In U.S. cities big and small, adults and teenagers depend heavily on their cars. They depend on their cars every day to get back and forth from work or to run personal errands. With this heavy reliance on cars, drivers count on having access to their cars when they need them. Unfortunately, locks and keys can interfere with that access, which always seems to happen at the most inconvenient times.

When things do go wrong with someone's car locks or keys, it's not something most people are prepared to handle on their own. After all, how many of us have the knowledge and tools when would need to fix a car lock or key issue? Furthermore, how many of us have even an inkling about how to fix a car's ignition or electronic security systems?

Here's the thing. There is only one reasonable course of action when problems arise with car locks, keys, or ignition/electronic security systems. That would be to call and hire a professional car locksmith. Typically you find these by just searching for a locksmith in your proximity, most of these offer both residential and commercial services, as well as car locksmithing. A good example would be Locksmith Aventura.

As you contemplate which car locksmith to choose, it might benefit you to know exactly what kind of services should be expected from a top professional locksmith. To that end, here are five (5) things a reliable car locksmith can do to help you get back on the road.

1. Car Lockout Service

Have you ever had that experience of getting ready to unlock your car only to realize you locked your keys or fob device in the car? Maybe, you lost your key or fob device. That's not a problem for a professional locksmith. All locksmith technicians are trained and given the tools they will need to gain access to any car with no regard for the car's make, model, or manufacturing year.

Upon arrival, most locksmith technicians can "break into a car" within a couple of minutes unless there are very special security features involved.

2. Repair and Replace Car Door and Trunk Locks

Car door and trunk locks have moving parts. When something has moving parts, it's susceptible to breaking or malfunctioning. If you were to have problems with a car lock, you would definitely want to contact a professional cat locksmith.

When they arrive at your appointed location, it would be incumbent on them to assess the problem. If they think they can repair the car lock in question, that would likely be the preferred solution if money was a concern. If one lock can't be fixed, they would all have to be replaced because they all operate off the same key. Yes, that would include the trunk lock,

3. Replace and Program Car Fob Devices

Most late-model cars (last 20 years) require a car fob device for car entry and in some cases to start the car. Without the proper fob device, you can't tell your car's dashboard computer to okay access to the car or ignition.

For the most part, there is only one "repair" that a car locksmith could make to a fob device. That repair would be a battery replacement. Yes, fob devices run off tiny batteries that don't come with a lifetime guarantee.

If a problem does arise with a fob device and it's not a battery issue, the locksmith would need to pursue two avenues. First, they might want to figure out if it's just a programming issue. Sometimes, the radio signals get scrambled or hacked and a locksmith would only need to reprogram the device.

If it's not a battery or programming issue, the fob device needs to be replaced. As part of the replacement process, a locksmith would need to program the new device and remove the programming from any prior devices.

4. Repair and replace ignition systems

You might think that an ignition issue would fall under the responsibility of an auto mechanic. While they could certainly repair and replace ignition systems, so to can a professional locksmith. This kind of locksmith service is often necessary if a key gets jammed into the ignition unit. If a locksmith can't repair it by simply removing the jammed key, they might well have to replace the entire ignition unit.

5. Cut Duplicate and Replacement Keys

If you lock your keys in the car or lose them even once, you'll quickly understand the value of having spare keys strategically located to save the day. Here's the good news if you need duplicate or replacement keys. Most top car locksmiths run out of fully-equipped mobile units. They have the key stock and machines that would be needed to cut keys right where you sit.

By the way. Car locksmiths do have the ability to cut new keys with or without the original key.