Ignition Repair in Santa Rosa
Stuck, worn or dead ignitions repaired or replaced on site, $150 to $395.
4.9 / 5· 463 reviews from Santa Rosa & central Sonoma County
$150–$395
Typical price
22 min
Avg. arrival
24/7
Availability
Ignition trouble in Santa Rosa shows up as a key that will not turn at a gas station on Mendocino Ave, a key that turns but nothing happens, or a key snapped off in the cylinder in a Roseland driveway. Worn wafers, a bent key, a failing switch and a seized steering lock all produce those symptoms. Vintage Lock & Key repairs and replaces ignition cylinders and switches at the car, which beats a tow across town.
The tech rules out the easy causes first: a worn key, a steering wheel locked under tension, a dead fob battery on a push-button car. If the cylinder is at fault, it is removed, rebuilt with new wafers or replaced, and keyed to your existing door key so you carry one key, not two. On cars with an immobilizer the new cylinder is matched to the transponder. Several starts are run before the tech leaves.
Describe what the key does and does not do; a short video helps. The price is sealed on the call, and a text with the tech's name and arrival window follows. A broken tip is extracted first, and the tech tells you whether the cylinder needs work now or can wait. Anything found once the column is open is explained and priced before it is touched.
Ignition work runs $150 to $395, with the $89 service call applied toward it. Rebuilding a worn cylinder on a common Honda, Toyota, Ford or Subaru sits near $150. Replacing the cylinder and the electrical switch together, or freeing a column whose steering lock has seized, approaches $395. Evening calls add $30 and overnight calls $60; a car stuck at a pump does not wait for morning.
“The key in my old Tacoma had been getting harder to turn for a year and it finally seized in a lot off Lakeville around 9pm. $325 on the call, the ignition and the late-evening add together. The dealer wanted the truck towed in and quoted $610 before they'd even looked at it. About fifty minutes at the curb under a work light. He rebuilt the cylinder instead of replacing it and cut two keys that turn with one finger.”
Every job is quoted from the ranges below. The number you hear on the call is sealed there, written on the work order and repeated on the receipt.
- Daytime (7am–8pm)standard rates
- Evening (8pm–12am)+$30
- Overnight (12am–7am)+$60
FAQ
Ignition Repair: quick answers
The key snapped off in the ignition. Can it come out without damage?+
Yes. Broken tips are extracted with a hooked tool, then the cylinder is inspected for the wear that usually caused the snap. Pulling it with pliers is how a small problem becomes a column repair.
Will I need a new key for the doors?+
No. The rebuilt or replacement cylinder is pinned to match your door key. If the door locks are also worn, the tech can service them on the same visit at a separately named price.
Is this cheaper than a dealer?+
Usually. There is no tow, and no diagnostic fee sitting under the labor line. The sealed number covers the visit, and the car leaves under its own power the same day.
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Open 24 hours, 7 days
One call, one sealed price, anywhere in Santa Rosa
Calls answered 24/7. The number named on the call is the number on your card receipt, with the $89 service call applied toward the work.