The only key to my VW Jetta GLI, simply vanished after I got home last Wednesday evening. We looked…read morehigh & low but couldn't find them anywhere (entire key ring with car & house keys) they vanished & the car was stuck in my garage.
Well I'm now learning that VW's are not as cheap or easy to replace a lost key as Fords or Chevy's are, they have this neat but pricey "flip" key (switchblade) that serves as a remote to unlock the doors, it contains an anti-theft transponder (like most other car brands) an ability to send a signal to the engine computer's immobilizer, that needs a special code to be programmed into the key and the car simultaneously, and lastly, it's a "sidewinder" key that has grooves cut into the sides rather than teeth as a normal key does and requires special equipment to cut the grooves into that type of key.
To make things worse, I live in Coolidge, and to replace a lost VW key (when there are no other keys remaining), the dealer says, first you must have the car towed to them, then wait two days after they order the correct key for it (the keys are ordered by a car's VIN and cut to match your car at VW, who then sends it pre-cut, to the dealership). The dealers apparently don't have the equipment to make (cut) a new key themselves anymore, they only sell blank spares (if they're in stock), or they can order a blank from VW that has been ordered pre-cut to open your particular car's locks. But then the transponder, anti-theft immobilizer and remote, all have to be programmed at a cost of $125 in addition to the cost of the $175 key...adding in the towing fee (unless you have AAA) and the inconvenient two day part wait time (BTW, you must arrive IN TIME for a key to be ordered by 1 pm, anytime after that and it doesn't count as a day), it could get up to an inconvenient $500 for ONE new key at the dealer! Then it gets complicated...If your car had a previous owner and he replaced a lock or re-keyed the vehicle at some point, VW has no way of knowing that and will only cut the $175 key to the original pattern the car came with that's on record. So if it doesn't fit, (to unlock the door or start the ignition) the customer is still responsible & must pay for a now useless $175 key! Unreal...!
I decided to go a different route. I Googled "VW locksmiths in AZ" and must've called over a half a dozen locksmiths that could not do it for one reason or another... In fact one locksmith who said he'd do it, had me waiting 1.5 extra hours one day till I finally called to see what time they were coming, only to be told they decided they wouldn't be coming now because I live too far from Mesa...it would have been nice to let me know about that decision too, I thought.
Tom at US Key Service was called next...not only was he slightly LESS expensive than the other "experts" but THE NEXT DAY I called him up at 8:00 AM, we set up an appt for between 12 to 2 PM and he promptly & professionally arrived and with all the keys in stock, had 2 keys ready for me in about an hour, all completely programmed and working perfectly! I got 2 keys (one flip key & one valet key) from him for slightly less than the no-show locksmiths, who sounded much less knowledgeable than Tom & had accents so thick, I could barely understand, were able to do just ONE key...but still never showed up! Tom's the man; I should have called him first and saved myself a few hours of calling around the VW dealerships and locksmiths and getting only disappointment and frustration in return. Grade A all the way for US Key Service!
