dsagers

Anyone heard anything about this. Sounds like another Internet Hoax.

I figure my 1981 might be too old for the dealership to have any useful info on the keys?


Dateline NBC recently did an undercover story with this exact
operation....they went to parking lots got VIN #'s and then went to
dealerships....most went ahead and made keys. Unfortunately I think
this gave more car thieves ideas. Thanks for the heads up.

It seems that car thieves have found another way to steal your car
or truck without any effort at all. The car thieves peer through the
windshield of your car or truck, write down the VIN number from the
label on the dash, go to the local car dealership and request a
duplicate key based on the VIN number. The car dealer's parts dept
will make a duplicate key from the VIN number and collect payment
from the thief who will return to your car. He doesn't have to
break in, do any damage to the vehicle, or draw attention to
himself. All he has to do is to walk up to your car, insert the key
and off he goes to a local chop shop with your vehicle. You don't
believe it? It IS that easy. To avoid this from happening to you,
simply put some tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape)
across the VIN label located on the dash board. By law, you cannot
remove the VIN number, but you can cover it so it can't be viewed
through the windshield by a car thief. I urge you to forward this
to your friends before some other car thief steals another car or
truck.


[Modified by dsagers, 3:30 PM 11/13/2003]

Crash Dummy

I would think the local police departments might not appreciate us covering up the VIN#. Get stopped for speeding and they notice it and.... "Whatcha hiden' boy?"

Then again, maybe not. :p:

mayberg

I may not recall correctly, but I think you also have to have the vehicle or the title in order to get a key made.

Anyone able to concur?

MotorHead

More complicated than that, I think they actually had to steal the persons idientity and have a drivers liscence made with the car owners name and thiefs picture on it, pretty involved to do but pretty easy to get caught too. :D

munday

nah just some ID is all thats required, the program they put the vin into delivers a key code to be use as well as who owns the vehicle and the warranty start date.

aharte

I'd imagine some dealerships don't check too carefully whether the person requesting keys really owns the car even though they're supposed to.

80Xflags

Don't think 1981 is too old. I had a key made for an 82 Mercedes I used to have. All I did was tell them I wanted a key made and gave them the VIN, however, I happened to be there in person at the time. I don't remember any special ID checks. Maybe they checked my driver's license to verify I was who I said I was, but they certainly didn't ask for the title. They didn't make the key instantly, I had to come back another day, and it cost like $30 I think. Home Depot laughed at me when I told them I wanted a spare, so I didn't bother with other lock shops.

I don't know what would happen if you came in saying "I'm locked out and I don't have the title in my posession". The dealer/shop should be responsible enough to at least go through some ID verifications and keep a good record of the transaction.

IMO, covering up the VIN couldn't hurt.

Matt

MotorHead

I would think if some thief with an ID that didn't match the name on the ownership would raise some eyebrows at the dealership.

When I mentioned stealing the persons ID and getting a photo driver's liscence I didn't jsut make that up, that's how the theives on the TV program were doing it.


[Modified by MotorHead, 5:40 PM 11/13/2003]

EDDIEJ82

bull$@#% Back in 92 my girfriend lost my key to my Feiro while I was at work. She new I would be upset so off she goes to the dealership with the vin # and they cut her a key NO QUESTIONS ASKED, didn't even get her name. Never have done buisiness with them again.

It really is that easy. These people don't have PHD's they make minuim wage and watch the clock. Less paperwork means going home early.

My two cents

Mr Mojo

Well last time a buddy of mine needed a key made, he went to the dealer, the dealer said it may be iffy since the car was a 1989 and this was in late 2001. He got lucky and had the door key made, can't get an ignition key made for the C4 that easily. So if the guy wanted to steal a C4 he'd have to drag it onto a flatbed and then strip it or strip it on the spot or just rob what he could at the scene.

ddecart

That works good for a new car that's still owned by the original owner, but I'd question how accurate the system could be with second and third owners thrown in. Considering that some C5's are now 7 years old, and well out of warranty, there's a good chance that they've had multiple owners. And those are "new" cars.

Our C3's I think benefit from their age.
Build records from St louis are long gone. I doubt I could find the code for my keys if I needed them.
I think walking into a dealer to ask for keys to a '79 Vette would draw a blank stare from the kid working there.
Then again, how hard is it to steal a C3 without a key, really?

Overall, it's not something I'm going to fret over.

bnytro

two monthes ago i locked the keys to my 91 buick park ave in the trunk, i went to the dealership and got a trunk key made for $1.75 no questions asked no ID shown, i ask how far back the code go they said depends car caddy and vetts are kept to the mid late 80's some of the cheaper cars sprints/GEO's only kept till waranty or model ended

MotorHead

What are you saying "bull$@#%" for ?

Your girlfriend did it once for a old car and the professional thief is doing it all he time. She got lucky and she didn't have anything to worry about another dealership would have asked for id. A pro is going to ask for the keys for a $50,000 car so he is going to do it right and get the id, like I said I didn't make it up, that is how they were doing it ..... before they got caught .





[Modified by MotorHead, 9:35 PM 11/13/2003]

EDDIEJ82

I was stressing the point that ALMOST ANYONE can walk into a dealership and do this around here. We're trusting folks around here heck i don't even lock my doors at night. Crooks wouldn't have to go to such elaborate details to get a set of keys in this town. Just smile and be polite.

Wasn't tring to ruffle your feathers

markdtn

Most GM dealers I've dealt with are very picky. My son lost the keys to our 89 Suburban and a friend in another town who worked for a dealership got the key codes for me. I tried 5 local GM dealers and nobody would cut keys for me. I finally got him to cut them and mail them to me-they worked like a charm. Another time my wife and I were on a trip 300 miles away from home driving through Hilton Head, SC in our 96 LT1 Caprice. The "key failure" light on the dash came on solid. We had a very hard time getting a dealership to cut a new VATS key with registration, drivers liscence, the car, and both sets of old keys! My key couldn't be read to determine the correct VATS pellet, and her key took several tries. We finally convinced them we were legit, but it took a while.

Quinn_Seipp

I know the dealership I work at we ask for I.D. but other than that we don't really prod too deep. They have a program and can look up almost any info on any gm, I had them look up my vette to see what kind of options it came with and I think i seen the key code there as well. Also if a thief were to have a "friend" working in the parts department I doubt they would have any trouble getting a key cut.

Master Ho

I don't need a key to steal your '81, dsagers. I'd just break the column. Damned ****-poor GM design; they won't take any ownership of it because they make $$$ selling replacement columns :rant:

Bad-79

This how easy it is to have keys made? I used to do this in a past life. Follow along.

1) Snap off the door lock from the passenger side, there you will see a string of numbers. Glue door lock back on " So owner will not know be a ware of your actions. Go to any dealer and they will cut you the keys on the spot. Bingo

2) The real pros have the key codebook and a hand held key cutting tool and can make a key in 30 seconds. Bingo

Let's say you want a car nice and legal with the ownership. Follow Along

1) Write down the vin# take it to any licensing office fill out a lost ownership form pay the 5 dollars and Bingo you have the ownership and the keys and you are rocking.

The above works best if a car stored in a weird place before the owner finds out, you have sold the car with all the proper papers and you are done.
I earned a nice living for 10 years doing the above. Decide to quit when I married and decided to get a real job. Always insure and know were you car is all the time.