Key won't turn in the ignition. Key turns but the engine won't crank. Key got stuck halfway. Diagnose-on-site, fix-on-site for most makes - usually under 60 minutes from arrival.
Mobile ignition repair across PSL - cylinder rebuild, cylinder replacement, immobilizer fault diagnosis, broken key extraction from the ignition. Most repairs $180-360 in your driveway.
Common causes: worn wafer tumblers (key + cylinder ages out), cylinder pin breakage, steering column lock bind, anti-theft / immobilizer fault, dead key fob battery (for push-to-start).
Older Chevy / GM trucks (Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe 2000-2010) and Ford F-150 / Expedition 2003-2010 are the most common PSL ignition jobs. Florida heat + salt-air corrosion is hard on those cylinders.
It started as a slight wiggle to get the key to turn. Then you had to jiggle it for 15 seconds in the Tradition Square parking lot. Now it won't turn at all, the steering wheel is locked, and you're calling AAA wondering if the tow truck or the locksmith is the right move. Ignition cylinders wear from the inside - every turn grinds the wafers down, and at some point the worn blade and worn wafers stop matching.
This is fixable at the curb. We pull the cylinder, rebuild or replace the wafer stack, re-key it to your existing blade (or cut a fresh one), and you're driving again. Ignition repair in PSL runs $180-380 depending on the make, the part, and whether the steering column needs to come apart. Way cheaper than the dealer's flatbed-plus-labor quote.
Don't let it lock you out on a Sunday night. Call (772) 284-5142 while it's still turning sometimes.
Most ignitions can be repaired without removing the entire steering column. Saves time and saves the bill.
If your blade is in good shape we re-cut the new cylinder to match. Same key, fresh internals, no second key to carry.
Pricing varies by make (Ford F-150 vs Honda Civic vs Mercedes E-class are three different jobs). We tell you the range up front.
GM and Ford trucks are the fastest. Honda and Toyota mid-range. European luxury can stretch longer; we tell you on the call.
If the key still turns sometimes we can usually fix it where it sits. If the steering column has locked you'll likely need a tow first.
If your symptoms tell us the cylinder is fully seized and the wheel is locked, we'll tell you to tow first. We don't bill for impossible work.
Ignition repair sits in an awkward spot. Mechanics will say it's a locksmith job. Locksmiths without auto-specialty will say it's a mechanic job. The dealer says flatbed it in. Meanwhile you have a truck that won't start in a Publix lot off PSL Boulevard.
We pull cylinders weekly. Not annually. The skill compounds, the job goes faster, the price stays honest.
Common GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda cylinders + wafer rebuild kits stocked. Means no second trip after diagnosis.
Sometimes a worn key is the problem, not the cylinder. We cut a fresh blade and try it before condemning the cylinder. Saves you $150-250.
If we can fix it where it sits, you save $80-120 on a tow that the dealer was going to charge anyway.
1. Worn wafer tumblers. The key and the cylinder wafers wear together over years. Eventually the key doesn't engage the wafers properly. Sometimes a fresh-cut key fixes it (the new sharp cut grips the wafers better) - $45-90. Sometimes the cylinder itself needs to be rebuilt with new wafers - $150-260.
2. Cylinder lock body failure. Mechanical damage to the cylinder itself - pin breakage, retainer failure, sometimes corrosion. Full cylinder replacement: $180-360 depending on make + model.
3. Steering column lock binding. The steering wheel is turned hard against the column lock - happens when you park on an incline with the wheels turned. Fix: wiggle the wheel left-right firmly while turning the key. No parts, no charge if that's all it is. We do this diagnostic first because it's free.
4. Anti-theft / immobilizer fault. Vehicle thinks the key isn't authorized - usually a transponder programming issue, dead remote battery (for push-to-start), or sometimes ECU communication fault. Diagnostic + reprogram: $80-220.
The tech will run the diagnostic in your driveway and tell you which category your situation is in before quoting the repair.
Chevy / GMC Silverado / Sierra / Tahoe / Suburban 2000-2010. Notorious for wafer wear. The PassLock immobilizer system on these will sometimes trigger a no-start even after the cylinder is replaced - requires a 30-minute relearn procedure that we do on-site. Total job typically $260-360.
Ford F-150 / Expedition / Mustang 2003-2010. The Ford PATS (Passive Anti-Theft System) cylinder is failure-prone. Replacement cylinder + reprogramming runs $260-380. We carry the most common Ford 8C ignition cylinders on the van.
RAM 1500 / 2500 2009-2018. The SKIM (Sentry Key Immobilizer Module) sometimes fails to read the transponder - looks like an ignition problem but is actually a transponder antenna / SKIM failure. Diagnostic distinguishes the two. $140-280 depending on cause.
Honda / Toyota 1996-2008. Mostly simple wafer-wear or worn key cuts. Often resolved with a fresh cut for $45-90, no cylinder work needed.
Tesla, Hyundai / Kia push-to-start, 2017+ Honda CR-V / Civic. If your push-to-start vehicle won't crank, ignition cylinder isn't the issue (there isn't one) - diagnosis points to key fob battery, smart-key authentication, or ECU. Quick diagnostic $80-140.
| Service | Typical Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic only (no repair) | $45 - $80 | Waived if you proceed with repair. |
| Fresh cut key (worn key fix) | $45 - $90 | When wafers are fine but key is worn. |
| Cylinder rebuild (new wafers) | $150 - $260 | Cylinder removed and re-pinned. |
| Cylinder replacement (most makes) | $180 - $360 | Plus transponder reprogram if applicable. |
| Cylinder replacement (Chevy/GM PassLock relearn) | $260 - $380 | Includes PassLock 30-min relearn. |
| Cylinder replacement (Ford PATS reprogram) | $260 - $380 | Includes PATS reprogram. |
| Immobilizer / SKIM diagnostic + fix | $140 - $280 | Antenna, fob battery, or module reprogram. |
| Broken key extraction from ignition | $80 - $160 | Plus cylinder rebuild if damaged. |
| Decision | Mobile locksmith (us) | Dealer | AAA tow + dealer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic in your driveway | Yes | No - you tow there | Tow + dealer diagnostic |
| Same-day repair | Yes (most cases) | 1-5 days | Same as dealer |
| Total time to working vehicle | 60-120 min | 4-9 business days | Same as dealer + tow time |
| Total cost for Chevy/Ford cylinder replacement | $260-380 | $450-750 + tow | $510-850 |
| Risk of overcharging on simple steering-lock bind | Free if that's all it is | Often charged a 'diagnostic' even for simple cases | Charged twice (tow + dealer fee) |
Real person on the phone in under 2 rings. Locksmith on-site in 15-30 minutes. Honest price before any tools come out.
Call (772) 284-5142Simple cylinder rebuild (new wafers, no new cylinder): $150-260. Full cylinder replacement: $180-360 depending on make. Chevy/GM and Ford require additional reprogramming after replacement which adds $80-120. Immobilizer-only issues (key authentication, dead remote battery) are typically $80-220.
Four likely causes: (1) steering column lock bind - wheel is turned hard against the column, wiggle the wheel while turning the key, free fix; (2) worn wafer tumblers - fresh cut key may fix, or cylinder needs rebuild; (3) cylinder mechanical failure - needs replacement; (4) immobilizer fault - vehicle thinks the key isn't authorized. The diagnostic identifies which.
Yes, 95% of the time. We bring the diagnostic tools, replacement cylinders for most popular makes, and the programming gear to your driveway. The exceptions are unusual European luxury models where the immobilizer is dealer-locked - for those we tell you on the phone if it's a dealer-only situation.
60-120 minutes total. Removing the steering column trim, pulling the failed cylinder, installing the new one, programming the transponder if required. Older trucks (Chevy / GM PassLock, Ford PATS) take longer because of the relearn procedure (~30 min). Modern push-to-start vehicles usually don't involve a physical cylinder at all.
The '$3000 rule' is a guideline some mechanics use: don't put more than $3,000 (or half the vehicle's value, depending on who you ask) into repairs on an older car. Doesn't apply to ignition repair specifically - a $260 cylinder replacement makes sense on almost any vehicle worth keeping.
Usually yes - the key fob and the ignition cylinder are separate systems. Replacing the cylinder doesn't affect the fob's lock/unlock/trunk functions. What it WILL affect is the start function on a transponder-key vehicle - we reprogram the transponder to the new cylinder as part of the repair.
Ignition repair calls come from everywhere in PSL - Tradition, St Lucie West, Magnolia Lakes, Sandpiper Bay, Bayshore, plus plenty along the US-1 corridor where used-vehicle dealerships hand off older trucks with tired cylinders.
Last updated: 2026-05-18
