Itsme
03-20-2006, 10:09 AM
Locksmiths increasingly thwarted by automakers
By Jennifer Saranow
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
March 20, 2006
Scott Austin's New Year's ski vacation was going great – until he got locked out of his car.
The locksmiths he called said they couldn't make a key for his Nissan Pathfinder and that he would need to tow the car to a Nissan dealership. Unfortunately, dealerships in the area were closed for the holiday. The 26-year-old ended up getting his best friend to drive an eight-hour round trip to bring him an extra key from home.
Such frustrating lockouts are a growing problem. Now that most new-car keys contain electronic chips, the car itself has to be programmed to accept new keys. But automakers are increasingly limiting locksmiths' access to the information needed to program vehicles and make new keys. That means drivers may have no recourse at times when dealerships aren't open, and getting a new key can cost hundreds of dollars, when towing and programming costs are added.
Automakers say making key information more available would diminish the effectiveness of their anti-theft systems. But with more dealer profit coming from service and parts departments than new-car sales, carmakers also have an interest in directing consumers to their dealerships and to the roadside-assistance programs many automakers have launched.
Now, however, several states are moving to make it easier to get replacement car keys. A bill introduced in Maryland last month would require vehicle makers licensed in the state to set up a system by Jan. 1, 2008, to give auto owners and lessees 24-hour, seven-days-a-week access to information sufficient to make a key reproduction. Similar legislation is pending in Virginia and was recently introduced here.
Some new products try to solve the problem as well. Companies have come up with systems that enable drivers to unlock their cars with a Bluetooth-enabled device. There are lockable “key vaults” to attach to cars' exteriors. Also, the locksmith industry has developed tools to crack auto-makers' codes.
The new efforts come as lockouts pose bigger problems for drivers. Of the about 44,000 calls the Automobile Club of Southern California received in 2004 that involved the need for a new key, about 15 percent couldn't be helped by locksmiths, and about half required “extraordinary effort” by a locksmith to make a functioning key, such as tearing apart a steering column.
Automakers argue that the inconvenience of having to go to a dealership or wait a few hours or days for a key is nowhere near as inconvenient as having to deal with a stolen vehicle.
“We feel it is in our customers' best interest to put a system in place to help ensure that only those acting on behalf of the owner of the vehicle can obtain the key codes,” a GM spokeswoman said. “This is very sensitive information.”
Meanwhile, the locksmith industry has developed ways to make replacement keys for many makes. Chris Anaya, owner of Day & Night Security Lock in Vista, says he uses a process of trial and error to figure out how to make keys to start certain GM vehicles. The process can take an hour or more and add $80 or more to the cost of a key.
“If I could get the information from GM, I could tell my customer I could bring the cost down,” Anaya said.
By Jennifer Saranow
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
March 20, 2006
Scott Austin's New Year's ski vacation was going great – until he got locked out of his car.
The locksmiths he called said they couldn't make a key for his Nissan Pathfinder and that he would need to tow the car to a Nissan dealership. Unfortunately, dealerships in the area were closed for the holiday. The 26-year-old ended up getting his best friend to drive an eight-hour round trip to bring him an extra key from home.
Such frustrating lockouts are a growing problem. Now that most new-car keys contain electronic chips, the car itself has to be programmed to accept new keys. But automakers are increasingly limiting locksmiths' access to the information needed to program vehicles and make new keys. That means drivers may have no recourse at times when dealerships aren't open, and getting a new key can cost hundreds of dollars, when towing and programming costs are added.
Automakers say making key information more available would diminish the effectiveness of their anti-theft systems. But with more dealer profit coming from service and parts departments than new-car sales, carmakers also have an interest in directing consumers to their dealerships and to the roadside-assistance programs many automakers have launched.
Now, however, several states are moving to make it easier to get replacement car keys. A bill introduced in Maryland last month would require vehicle makers licensed in the state to set up a system by Jan. 1, 2008, to give auto owners and lessees 24-hour, seven-days-a-week access to information sufficient to make a key reproduction. Similar legislation is pending in Virginia and was recently introduced here.
Some new products try to solve the problem as well. Companies have come up with systems that enable drivers to unlock their cars with a Bluetooth-enabled device. There are lockable “key vaults” to attach to cars' exteriors. Also, the locksmith industry has developed tools to crack auto-makers' codes.
The new efforts come as lockouts pose bigger problems for drivers. Of the about 44,000 calls the Automobile Club of Southern California received in 2004 that involved the need for a new key, about 15 percent couldn't be helped by locksmiths, and about half required “extraordinary effort” by a locksmith to make a functioning key, such as tearing apart a steering column.
Automakers argue that the inconvenience of having to go to a dealership or wait a few hours or days for a key is nowhere near as inconvenient as having to deal with a stolen vehicle.
“We feel it is in our customers' best interest to put a system in place to help ensure that only those acting on behalf of the owner of the vehicle can obtain the key codes,” a GM spokeswoman said. “This is very sensitive information.”
Meanwhile, the locksmith industry has developed ways to make replacement keys for many makes. Chris Anaya, owner of Day & Night Security Lock in Vista, says he uses a process of trial and error to figure out how to make keys to start certain GM vehicles. The process can take an hour or more and add $80 or more to the cost of a key.
“If I could get the information from GM, I could tell my customer I could bring the cost down,” Anaya said.