Car Lock Stuck in “Locked” Position: What Do I Do?

Stuck car locks are a common problem. For something so simple, it’s pretty frustrating to see that the car keys won’t work for some reason—especially when you have to be somewhere in a hurry. You shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking that the lock only sticks when the door’s closed— it can also happen while it’s open.

As a general rule, do not drive your car with the door open because of the obvious safety risks—and call in a locksmith to fix it because you don’t want to damage the locks further.

Causes of Stuck Door Locks

There are three basic reasons why your car locks stick, these include:

Some internal connections are broken— Happens because of broken connections between the door lock and door handle, door lock cylinder, or interior lock switch. You’ll need to open up the door and fix the broken connections—a locksmith’s probably the only person who can fix this.

Rusting, Grime Accumulation or Jammed Objects—The door’s internal mechanism is rarely ever cleaned out, so the insides are likely pretty rusty and dirty. The accumulation of rust and grime is often the cause of stuck car locks. Alternatively, a foreign object might have jammed the locking mechanism and is stopping the door locks from opening.

You could try working the away at the grime by attempting to unlock the door a few times. If that doesn’t work out, you’ll need to access the internal locking mechanism and remove the blockage yourself.

Damage to the Lock— This only happens after an accident or if something hits your car door hard enough to affect the internal door lock mechanism. You’ll need to call up a locksmith to replace the damaged parts to solve this problem.

A DIY Method to Get Your Lock Unstuck

The only problem that you can solve without the help of a qualified locksmith is the one where something gets stuck inside the door lock and prevents it from unlocking. While you could try to solve the other two problems yourself too, it’s not recommended unless you’re a locksmith yourself—mostly because you might damage the lock further.

Considering the fact that changing a car lock yourself costs as much as $350, with no guarantee that the problem will be fixed, it’s just safer to call a locksmith. It’s a pricier option, but it comes with a guarantee that your problem will be resolved—and pretty fast too.

Cleaning out your Door

You’ll need to check why the lock’s stuck in all situations, and it’s impossible to diagnose the door without getting access to the internal lock mechanism. So here’s what you do to get a look at it:

Step 1: Getting the Door Open

The only way you can get a peek at the lock’s insides is if the car door is open. It’s not impossible to work on a lock while the door’s closed, but it’s pretty difficult—so first we should get the door open. The process is as follows:

1. See if the keys can help you get the door open.
2. If that doesn’t work, get in your car and remove the screws attaching the door panel to the door frame.
3. Remove the frame and take a look at the door lock assembly.

Step 2: Lubricate and Clean

Look for any objects stuck in the lock assembly, or other forms of blockages and clean them out very gently. Once they’re cleaned, you should try unlocking the door to see if that works out. If that doesn’t work out, play it safe, and call up a locksmith.

Need a Locksmith in Houston?

Car Key 4 Less is a premium locksmith and car key replacement service provider in Houston, TX. Our automotive locksmiths have years of experience resolving automobile lock problems for old and new car models alike. If you’re looking for car key replacements for Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, or BMWs in Houston, call us now, and we’ll be over in 30 minutes!