Is it normal to have a car ignition lock rebuilt?

[MiniRcr]

I was just wondering how common it is to have a car ignition lock rebuilt?
The reason I ask is my mother broke off her key in the ignition and the locksmith that came out removed it and made 2 new keys. The new keys did not work 100% so he stated it was due to her old keys being worn and he wanted to rebuild the lock. btw the new keys still seem a bit stiff in all locks. He also put some lubrication in the lock itself after rebuilding it.

The car was a 96 Mercury Mystique

[Shrub]

Well if the keys were cut to code and they didnt work properly then yes the lock would have to be stripped and serviced.

If he just copied the old keys then they didnt work then no the lock shouldnt have imediatley been stripped.

There may be a certain thing on that particular lock that deems a service needed but i cant answer that as its not a vehicle found in my area.

what was she charged for 2 new keys and a service of her lock? it may be that regardless of what he did it was still a good price.

Im guessing thats why your asking as you feel youve been ripped off a bit?

[MiniRcr]

Not about money at all as it was mostly covered by a service policy and $50 cash for the rebuild that was not covered.
I am curious as to how often this does occur, especially since he stated this particular model (mystique similar to ford contour) was in his opinion a bad design.
As to the method used to create the 2 new keys I have no idea nobody was with him at that time.

[Shrub]

Well thats a question with a lot of answers, its not that common but also not that uncommon, on that particular model i dont know.

If a lock is worn then it will need to be serviced or replaced.

If the keys are worn you need to have them cut to original code.

[Varjeal]

I'm not suprised that he wanted to rebuild the ignition. A 10 year old car is going to have wafers that are worn, and likely beyond factory spec's. If he used any kind of code equipment "factory cut" keys are not likely to work. However, it is also likely that the other locks, especially the driver's door and trunk/hatch will be rough to turn as well.

The amount of wear on the locks depends on the amount of usage, so to say if a particular brand of vehicle is likely to need service is difficult to say. The ignition would have the greatest amount of wear, followed by the drivers door, trunk/hatch, and then finally the passenger door.

Automotive locks with double-sided keyblanks tend to become knife-edged (thin) from use and this accelerates the wear on the internals of the lock. Extremely deep cut keys (often found on Fords in particular) lend themselves to frequent breakage, especially if the user is in a hurry or rough with the key.

Hope that helps.

[MiniRcr]

Interesting..

The reason I posted asking in the first place was his extreme hatred of this particular ignition lock.

Shrub, Varjeal I thank you both for your informative answers.