Broken Key Extraction NYC — Door & Ignition
A key snapped off in the lock leaves you with half a key in your hand and half blocking the cylinder — nothing new will insert until the fragment comes out. Sunny Locksmith extracts broken keys from house doors, car doors, and ignitions across NYC without drilling when possible. Often paired with ignition repair or a rekey after extraction. Licensed NYC #2096389-DCA. Call (917) 495-1990.
How Extraction Works
We use broken-key extractors, jigs, and sometimes scope tools to pull the fragment straight out along the keyway. The goal is clearing the cylinder with the wafers left working, so the lock survives. When extraction damages pins — common on worn ignitions — we rekey or rebuild on the same visit.
House and Apartment Doors
Snapped keys in entry knobs and deadbolts usually extract cleanly. We cut a fresh key from code afterward — not a copy of the broken half. If the cylinder was worn enough to snap the key, we recommend rekey or replacement before it happens again.
Car Doors and Ignitions
Ignition extractions are tighter work — less room, more wafers at risk. Success means extraction plus repair; failure means replacement. We quote both paths before forcing anything.
Preventing the Next Snap
Keys snap when the key is worn thin or the cylinder binds — you force it, it gives. Worn key plus stiff lock equals inevitable snap. After extraction we look at both: cut a fresh key from code and fix the binding lock. For cars, see car key replacement if the key was your only copy.
Apartment and Brownstone Context
Broken keys in pre-war mortise locks are common — the key wears thin, the pins bind, you force it once too often. We extract, rebuild or rekey, and cut from code. Car keys snap in ignitions when the cylinder was already stiff — extraction first, then ignition repair before you pay for keys you may not need. Mailbox and cabinet keys break in cam locks from rust; same extraction tools, smaller keyway.
Emergency Context
Broken key extraction often arrives as an emergency — locked out with a useless half-key. We treat it as priority dispatch same as house and car lockouts.
Broken Key Extraction NYC — Service Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you remove a broken key without drilling the lock?
Usually yes — extractor tools pull the fragment along the keyway. Drilling the plug is last resort on house doors; ignitions may need replacement if extraction damages wafers.
The key broke off in my ignition — can you fix it today?
Yes — mobile extraction at the car. If the cylinder survives, we rebuild it. If not, we replace and key the new cylinder to your door key when possible.
Do I need a new key after extraction?
Yes — we cut from code, not from the broken piece. If the lock was rekeyed after extraction, old keys no longer work either.
Why did my key snap in the first place?
Worn key, stiff cylinder, or forcing a wrong key. We fix the cylinder and cut a fresh key so it does not repeat next week.