Lost keys keep plenty of dead cars parked longer than they should be. The owner assumes no one will take a car they can’t start or unlock, so it sits. In practice the keys matter much less than the paperwork.
Two different problems
It helps to pull apart the two things people lump together:
- The keys are about moving the car. Without them the steering may be locked, an automatic may be stuck in park, and the doors and trunk may be locked.
- The title is about the law. Illinois puts the duty on the scrap buyer: under 625 ILCS 5/5-401.3 the buyer records the seller’s identity from at least two forms of ID, one of them a driver’s license or state ID card, and collects documentary proof of ownership, usually the title.
Keys don’t appear anywhere on that list. A car with the title and no keys is a normal scrap sale. A car with keys and no title is the harder case, and our page on scrapping a car without a title covers it.
What no keys changes at pickup
Our tow truck can load a car that can’t be started or steered. What the driver needs to know in advance is which of these apply:
| Situation | What it means for loading | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Steering wheel locked | The front wheels won’t turn, so the car can’t be steered onto the truck | Say so; the car is lifted or pulled straight |
| Automatic stuck in park | The drive wheels won’t roll | Tell us whether it’s front or rear wheel drive if you know |
| Doors locked, nothing inside you need | Nothing, for the tow itself | Check through the windows that nothing personal is left |
| Push-button start, fob lost | Usually both of the above at once | Mention it is a keyless car |
| Car in a tight garage or alley | Harder angle without steering | Measure the gap behind it, roughly |
A car in a driveway with good tires is straightforward even with every lock engaged. A car nose-in to a one-car garage with the wheel locked takes more planning, which is why we ask.
Is a replacement key worth it?
For a car you plan to drive, often yes. For a scrap car, usually not. Many cars built in recent decades use an immobiliser: a chip in the key or fob sends a code, and the engine control unit won’t let the engine run unless the code matches. A replacement key for a car like that has to be cut and programmed to the car, and on many models that means a dealer or a locksmith with the right equipment.
The scrap offer is built on what the car weighs, what metal is worth that week and what’s still on the car. Whether it starts isn’t part of that, so paying for a programmed key before a scrap sale normally just moves money from your pocket into the locksmith’s. Our guide on how scrap car value works goes through each input.
The exception is a car you’re still deciding about. If a new key might reveal a car worth driving or selling privately, that’s a separate decision, and junk it, sell it or trade it in compares the options.
Unusual cases
- Keys locked inside. If you can see personal papers or a garage opener inside, get into the car first, through a locksmith if needed. Once it’s on the truck, it’s gone.
- A stolen car that came back without keys. Clear the theft report with the police and your insurer before you sell, and tell us it was a recovered theft. If the ignition was damaged in the theft, that’s useful to mention too.
- Someone else has the keys. If a relative or an ex has the keys and the title is in your name, the sale can still go ahead without them.
Before the pickup
Take the plates off if you can reach the screws; in Illinois they belong to you, not the car. If the trunk is locked and you think something valuable is in it, deal with that first. Our checklist on getting a car ready for scrap pickup covers the rest.
We pick up cars without keys anywhere in our area, from alley garages in Robbins to driveways in Worth. Put “no keys” in your description when you request a scrap offer, or call (773) 394-1071 and we’ll plan the pickup around it.