> Here is info worth the price of your car.>
>WHAT WILL THEY THINK OF NEXT?>
>Seems that car thieves have found yet 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 # from the label on the dash,
> go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based
>on the VIN #.
>
>My friend didn't believe this e-mail, so she called a dealer and
>pretended she had lost her keys. They told her to just bring in the
>VIN #, and they would cut her one on the spot, and she could order
>the keyless device if she wanted.
>
>The Car Dealer's Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the
>VIN # 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 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 Metal
>Label located on the dash board. By law, you cannot remove the VIN
>#, 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.
>
>Slip a 3 x 5 card over the VIN NUMBER.
>
>IF YOU DON'T DRIVE, PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.
>
>
Snopes.com has a long write-up on this one. Basically, they say it can be done and has been done. But it isn't as easy as it sounds, because most dealerships do require some proof of ownership. They cited one guy who was making fake titles to cars on used car lots, then going to other dealers and getting keys made.
They also pointed out that in some states it's illegal to "obscure" the VIN. So if you're going to do it, the best way would probably be just to lay a piece of paper over it like it's accidental, if you you have a dash where the paper will stay.
u kno this is true. i got my truck used last year and it didnt have the stock keys for it just the hardware kind. so i went to the dealer and all they asked for was the vin and nothing else. now u can only do that wit older cars, because most new cars have chips in the keys. the dearler has to order them and the are about 150 bucks a pop. the car reads the chip before it will start. if its not the rightr one it wont start.
I don't think an leo will give you any problems once you explained why you covered up the Vin #.
I think I'll look at mine and see if a piece of black electical tape will cover it up.
Let me add this also, when I was an asst manager at a discount chain my first day on the job I noticed a trash barrel at the back door waiting to be emptied in the dumpster. This barrel was cramded full of job application being thrown away.
And yall all know whats on job application's don't you ? Social Security numbers and personal information...No wonder there's an Identity theft problem.
No I did'nt do anything about it, but wish I had of now...A.H
The chip in the key won't protect you, every car thief or repo man knows how to over ride that. the dealer told me how to over ride the transponder key system on my Mitsubishi Montero Sport. There's a sequence of things you do to over ride the system each time you start the car without the correct key.
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Life is too important to be taken seriously.
With my 1972 Mustang Mach1 key, I've opened: 1988 Thunderbird, 1993 Econoline Van, 1964 Mustang Coupe. All with just inserting the key and giving it a few jiggles.
Ford didn't start making vastly different and more secure keys until the mid-90's.
Note: the first two cars are owned by my family (first one is my first car) and the last was a friend's car. Nothing illegal was perpetrated.
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CETME Owners - Founder
AK-47 - Member
The Mosin Men - Member
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Of course, just a car...you know we believe you...you were just breaking into your own car. Oh, and your mom's...yeah, that's the ticket: your mom's car...people do it all the time...you know, just to get the groceries out for her...
My dealership won't make a key based on the VIN#, they require a tag I was given when the car was purchased. But if you think it could happen to you, something else you can do is remove the dealership advertisement from your car. I actually made them remove them from my car when I bought it.
Well, mine isn't on the dash for some reason. I never did find my VIN#. It's probably up there as that's usually where it is. And my car isn't a GM vehicle.
However, if a dealer made a key with the VIN# alone and the car got stolen I would imagine a lawsuit would occur.
Yeah dealerships are suppose to get some kind of proof of ownership before they can order or cut you a new key with just the VIN#. Alot of newer cars come with a tag like someone else metioned, but that is just a faster way of them getting your VIN# and doing the process. If you don't have the tag, the VIN# will work. On older domestic cars, the companies normally only made about 5-10 different keys total for all there cars.
Great some thing else to worry about! I really don't think I'll lose too much sleep over this, heck maybe to thwart the would be thieves maybe I'll just leave my truck unlocked with the keys in the ignition. At least I would have a good reason to go get a new one and then I could really worry about this.
for those folks worried about this problem, have the dealership change the locks. I have several newer trucks under my care where I work. I have found that several locks will work with the same key. Comes in handy for me as I have to carry less keys. I hate keys by the way. I would just as soon be able to shoot anyone that steals my truck. Kinda like how we used to hang horse thieves.
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"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." Benjamin Franklin
A New Way To Steal Your Car 
