lost my car keys

I have a Nissan 2000 Altima and I lost my keys - could a regular locksmith make a key for it? If I give a dealer my VIN would they be able to make a key? What is the best way to handle this problem? Can my car be towed to a dealer? I have Triple A, but I have not called them yet.

Reply to
don
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don't you have a 2nd key? all the cars I've ever had came with 2 at least 2 keys.

Reply to
: P

no because I lost that key 2 years ago I think the key was too expensive

Reply to
don

yes dealer can make keys by using your VIN # ,than the keys need to be programed.It is not cheap. I would call your neerest Nissan dealer and make arrangement with them. Good luck to you!

Reply to
system

OK, here's the bad news. Yes, the dealer can make a new key but programming it is gonna cost you. The dealer now has you by the short curlies. Nissan is going to hit you up for over $130 for that key and programming. Can some inde locksmiths do it? Yes, but ....... again, it's gonna cost some serious bones; at least $80 and more likely the full $130. Sucks don't it?

Detroit charges a tad less but not much less. This programmed security crap is a giant scam to create a "key" monopoly. Oh well, what can a guy do except ....... Keep track of your friggen keys! :)

Been there, had that done to me.

Reply to
R J Talley

on 10/27/2007 3:36 PM R J Talley said the following:

The door locks don't require the key codes. If you lock your keys in the car at some remote location, a non programmed spare key in your wallet (or purse) can at least unlock the doors.

Reply to
willshak

"R J Talley" wrote in news:47238f3a$0$25648$ snipped-for-privacy@roadrunner.com:

BUT,the programmed key DOES make it much harder for a thief to steal your car.I lost my 94 IntegraGS-R in June,if it had had the programmed key security,they would not have been able to start it and drive off with it.(before I put several rounds into them...)

Reply to
Jim Yanik

You would have had drinks with them? Seems awfully sociable for someone who tried to steal your car.

Reply to
still me

NissTech, spoken like a true dealer employee. Yes, losing the key is stupid. Yes one should keep track of the key but....charging $130 for a mass-produced item with no more than a $10 materials cost; max, and just a few minutes to program is usurious. If the dealership did not have a monopoly on both the code and the equipment to do the encoding the price would have to come way down. That this is a deliberate ploy on the part of those who make the machinery to create artificial monopolies and thus limit price elasticity is just more proof of the attitude car manufacturers take toward customers once the car has been driven off the showroom floor.

Reply to
R J Talley

"NissTech" wrote in news:4727dfe4$0$8877$ snipped-for-privacy@roadrunner.com:

why should it cost $100 or more to program a key? Seems to me,when you buy the key from Nissan,they should program it for free,or at least a minimal charge.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

Why does the dealer have you by the short curlies as you put it .

It wasn't the dealer fault they lost their keys, it was the vehicles owner.

The only thing the dealer is providing is a service, kind of like what a doctor or plumber does when you need him.

Pay a plumber to fix the leak ; pay the dealer to program the key.

So take your choice, a wet floor or a car you can't drive.

I guess you could shut the water off at the main completely but what does that accomplish, kind of like having a car but not being able to drive it.

programming

Reply to
NissTech

The only thing the dealer is providing is a service, kind of like what

Another point...... it takes a plumber years to master the trade, likewise a doctor. That's what one is paying for when one hires them. Any monkey with guide book can cut and program a key. The time involved in training takes only minutes. The time involved in equipment a couple thousand at most and likely less in some cases. To charge $130 or more to make a key is robbery and nothing less. Any attempt to justify that is just plain irritating.

Reply to
R J Talley

Stop harping on what the dealer is charging for the key programming. Plain and simple truth is you screwed up and lost your key, not once, but twice. You didn't learn to be more cautious after loosing the 1st key and I suspect at that time you looked into a replacement and found out about the cost back then. Otherwise you'd have gotten a replacement. Bite the bullet and count this as a lesson learned. Or just sell the car as is and let the new owner worry about getting a key.

Reply to
: P

"Otherwise you'd have gotten a replacement. Bite the bullet and count this as a lesson learned. Or just sell the car as is and let the new owner worry about getting a key."

You know, I never said I lost my key. What happened is that I bought my Murano used and it came with only one key. When I asked the dealer about a spare, he then told me what it was going to cost. Of course, this entire conversation occurred after the deal had been inked. It was only then that he revealed that the only key he had was the Valet key. So, I was stuck and had to pony up the cost of another key. So I guess the guy who traded in the car was following your very thoughtful advice .... and let me worry about it.

I stand by what I said, $130 for a new key is robbery, plain and simple.

Reply to
R J Talley

"R J Talley" wrote in news:47291440$0$16488$ snipped-for-privacy@roadrunner.com:

Same with my SE-R SpecV.(but not bought from a Nissan dealer)

If that dealer was a Nissan dealer,he is dishonest,selling you a car with only a valet key. I would have written Nissan about him. I'd also let them know what I thought about their dealer programming charges after buying a new key.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

Really? Minutes? You've been trained to do it? Only a measly couple of thou for a modern key machine a and security system reprogrammer, eh? Priced one, have you? How about the training program? How many keys does the dealership have to make before they show $1 of profit on that device and the employee training (to say nothing of the fixed costs involved in simply running the business).

If you think it's such a rip off, then start your own business to do it. Design a business plan, pay the startup legal and finance costs, purchase the equipment, get the training, rent a building, buy insurance, hire employees, pay for advertising, etc. You'll probably need to purchase equipment from all the manufacturers so that you can pull enough customers through to make some money at it - so go look for some investors and guarantee them high returns for your high risk new business. Don't forget to budget for the Pepto Bismol you'll need around the one year point when you are losing money every month and you're worried about losing your house and wondering how you're going to buy x-mas presents for the kids.

I don't make excuses for the rip off dealership service departments have become. Plumbers are an even bigger ripoff. But, what _irritates me_ is when people don't think about the business costs and risks involved before they whine about the costs of getting something done. If you aren't able to do it yourself or willing to make the investment then you have to pay for someone who took the risk and made the investment.

Reply to
still me

still me wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Do you believe that a business HAS to make a profit on EVERY service and/or part they sell? The dealerships have to know how to do that stuff and have that equipment just to satisfy warranty service.

Sometimes,it's a better business decision to give away or provide service/parts at cost or even a loss in order to better serve their customers and develop brand loyalty.They can even write off such things. A person with a Nissan might decide to buy a different brand if they felt they were not getting a fair treatment from a Nissan dealer. Someone with Nissan's resources can easily afford such things. Auto dealerships are NOT some "small business",and are highly profitable.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

I bought if from the Toyota dealer next door. When they refused to get me a second and proper key, I went to Nissan. Same story, no key unless I forked over $130 beans. Oh and did I forget, another $100 for the fob! I bought the fob from ebay for $20 and programmed it myself.

Reply to
R J Talley

If you are selling a product that can cost upwards of $35K or more and it comes equipped with an essential part that is easily lost or damaged rendering the product useless, then providing a low-cost means of replacement is just plain good service.

The training involved in programming the key is next to nothing. I know this for a fact as I asked for and received an explanation from not only a Nissan tech, but also a certified locksmith (he makes keys for several makes of auto) who is part of my hunting club and a Ford service manager. Likewise, the basic key cutting machine is nothing special. The blanks come pre-chipped and ready to program from the automaker who in turn, buys them from one of a handful of manufacturers. The cost for the machinery is less than what it takes to buy a brake turning lathe. The total time invested in making a new key and programming it is under 20 minutes and closer to 10 minutes for a good tech. Again, verified by my inquiries to the afore mentioned men.

Your disgust and vitriol is misplaced. Aim it at the source of the problem, the auto company, not at me. R J Talley Teacher/James Madison Fellow "What? Me Worry? Alfred E Newman

Reply to
R J Talley

"Sometimes,it's a better business decision to give away or provide service/parts at cost or even a loss in order to better serve their customers and develop brand loyalty." What hypocrisy, especially about Brand Loyalty. You stated "I bought if from the Toyota dealer next door." Then you have the nerve to gripe about the dealer price. If you had true Brand Loyalty, you'd have made your purchase from the Nissan Dealer, who'd probably back up the purchase and made sure you got the second key.

Reply to
: P

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