Get a new key made with just the VIN#?

[100_Percent_Juice]

I got this in an email about 5 minutes ago. I honestly would think that you need to provide more then just a VIN# to get a key made. I have never tried to get a new key like that but it seems bogus to me. Do you guys who work at a car dealer know if this is true or not? Or anyone else?

VIN NUMBER

Here is info worth the price of your car...WHAT
WILL the car thieves THINK OF NEXT?
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 #. I didn't
believe this e-mail, so I called Chrysler-Dodge and
pretended I had lost my keys

They told me to just bring in the VIN #, and they
would cut me one on the spot, and I could order the
keyless device if I 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. I slipped a 3 x 5 card over my VIN NUMBER.
PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO ALL YOUR FAMILY AND
FRIENDS

[Kevin M]

Please note that covering up yoru VIN is illegal in Nevada... but odds are slim that anybody will ever notice.

[MPREZIV]

Yes, I can take the VIN number of almost any Nissan sold in the U.S., and make a key that will fit the locks that the car was originally equipped with. I know Subaru can do it too.

Oh, and for clarity, when we do it here at Nissan, we check vehicle registration/identification of the person requesting, and if they don't match, we don't make them a key

[100_Percent_Juice]

Originally Posted by MPREZIV

Yes, I can take the VIN number of almost any Nissan sold in the U.S., and make a key that will fit the locks that the car was originally equipped with. I know Subaru can do it too.

Oh, and for clarity, when we do it here at Nissan, we check vehicle registration/identification of the person requesting, and if they don't match, we don't make them a key

I figured that there would be some form of identification matching.

[sperry]

I think that if someone wanted to steal your car, they'd just break the window and drive it away, not go dicking around at the dealership trying to get a key made.

This loophole in using keys as security for your car is not the biggest one in the system. The biggest one is "windows are breakable, and keys are mostly unnecessary for starting a car".

[Bob Danger]

Originally Posted by sperry

I think that if someone wanted to steal your car, they'd just break the window and drive it away, not go dicking around at the dealership trying to get a key made.

That's how I'd do it. The problem with going to the dealership to get a key made is that people remember faces, most dealerships have cameras, and anything but cash is traceable, and even cash has finger prints. It's so much easier to just break the window.