1,900 down the drain

Hooky 25

House recently got broking into and they took the key of my car,
(New Passat). I thought it was a straight forward key replacement.
I was in for a shock. The ignition and steering column had to be replaced thought i was out of the water then, but after replacing all parts, Volkswagen would not release the codes from the car until i replace the whole lock system , took two weeks to get all the parts from Germany then fit them and on top of it all they gave me a Kia Rio as a replacement car:rolleyes: and the total cost for me leaving me car home on New Years Eve is 1,900 Eur "down the drain"

listermint

Ouch. That is nasty.

Hooky 25

I Thought the mechanic was trying to rip me off but i rang Volkswagen Ireland and they said he followed the right procedure. Sick as a Dog

Gurgle

Surely covered by your home insurance?
They took the key then didn't take the car?

junior_apollo

Hooky 25 wrote: »

House recently got broking into and they took the key of my car,
(New Passat). I thought it was a straight forward key replacement.
I was in for a shock. The ignition and steering column had to be replaced thought i was out of the water then, but after replacing all parts, Volkswagen would not release the codes from the car until i replace the whole lock system , took two weeks to get all the parts from Germany then fit them and on top of it all they gave me a Kia Rio as a replacement car:rolleyes: and the total cost for me leaving me car home on New Years Eve is 1,900 Eur "down the drain"

Do you have home insurance?... (contents insurance, may also need insurance of removable items, but that woulda covered any theft of key etc... )

Granted it wont replace 1900 worth but the key itself must be worth a couple hundred as its a coded key - better to get somethin back rather than nothing?...

Saruman

Did they only take the key and not the car? Did they damage the car or are you saying that to change the key on a passat you had to get all that stuff replaced?
That seems very odd... keys these days are usually coded so the code changes but the phyisical lock/key does not.

For instance i had to get a new key for my old clio as the battery died in the key. they took the old one and gave me a new one.
The spare key i had no longer worked as the reprogrammed the code on the car. The keys themselves were identical.

Hooky 25

Sad thing is i haven't got house insurance (long story). And my car insurance would have giving me half the cost but i would have lost the no claims bonus and my premium would have went up.

Hooky 25

Saruman wrote: »

Did they only take the key and not the car? Did they damage the car or are you saying that to change the key on a passat you had to get all that stuff replaced?
That seems very odd... keys these days are usually coded so the code changes but the phyisical lock/key does not.

For instance i had to get a new key for my old clio as the battery died in the key. they took the old one and gave me a new one.
The spare key i had no longer worked as the reprogrammed the code on the car. The keys themselves were identical.

Seemingly with the new Passats this is the procedure. I asked everyone even put an add on boards for help.

eamon234

Whatever about the 1900 - having to drive a Kia Rio is traumatic enough. I'd never be the same after that. You may need counselling.

Hooky 25

eamon234 wrote: »

Whatever about the 1900 - having to drive a Kia Rio is traumatic enough. I'd never be the same after that. You may need counselling.

The only thing that the kia had going for it was the arm rest for the driver,
And the beat out of the back shocks.

Mr.Diagnostic

Hooky 25 wrote: »

House recently got broking into and they took the key of my car,
(New Passat). I thought it was a straight forward key replacement.
I was in for a shock. The ignition and steering column had to be replaced thought i was out of the water then, but after replacing all parts, Volkswagen would not release the codes from the car until i replace the whole lock system , took two weeks to get all the parts from Germany then fit them and on top of it all they gave me a Kia Rio as a replacement car:rolleyes: and the total cost for me leaving me car home on New Years Eve is 1,900 Eur "down the drain"

Are you saying that you were told it is not possible to buy and code a new key for a Passat without replacing all the locks? And that VW refused to do so?
Was it your choice to change the locks so the mechanical part (key blade) of the missing key would no longer work?

maidhc

Humm, I know in Fords anyway you can just change the immobiliser code (yourself) so that a given key will not start the car.

Saruman

Lose your NCB? I thought you only lost it if someone else claims off you.
Probably depends on the company.

Hooky 25

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

Are you saying that you were told it is not possible to buy and code a new key for a Passat without replacing all the locks? And that VW refused to do so?
Was it your choice to change the locks so the mechanical part (key blade) of the missing key would no longer work?

Yes, when this mechanic started to lead me down this path i was on the verge of bringing up a tow truck and taking my car off him, until i rang VW Ireland and they confirmed what he said, i rang dealer after dealer and no one could give me a solid answer. So i just went with it, they told me that the only way they were gonna release the codes for the car was if i bought the whole replacement set otherwise the security of the car was breeched. I was willing to take the car back without the replacement locks but they told me VW would not release the codes.

nogoodnamesleft

Jesus, 1900! I have a 03 Passat 130tdi (its the B5.5 model i.e. 2001-2005) and i had to get a replacement key for it as I wanted a spare. Brought it to a main VW dealer in Cork. The car is a UK import so they had to look at the VIN for the car which they send to their stores in dublin. Im assuming they hava a database with all the cars info regardless of what country its registered in, anyway a week later the newly cut key arrived from dublin to the main dealers. Had to leave them the car for 30-40 mins as they had to programme the key ( for the immobliser, alarm, remote central locking). As far as i can make out they (dealers) connect a computer into the ECU and match they key up to it, open/shut the doors as well a turn the key in the iginition in a certain sequence. I was charged 200euro in Nov 07.

craichoe

I think the point here is someone has a key that would fit his locks.

So he had to get all of them replaced and a new key coded.

Hooky 25

craichoe wrote: »

I think the point here is someone has a key that would fit his locks.

So he had to get all of them replaced and a new key coded.

The key could not be coded, and i didn't want new locks, they lashed me out of it.

DublinDilbert

Hooky 25 wrote: »

The key could not be coded, and i didn't want new locks, they lashed me out of it.

On a BMWs with the EWS system each key has a unique code for the emobiliser, hence you can get an individual key code taken out of the emobiliser, so the stolen key could still open your car, it wouldn't be able to start it... BMW have been doing this for a long time now.

I'd be surprised if they couldn't do something similar to a new VW passat.

Maybe VW didn't want to offer this 1/2 way house type solution.... I wouldn't mind someone having a key for my car, as long as it couldn't start it. All they could do is open the door, at the end of the day if they break the window they can get the same access to the car.

Saruman

Im pretty sure that my spare key on the clio could not even open my car once i got the new one. I even tried putting it in the door and opening manually and it would not open, even though it fit.

I might be remembering wrong though.

Mr.Diagnostic

Hooky 25 wrote: »

The key could not be coded, and i didn't want new locks, they lashed me out of it.

The point is that they could have supplied and coded a new key for you without all the locks being changed.

Its your car and if you were not worried about someone having a mechanically working key for it that should be your choice. The immobiliser would stop the car being started with the missing key. The missing key is wiped when the new one is coded.

This is typical of VAG.

maidhc

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

This is typical of VAG.

Sounds like greed to be honest.

Hooky 25

They get away with it,
I tried everything seriously it hit me like a tone of bricks i was waiting on Jake Stevens to jump out i thought it was a wind up.

DublinDilbert

Hooky 25 wrote: »

They get away with it,
I tried everything seriously it hit me like a tone of bricks i was waiting on Jake Stevens to jump out i thought it was a wind up.

Well for that price you'd at least expect Jake Stevens to jump out and make you laugh...