Why keys break
Keys rarely snap healthy. The usual story is a worn key with a deep cut near the bow, a stiff lock asking for more force, or a key that was already cracked. The snap is the last chapter, not the first — which is why we ask what the key felt like before it broke.
The fragment sits in the plug with its cuts still engaged. Extraction tools — thin, barbed, and made for exactly this — slide alongside the fragment and pull it out along the path it went in.
What helps, what hurts
Helps: leaving the fragment exactly as it is, keeping the broken half, and calling. Hurts: superglue on a toothpick (it bonds the fragment to the plug and turns a extraction into a cylinder replacement), forcing the other half in behind it, and lubricant floods that carry grit into the pins.
If the key broke in an ignition, don’t try to start the car with the fragment in place; leave the vehicle as-is and call (561) 366-2611. Ignition-specific cases are covered in ignition repair.
After the fragment is out
The lock usually survives — the fragment was the broken part. We’ll cut a fresh key, test the lock’s action, and tell you honestly if the cylinder’s wear is what snapped the key, because the next key will meet the same lock. A stiff cylinder is a repair-stage problem; see repair vs. replace.
How this article connects
- ✓Car Key Replacement — the service page
- ✓Ignition Repair
- ✓Lock Repair & Installation
- ✓How Keys Are Cut to Code
Car key replacement, and every variant around it
The searches behind this guide, in one place: car key replacement, a lost car key, a car key fob that stopped working, key programming for push-to-start fobs, a transponder key, a spare car key, car key cutting to code, and a broken car key extracted without damage. One mobile visit handles the full set — call (561) 366-2611 and we will schedule your appointment.