Ignition Key bent

I’d rather not spend $150+ to replace an ignition key for an 6 year old car. If the key is bent, do you know if the dealer or home depot or a trusty pair of pliers will to the trick.

I would probably put it in a vise and crank down on it to try to flatten it back out. It should work, but will likely be weakened, and you’ll need a new key.

Skip

That might work temporarily, but the key having been forcibly bent will probably weaken it, as Skipper said. From then on you’re running the risk of the key potentially breaking off in the ignition cylinder, and then you’re on the hook for not just a new key, but the labor to remove the lock cylinder and jimmy the key piece out. At worst you might even need to replace the whole ignition lock cylinder if that happens;.

For a new key, contact some locksmith shops. Some of them can make a new key much cheaper than the dealer, even the “new”, technology chips ones.

I would not worry too much about bending it once. They are made of pretty soft metal so it should not fatigue that easily.