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How do you start your car without the key?
My purse was stolen yesterday and I don’t have a spare key for my car. It has a push-button start. I want to get the car started so I can take it to the dealership and get a new key. How can I start the car without the key?
Eric Schad · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Sorry to hear that your purse was stolen! Since you don’t have a spare key and you have a push-button ignition, you will need to use a mobile app or call a locksmith to start the vehicle.
If you want to start the car without the key, try a few of these methods:
- Use the car’s mobile app to start the engine.
- Replace the electronic control unit (ECU), which disables components of your car if it senses that a thief is trying to steal it. However, this can cost $1,000 or more, making it an expensive fix.
- Call a locksmith, just as you would if youlocked your keys in the car
- Contact a dealer and ask them what the best remedy is.
In the future, always have a spare key or key fob in a safe, secure place. You may also want to consider
towing and labor coverage
as an add-on to your car insurance policy or a roadside assistance membership with Jerry.The
Jerry
app’s leading roadside assistance connects you with their nationwide network of over 55,000 service providers. A membership includes services like towing, jumpstarts, key replacements, and lockouts and costs as little as $4.16 a month!View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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