How Much Does It Cost To Repair Or Replace Your Car Door Lock?

The car door lock repair cost has many factors that create a rather wide range in price. It will depend on many different variables and is almost always tied to some sort of separate car lock replacement cost. With a variety of possible replacement parts that you may need and the different issues that may be responsible for the issue, one car door lock repair cost can be astronomically different from another. Realize that these are the average ranges. It is not possible to give set prices, and these are not necessarily starting price costs.

Do It Yourself

Car door lock repair cost: $15-$350

The range for a car door lock repair cost is largest when you are looking to do it yourself because you are just looking for the parts. Something like a door lock cylinder can be purchased relatively cheap. But your type of car will determine the cost. Furthermore, the internals of door or the circuitry for the electronic locking mechanism may need to be fixed or replaced. All of that will increase the car lock replacement cost. Furthermore, if a part is only available at a dealership, the car door lock repair cost has the chance of rising much higher.

There is no way to gauge the value or cost of your time. This, of course, has a cost, but it is far too personal with too many variables to measure (you can make that judgment yourself). These things can take a long time and a lot of preparatory training. Any mistakes may also increase the cost by requiring new parts or services. You may need an ignition cylinder replacement, rekey on of the cylinders or simply have new car keys made, but those will be separate costs. To fix the particular issue, replacing the faulty part is really the only factor in car door lock repair cost.

3rd Party Locksmith

Car door lock repair cost: $75-$220

A locksmith price is tied to the car lock replacement cost as wells as the labor it takes to perform the job. Both of those factors result in the final car door lock repair cost. This price range relies a lot on the full extent of the job being performed. Very rarely will this be the lowest price possible on the range, as it is very rare to be the person with the simplest fix and the cheapest replacement part cost. But it does guarantee you that your car door lock repair cost includes taking care of the issue without having to do the work yourself.

Along with getting out of the labor of involved with the car door lock repair cost, customers are also saved the time it would take to research what they need. The only onus placed on the car owner is finding the right locksmith for your needs. You should not look for the cheapest technician available, as quality often comes at a slightly higher price, but that price should not be significantly higher than the competition. Make sure that the technician you are hiring is an auto locksmith. This ensures that they have a specialty focus on automotive locks. An auto locksmith will also be able to assist you if the need for this repair has also left you in a car lockout or the malfunctioning lock has broken your car key off in the lock. These other services are not included in the car door lock repair cost, though they may be necessary.

Dealership

Car door lock repair cost: $200-$600

The dealership is notorious for always being the most expensive option, and car door lock repair cost is no exception. Even the car lock replacement cost is raised simply by going to the car dealership. The lack of competitive pricing does not offer any type of incentive to the car owner. The value you get from going to the dealership is the knowledge that you are getting the work you need to be done. There is no guess work as to whether or not there is someone on staff that can do the job, but that peace of mind increases the car door lock repair cost.

Essentially, taking your car to the dealership passes the bare minimum of work onto you. As mentioned above, going to an auto locksmith saves you the time of doing the repairs yourself, but the car owner still needs to find a competent locksmith. Going to the dealership will save you this time initially, but it does not necessarily mean that the work will be done fast. The dealership will not come to you to service the vehicle and may give priority to other cars with more severe issues. The car door lock repair cost is almost exclusively about peace of mind and low initial hassle.

Things to Consider

1. Proper Tools

If you are looking to take on the burden of the labor to reduce your car door lock repair cost, then you will need to have all of the proper equipment. If you do not have the proper tools, then your total car door lock repair cost no longer relies solely on the actual car lock replacement cost. You may have to buy certain screwdriver inserts for the anti-theft screws on the car. You may also need tools to replace circuitry or fix the wiring. So there may be another trip or two after you put down the money for the basic material costs.

2. Background and Training

If you have all of the tools, the next most important thing is to have all of the necessary training and background on performing these types of repairs. When you are flying blind during a repair like this, you may find that the car door lock repair cost rises with everything you accidently break. Besides the lock itself breaking, there are many wires inside the car door. Damaging these can cause more issues than what racks up with car lock replacement cost. Also, removing the paneling on the door to gain access to the locks risks breaking the plastic latches. All kinds of things can go wrong if you do not know what you are doing.

3. Cost vs. Practicality

Everyone wants to keep their car door lock repair cost low. But at a certain point, an initial low cost, as enticing as it is, is still not practical. If you are unable to use the items included in a simple car lock replacement cost, then the issue is not solved. Biting off more than you can practically chew leads to unnecessary choking. There is nothing to be gained from deciding to spend less money and giving up on solving the issue.

Conclusion

Make sure that you choose the car door lock repair cost that is right for you. Prices for certain situations can cost less or more than even the wide ranges provided, but those are outliers in the data. These prices do not include other service costs that you may need along with car lock replacement.