragment is, whether repairs are needed, and the kind of key being made. Call (323) 997-8867, describe the situation, and we will explain what affects the price before work begins.
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