Key Broke in Car Ignition: What to Do and What Not to Do

If your key broke in the ignition, stop. Do not try to turn the piece that is left, do not glue the halves back together, and do not try your spare until the broken piece is out, because a second key cannot go in while the first one is still in the cylinder. A locksmith can usually pull the broken blade out with thin extraction tools, check that the ignition still turns, and then cut a new key. If the key has a transponder chip, the new key also has to work with the car's electronics, so keep the head of the broken key and bring it to whoever does the job.

First, leave it alone

The instinct is to grab pliers. Most of the time that makes it worse.

• Do not push the stub further in. A piece that sits flush with the face of the cylinder can still come out. A piece pushed deeper is harder.
• Do not turn it with pliers or a screwdriver. Turning the cylinder with a broken blade can damage the small wafers inside that read the key. Then the ignition needs repair, not just the key.
• Do not use superglue. Gluing the halves back and turning the key, or gluing a tool to the stub to pull it, is a common internet tip. Glue runs into the cylinder and sets there, and a simple extraction turns into a cylinder job.
• Do not spray oil into the keyway. It collects dust and does not help the piece come out.

If a good length of blade is sticking out and you can pull it straight out with fingertips, that is fine. If it does not come with a gentle straight pull, stop.

Why car keys break in the ignition

Keys rarely snap for no reason. Knowing which one happened helps whoever fixes it.

• The steering lock. On cars with a turn key, turning the wheel after the key is out lets the steering column lock. The next time you start the car, the key will not turn until the wheel moves slightly. People force the key, and the key loses. If the key will not turn, wiggle the steering wheel gently left and right while you turn the key gently. That releases the lock.
• A worn key. Keys wear thin at the neck, where the blade meets the head. A key that has been bent and straightened once is close to breaking.
• A worn ignition. Wafers inside the cylinder wear too. A key that has needed jiggling for months is a sign the cylinder is going.
• A heavy key ring. A big bundle of house keys, fobs and tokens hanging from the ignition pulls on the key every time you hit a pothole and wears both the key and the cylinder. Keep the car key on a light ring.
• A copy of a copy. A key cut from a worn key carries the wear forward. It may work, but loosely.

What happens next

A typical call for a broken ignition key goes like this.

1. The call. Make, model and year, where the car is, and whether the broken piece is still in the ignition. Say whether the key has buttons, a thick plastic head or a chip, and whether you have a working spare.
2. Extraction. Thin hooked or barbed tools slide along the blade and draw the broken piece out of the keyway. Most broken blades come out this way.
3. The cylinder check. With the piece out, the ignition is tested. If it turns smoothly with a working key, the cylinder survived. If it is stiff or damaged, that is a separate repair, and you should hear that before anything else is done.
4. The new key. The blade is cut, often from the two broken pieces, from the key code, or from the lock itself.
5. Programming, if needed. A transponder key has a small chip in the head. The car reads the chip before it lets the engine run. A new blade without a working chip will turn the ignition, but the car will not start or will stall.

The transponder detail

What happens with the chip depends on the key.

• A flip key or remote head key. On many of these, the blade is a separate part that folds into the head. A broken blade can often be replaced and fitted into the original head, which keeps the chip and buttons you already have.
• A one-piece transponder key. The chip sits in the plastic head. The usual answer is a new transponder key, cut and programmed to the car.
• Some newer cars and certain makes can only be programmed through the dealer. Ask on the phone, before anyone drives out.

Our guide to transponder keys, fobs and smart keys explains each key type and what replacing it involves, so this post does not repeat it.

What about push-button-start cars?

A car that starts with a button has no turn-key ignition to break a key in. The emergency blade hidden inside the fob is for the door, and if that blade snaps in the door lock the extraction works the same way. If the fob itself is broken, that is a fob replacement, not an extraction.

If the car is parked in New Rochelle

New Rochelle drivers park in every way the county offers: downtown garages under and around the new apartment towers, street parking in Wykagyl and Beechmont, driveways on Davenport Neck, and the lot at the Metro-North station. A broken key in the ignition does not move the car, so the work happens where the car is.

New Rochelle is covered from both sides: two of our technicians live just over the line in Larchmont, and the third lives at the edge of the Bronx. If you need a New Rochelle locksmith because a key snapped in the ignition, call with the details above.

When the key is out and the car needs a new one, that is our car key replacement service. Ask for the total before the work starts. The key type, the car and whether the cylinder needs attention all change the job.

A broken key is also a good reason to think about the spare. If there is not one, now is the time. And if the keys end up on the seat of a locked car rather than snapped in it, here is what to do when the keys are locked in the car.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start the car with my spare key if the old one broke in the ignition?

Not until the broken piece is out. The spare cannot go into a keyway that still holds part of the old blade. Once the piece is extracted, a working spare should start the car if the cylinder was not damaged.

Can a broken car key be glued back together?

No. Glue runs into the ignition cylinder and sets there, and it can turn a simple extraction into a repair. Keep both pieces as they are and bring them to the locksmith.

Will I need a new key after the broken piece is removed?

Usually, yes, because the broken key should not go back in the ignition. A plain blade can be cut again. A transponder key needs a chip that works with the car, which may mean a new key programmed to it.

Why would a key break in the ignition?

The most common reasons are a steering lock that was not released, a key worn thin at the neck, a worn ignition cylinder, or a heavy key ring pulling on the key. If the key will not turn, wiggle the steering wheel gently instead of forcing it.

Key snapped in the ignition? Leave it be and call (914) 255-6611 with the make, model and year.