I have seen several posts in the past, suggesting that you cover the vin number on the dash to prevent someone from getting the number to take to a dealer to get a key made. I don't understand this. If you get a key made, you still can't start the car, only gain access to the car. You must have the fob to start the car or release the parking brake.
I don't think the key code can be obtained from the VIN, but if it is I would hope the dealer would require some other proof of ownership before making a key. In California the VIN cannot be covered or otherwise obscured. Law enforcement must be able to correlate the license plate with the VIN to show the plate belongs on the car. If you cover the VIN it is a good way to get your car towed. I towed more than a few in my day for just that. I'm sure this is the law in most, if not all, the other states.
While plausable with 'regular' cars, that someone could jot down the VIN, and possibly without proof of purchase or ownership have a dealer make up a key, it's fairly unlikely. I think with the complications that the Prius has, it makes it even more unlikely. Right now I'd be suprised to hear about Prius theft, simply because the parts market for them would be near non-existant. Check out the entire background of this here: http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/vin.asp -m.
The question remains as to whether the key code is decipherable from the VIN. The article quoted was about a scam artist who forged purloined VINs onto vehicle titles and then offered that document as a proof of ownership to get a key made.
I can't confirm with certainty, but I'm almost positive you HAVE to have one other fob to program a new one. If you lose both of yours you have to have the entire car reprogrammed to new fobs at a huge cost. BTW, Danny, can you move this to a more appropriate forum...I thought I could, but I don't think moderator priveledges allow that.
Well, if it makes any difference, I once locked myself out of my Subaru as I got to work. I called the dealership where I bought the car which was near my office and asked if they could make another key. I gave them the VIN and they looked up the car in their records (I had just bought it a few months before) and they made another set for me. I had a messenger pick up the keys and had them delivered to me. Now, I could have been anyone on the phone (though I was able to verify all the info in their files about the purchase, including the salesman and finance mgr. who signed off on the deal). And I didn't even pick the keys up myself ... just a messenger. The kicker though, is that the KEYS DIDN'T WORK. (I ended up paying one of the maintenance guys in the building $10 to break into my car, seems he had a slim jim in his toolkit and it wasn't the first time someone had locked themselves out of their car at our building.) So, it is true that it could happen ... but in the end, they'd still have to have the fob to operate the car, a much harder task. As far as I know, they have to have the car at the dealer in order to program or reprogram the system. The point in the end is if someone wants something that you have and they are very smart and very motivated, they can get it.
But Cybele, This question was about the Prius. It works and is programmed completely differently than an old traditional set of keys or even a traditional remote control.
When I picked up my 04 the salesman told me to not loose the little metal serial number plate that came on one of the keyrings. He told me that if anyone got ahold of that number then they could have a FOB made that would operate my car.
My salesman told me that plate could only be used to make a mechanical key, not the fob. And that if we lost both fobs, the plate couldn't help us. I wouldn't worry too much about smeone making a key from the VIN, or even from the key plate. Most thieves aren't going to walk into a dealership to have a key made, especially on a regular basis. Too much chance of being recognized, and too many easier ways of stealing a car.
