When a child or a pet is locked inside
Say it in the first sentence of the call, before the year and model. While you wait, keep talking through the glass; an older child can often be walked through pressing the unlock switch.
On a warm day, or if the child looks hot or unwell, dial 911 before anyone else. Emergency crews respond to children locked in cars, and we would rather arrive to find the door already open.
No coat hangers, no slim jim
Modern doors carry side airbag wiring, speaker leads and cable-operated latches in the space where a slim jim or a bent hanger goes fishing. A bar hooked in there can cut a wire, unclip a rod or pop a cable off the latch, and the door may stop locking properly afterward.
The wedge sits a few inches below the top rear corner, where the frame is farthest from the hinges and gives with the least force, and it opens only as much gap as the rod needs. The rod is sleeved so bare metal never meets the paint, and a thin shim keeps the weatherstrip from rolling under the wedge.
Keys in the trunk, and trunks that need the key
Passenger cars built since September 2001 have a glow-in-the-dark release handle inside the trunk, and many also have a release lever or button up front. So a key in the trunk is usually reached through the cabin: open a door, press the release, or fold the rear seat and reach the handle.
Some trunks refuse. The cabin release can be shut off by a valet switch in the glovebox, disabled because the car was locked with the fob, or dead along with the battery, and on some sedans the seatback releases are inside the trunk. Then the trunk keyhole is the way in, and we pick it with a tool that reads each wafer, so the lock and your key work normally afterward.
Why a dealer is the wrong call for a lockout
A dealer service department fixes cars in its own bays and does not usually send anyone out to open a door. Getting a locked car there means paying $125 to $200 for a tow before a service writer even looks at it.
A roadside plan through your insurer, an auto club or the manufacturer is worth checking first. If their wait is long, or the key turns out to be missing, we are the next call.