Originally Posted by 04RedParchTL

Don't know if this is real, but I recieved this email and it sounds possible:

"Interesting, what will they think of next? (Surely the dealership asks for ID)


Seems that car thieves have found yet another way to steal your car or truck
without any effort at all. 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 a friend at 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 the VIN #. "

Originally Posted by heehaaw

let me try again. the CARS main computer has to be REPROGRAMMED with a new code. if you need a new key, they cannot just code that ONE key to your cars current code because even they dont know what that code is. what they do is, they ask you to bring in ALL of your current keys and ALL of your current remotes, then they take ALL of the keys and remotes, and they hook up their diagnostics computer to your cars computer. then one by one the acura tech reprograms the cars computer, all the keys and all the remotes. the computer generates a new ramdom code which it then assigns to all of the devices. this is the ONLY way it can be done. i know this for a fact because i once needed a new key cut, and like you i thought it was super simple. they told me that they needed me to bring in ALL of the remotes and keys that i currently had, because they couldnt program the new key with the old code, the entire system needed a new code.