My car key fob opens the neighbours car too! Is this going to cost me?

We purchased a touran about 4 weeks ago and today, our neighbour from across and down a little way, told us that when we lock and unlock our car with the remote, it triggers the same on their skoda Fabia.

Clearly this isn’t right and I always thought these things had a rolling code so they couldn’t be duplicated or caught.

Interestingly, his fob doesn’t operate mine.

I’ll be calling vw tomorrow but wonder if anyone else has experienced this…

Do you reckon this will be something vw should sort free of charge as I think responsibility for sorting rests with us as we got our car after theirs?

Sounds like it’s his problem not yours.

. He didn’t look at me as though he thought that.

Interestingly, his fob doesn’t operate mine.

er, surely it’s his problem then?

When I had a golf, locking mine used to unlock the fella over the roads car. Sometimes I’d knock on the door and let him know, if I was working late and needed to lock my car I’d just do it with the key.

As hexham stu says, its his problem not yours

Do you reckon this will be something vw should sort free of charge as I think responsibility for sorting rests with us as we got our car after theirs?

Eh, sorry but its his problem.

Well I had it in mind that if mine does both and his only does his, then mines faulty and giving out two codes?

It should automatically re-lock itself after 20 seconds anyway, unless someone opens a door in the mean time.

Just pinch his travel sweets and de-icer then ignore him.

Can’t he arrange for his to be changed? I agree with those above, it’s his problem.

Take his car tonight and torch it.
Problem solved

Why is this your responsibility ? It’s not like you did it on purpose, and I take it you have promised not to steal his car. His bad luck I think. Or Skoda’s poor security.

My Anglia key used to open and start my mate’s Escort panel van. (can I just stress the Anglia was over 20 years old when I got it) Wwe had loads of fun stealing it and moving it when we found it parked outside at parties.

I don’t understand remotes since GCSE tech in early 90’s, but:

If your fob is unlocking a car in proximity of where you live, surely it will open other cars using same system in a vicinity of where you are at the time? (Chances of two car being coded the same in the same street are a fairly slight?!).

My advice; sell the key to a crime ring for a couple of hundred thousand.

You can buy an S max, and folks won’t need to be burgled in order to lift car keys.

Win-win.

As above, the fault is surely with his vehicle door locks allowing another device to open them. Nothing wrong with your vehicle.

Its like the 70s through 90s all over again when anyone elses ford/rover/maestro key opened almost anyone elses.

And when you lost your key a teaspoon filed down would open and start it….

The “his problem” crowd are arse holes. I’d contact VW saying you feel the security of your vehicle is being compromised etc. and I’m sure they’ll be only too keen to change it. Just the right thing to do really.

But it’s a Skoda Fabia. Why bother locking it anyway?

Are you taking the mick here OP…WTF would it cost you? 😐

This reminds me of when I used to fit satellite and visiting an house where the guy had a complete entourage for company, I stupidly lock my keys in the van.

Me:”I’ve locked my keys in the van. Can anyon……”
*interrupted*
Mr Big:”What make”
Me:”Astramax”

Random bloke stands up; goes to kitchen, gets a metal ruler, goes outside, returns with my keys.

I didn’t ask any questions.

In the pub in North Wales one rainy lunchtime. Two friends enter, soaked to the skin, having run over Cadair Idris. Roger’s car is parked up at Idris Gates carpark, about 5 miles away. Drinks are drunk, time passes.

Then Barry enters, he’s ridden his bike from Tywyn, about 10 miles away. Roger persuades Barry to collect his car for him, to save the walk/ run in the horrible weather. Barry agrees, takes the keys and cycles up to Idris Gates to collect the car, a White Sierra 4×4. He drives this back to the pub in Abergynolwyn, having dried himself off with the towel first and then put his bike in the boot.

Roger realises that this is not his car, it is some random stranger’s car- so they all set off back to the carpark to collect the correct Sierra.

What the owner thought we never knew. Everything was left as it was found- except a warm engine and a wet towel.

The “his problem” crowd are arse holes.

drive a Fabia by any chance?

Hey, I was in a 4 star hotel in Florence and, after a night out, got off the lift on the wrong floor and my key opened the room positioned the same as mine on the floor below. The gorilla in the room wasn’t too pleased! 🙂

Fourbanger – its not the vw thats compromised…..its the skoda- surely the skoda wants to be phoning the dealer and getting them to change the skoda.

Did you buy the vw new or used? Dealer or private?

Suggest you both go to the Skoda / VW garage together and ask them to sort it. They make both cars and share parts. It would be much better publicity to solve it.
Those suggesting that he should sort it are the sort of people I’d not want as neighbours.

I used to work in a hotel and on a regular basis when fetching residents cars from the car park the porters would turn up with the wrong car, seem to remember no particular make jst random. This was also cause the lazy feckkers didn’t check the number plates, just walked to the car park and pressed the button till they saw the lights flash.

Used from a vw dealer. I was going to ring tomorrow anyway but wondered if anyone had a similar experience.

try recoding your keys first see if it gets rid of the second car unlock, if not its all his issue to deal with.

My neighbour also used to open our VW Polo whenever he unlocked his car. More common problem than you’d think.

So it opens the car, but surely it doesn’t disable the imobiliser ?

Tell him it’s not the end of the world as when he locks his keys in the car you will be there to help 😀

i thought all had rolling codes for nearly 10 years?

What happens when you put your keys in the fruit bowl?

Have you tried your spare key to see if that does the same?

What happens when you put your keys in the fruit bowl?

It peels any bananas in a 10m radius.

You should get a universal TV remote too. Really mess with his mind… 😀

Those suggesting that he should sort it are the sort of people I’d not want as neighbours.

Tootall has it for me…

I’m sure we all want neighbours that pay for our problems… But it’s not likely is it

What happens when you put your keys in the fruit bowl?

Depends whether it’s the neighbour’s fruit bowl, as apparently it becomes his problem.

trail_rat – Member

Its like the 70s through 90s all over again when anyone elses ford/rover/maestro key opened almost anyone elses.

My dad once drove off in someone else’s Cavalier by mistake 😆

The “his problem” crowd are arse holes.

Why is that?

If his car is opened by the remote for another vehicle, then the problem is 100% with the ECU in that car and nothing to do with the other remote. He needs to talk to Skoda about it, although I doubt much will happen.

EDIT: Given it’s opened by another remote, which should be impossible, it suggests there is a fault and I’d guess there are other remotes out there that will open it as well.