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But with more dealer profit coming from service and parts departments than new-car sales, car makers also have an interest in directing consumers to their dealerships and to the roadside-assistance programs many of them have launched.
Several states are moving to make it easier to get replacement car keys. A bill introduced in Maryland would require manufacturers to give auto owners 24/7 access to information sufficient to make a key reproduction. Similar legislation is pending in Virginia and was recently introduced in California.
Some new products try to solve the problem. Companies have come up with systems that enable drivers to unlock their cars with a Bluetooth device. And the locksmith industry has developed some tools to crack auto makers' codes.
While car makers oppose legislation, they have recently started working with the locksmith industry on another solution. A vehicle-security committee is working on a system in which registered locksmiths who pay a fee and meet other criteria like undergoing background checks could call or go online to obtain key information from car makers.
But as more cars have the new systems, manufacturers are making less key information available to locksmiths. Chrysler makes the pin codes required for programming its Sentry Keys available only to its dealers and its roadside-assistance program. Replacement Lexus keys have to be purchased through dealers, though Toyota keys don't. BMW and VW allow only their dealers to order replacement keys.
Last year, GM stopped providing key-making information to locksmiths other than those working through GM's roadside-assistance program. GM's OnStar service also provides assistance with lockouts. It opens a car with a remote door unlock if a key is inside and sends a locksmith from the company's roadside-assistance program if keys are lost.
Car makers 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.