Employees locked keys to Camaro, in Camaro, while servicing - George Moore Chevrolet

[bezoid]

Took my Camaro to George Moore Chevrolet in Jacksonville, Florida for an oil change Friday afternoon and one of the service department employees locked the keys to my car, in the car. I purchased the Camaro from the same dealership in August, so I didn’t think it would be difficult for them to retrieve the keys. Apparently I am ignorant regarding 2013 auto lock technology on an OnStar equipped (but not activated) Chevrolet vehicle, because they ended up calling in a “lock smith.” I realize that accidents happen, and even thought I was in a hurry to get out of the shop, I wasn’t overly irritated until I got home and realized that a Slim Jim Lockout Tool had been used to gain access to the car, and the tool damaged the seal on my passenger side window. The dealership has accepted responsibility for the damage and has agreed to correct it, but I feel that the method used to gain entry to my car should have never been used and the situation makes me question the judgment and integrity of the service department team.

If you are interested in a detailed version of the events, please read below.

I had a 2:00 pm appointment for an oil change and arrived on time. When checking in, I requested that the courtesy car wash be skipped, because it was raining and I was interested in saving time. Around 3:00 pm, I was approached by the service advisor who asked if I had the OnStar app on my phone, which I did not. At one point I had the OnStar app, but I uninstalled it after my OnStar trial expired. The service advisor then informed me that the detailer had locked the keys in my car, and that, in order to gain access to the car, he would be having a new key cut. About a half hour later, I was informed that a new key would not be cut because new keys have to “be ordered from Detroit” and that they would be contacting a locksmith to get the car unlocked. I inquired as to how the locksmith would be opening the door and was assured that they would not be using a slim jim/lockout tool. About forty minutes later my car was ready. The service department called Chevrolet Roadside Assistance (using my account) and the Roadside Assistance paid for a lockout service provided by a company called Pop-A-Lock. The dealership gave me half off the price of the oil change, and I left the dealership.

When I got home, I noticed damage to the driver side window seal. A slim jim/lockout tool had clearly been used to get the door open. The lockout tool damaged the seal on the window. A stretch of the seal, several inches long, was shoved down into the door. I immediately called the dealership and spoke with the service advisor. He acknowledged that while he initially thought that the locksmith would not use a slim jim/lockout tool, this type of tool was used. The advisor indicated that the damage would be repaired. Discovering that my car had been damaged was very frustrating, so I immediately called the dealership back to speak with the service department manager. After explaining my dissatisfaction to the manager, he somewhat dismissed my account of the scenario and told me that slim jims/lockout tools are not used anymore, because “they don’t work on new cars” and indicated that they (George Moore service department) could contact Pop-A-Lock (if necessary,) while affirming that the damage would be repaired. I returned to the dealership the next morning. After looking at the damage, there was no denying by the service department manager that entry to the car was gained via a slim jim/lockout tool. The manager ordered the part that will be needed to repair the vehicle and agreed to provide me with a loaner vehicle when the part arrives and I drop my car off.

I understand that mistakes happen and I was completely fine with the incident (which did cost me time and cause me to be late for an appointment) up until the point that damage was done to my vehicle. I find it baffling that I took a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro to the Chevrolet dealership (where I purchased the vehicle new) and they were unable to open a locked door without contacting a subpar locksmith company. I find it completely unacceptable that my vehicle was damaged and that the dealership left it up to me to find the damage instead of immediately owning it. To me, it does not matter who caused the damage to the car. I took the vehicle to the dealership for service and the vehicle left the dealership damaged.

While there are several friendly people in the service department at George Moore Chevrolet, based on my experience, I would not recommend doing business with the company. My experience calls in to question the service department’s decision making capabilities, skills, competency and integrity.

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

This has happened to me over the years on more than one occasion, so it is one of the reasons I always take both keys with me when I get my vehicle serviced..

I never give the dealer or any shop my main keys, always the spare and always keep one with me while vehicle being serviced..


Of course with the Camaro I do have OnStar active so I can remotely open with the iPhone app, however old habits die hard.

[70rsz28]

could they not get onstar reactivated for you and unlocked the car using onstar ?

[bezoid]

Originally Posted by 70rsz28

could they not get onstar reactivated for you and unlocked the car using onstar ?

Apparently not...but hindsight leads me to believe that I should have asked more questions, and maybe been more adamant in getting answers to my questions. Regretfully, I put my trust in the service department staff, which was clearly a mistake.

Originally Posted by Mr. iNCREDIBLE

I never give the dealer or any shop my main keys, always the spare and always keep one with me while vehicle being serviced..

....and thanks for the tip Mr. iNCREDIBLE, I have definitely learned a lesson, but I have never heard of this happening to anyone before.

[Ryanbabz71]

Maybe I missed it but where were the extra set if keys? Why didn't they try to contact you to bring them? I had this happen with my old truck they said it would take an hour to cut a new key or I could take my spare up there which I did (15 mins total). Maybe it wasn't possible for you to get them there?


Ryan

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

Originally Posted by bezoid

Apparently not...but hindsight leads me to believe that I should have asked more questions, and maybe been more adamant in getting answers to my questions. Regretfully, I put my trust in the service department staff, which was clearly a mistake.



....and thanks for the tip Mr. iNCREDIBLE, I have definitely learned a lesson, but I have never heard of this happening to anyone before.

lol,

1989 Ford Escort (yeah, yeah, it was all I could afford at the time) car wash monkeys locked the keys in it while they were drying it

oil change shop (goodyear), locked the keys in my 1996 Silverado.. not entirely their fault, they left them on the seat and I had a passive arming alarm..

2005 Chrysler 300c Dealership tech had the key in his shirt pocket, leaned over the trunk to pull the battery out to replace the grounding point that had broken off (the one the battery was grounded too), keys fell out of his pocket into the trunk, apparently he didn't notice..

repaired the issue, replaced the battery, closed the trunk... normally not an issue as there was a remote switch for the trunk on the dash, however apparently the alarm locked the doors when the battery re-energized the system and of course the doors were closed..



yeah its happened to me a couple of times.


-- as for the OnStar thing.. yeah they can't activate it without someone actually pressing the button on the mirror to initiate the connection, the system cannot be remotely activated.. the owner has to initiate the connection.. This is to prevent someone from trying to activate your OnStar to gain access to your vehicle.

[tw78911sc]

next time use the onstar app for your phone and unlock it yourself

[bezoid]

Originally Posted by Ryanbabz71

Maybe I missed it but where were the extra set if keys?

The Camaro was just getting an oil change, so I was waiting on the car. The spare key was in my condo. The keys to my condo were locked in my car. Again, hindsight, I should have asked them to give me a car to drive to my place, I could have gotten a spare key to my place from the front office. Again, I put too much faith in the employees at the dealership.

Originally Posted by Mr. iNCREDIBLE

-- as for the OnStar thing.. yeah they can't activate it without someone actually pressing the button on the mirror to initiate the connection, the system cannot be remotely activated.. the owner has to initiate the connection.. This prevent someone from trying to activate your OnStar to gain access to your vehicle.

Regarding the OnStar, that does make sense. I completely understand the security aspect, your explanation there really helps.

What doesn't make sense, to me, is that my Camaro was at a Chevrolet Dealership, where I purchased the car less than a year ago, new...and the dealer has no way to gain entry to 2013 Chevrolet vehicle.

I'm also skeptical that the key "has to be ordered from Detroit." I feel like the dealership to the cheap route to get the keys retrieved from my Camaro, since they called Chevrolet Roadside Assistance using my information...which they informed me of once the call had been made.

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

Originally Posted by bezoid

The Camaro was just getting an oil change, so I was waiting on the car. The spare key was in my condo. The keys to my condo were locked in my car. Again, hindsight, I should have asked them to give me a car to drive to my place, I could have gotten a spare key to my place from the front office. Again, I put too much faith in the employees at the dealership.



Regarding the OnStar, that does make sense. I completely understand the security aspect, your explanation there really helps.

What doesn't make sense, to me, is that my Camaro was at a Chevrolet Dealership, where I purchased the car less than a year ago, new...and the dealer has no way to gain entry to 2013 Chevrolet vehicle.

I'm also skeptical that the key "has to be ordered from Detroit." I feel like the dealership to the cheap route to get the keys retrieved from my Camaro, since they called Chevrolet Roadside Assistance using my information...which they informed me of once the call had been made.

the laser cut keys are chipped, the dealership can't program a key without another key, for a replacement when another key isn't present, they have to come from the manufacturer, again a security aspect to prevent someone from just walking in and getting a copy of your key via the key ID tag and your VIN.

you have to show proof of ownership, and the key has to be directly ordered from GM for a replacement key.

If you have a key, then they can cut one, if they actually have a blank in stock and chances are they do not because they are vehicle specific, and then use your key to program the new one.

The problem is that because each key is vehicle specific, Camaro keys cannot be used on other models, and even more so they can be trim level specific (remote start vs. non remote start for example) and there can be several variations for each model, the dealers don't stock them, as they are not typically an item that will move inventory.

It's not like 10 years ago where all GMs used the same key and same fob.. each model now has a vary unique keyset and chipset..

While Camaros and Cruzes use what appear to be the same physical key, the RFID chipset is different and they don't work cross platform..

[bezoid]

Originally Posted by Mr. iNCREDIBLE

the laser cut keys are chipped, the dealership can't program a key without another key, for a replacement when another key isn't present, they have to come from the manufacturer, again a security aspect to prevent someone from just walking in and getting a copy of your key via the key ID tag and your VIN.

you have to show proof of ownership, and the key has to be directly ordered from GM for a replacement key.

If you have a key, then they can cut one, if they actually have a blank in stock and chances are they do not because they are vehicle specific, and then use your key to program the new one.

The problem is that because each key is vehicle specific, Camaro keys cannot be used on other models, and even more so they can be trim level specific (remote start vs. non remote start for example) and there can be several variations for each model, the dealers don't stock them, as they are not typically an item that will move inventory.

It's not like 10 years ago where all GMs used the same key and same fob.. each model now has a vary unique keyset and chipset..

While Camaros and Cruzes use what appear to be the same physical key, the RFID chipset is different and they don't work cross platform..

Again, very helpful Mr. iNCREDIBLE. Your information is greatly appreciated. Even knowing that information, I still believe that the staff at George Moore Chevrolet mishandled the situation. In my opinion, it is absurd that a slim jim lockout tool was used to open my door, and it is even more absurd that they let me leave the dealership with damage done to my car, without telling me.

[bezoid]

I also wonder if the slim jim lockout tool did any damage to the inside of the door, as the person who used it was clearly sloppy and careless. It rained the entire night that the seal was indented, so it is likely that water entered the door, which I would think might also cause issues. The entire situation has been very frustrating.

[el ess A]

Is this the first time you've ever dealt with this dealer's service department? These things happen from time to time, and it's how it's handled after the problem is the true test of a business.

The water drains from the door and if the seal leaks, the water entering the door won't do any damage. It's designed that way.

They're fixing the car so I'm unsure of all the drama here. I totally get the frustration of mistakes happening, but you have to give them the chance to make it right. You're getting off pretty easy considering some of the real horror stories about dealers I've read about here.

This is one time you probably wish you had that OnStar app.

A tough lesson learned, but always keep YOUR keys with you, and when bringing in for service, give them the spare key. I do that, and thankfully, never have had to resort to using it. Don't rely on your dealer (or any other service provider) to be prepared for you. That's your responsibility.

[Mr_Draco]

My question is how did they manage to lock the keys in to start with? Did you turn off the anti-lockout feature on the radio that pretty much prevents this from happening?

[bezoid]

Originally Posted by Mr_Draco

My question is how did they manage to lock the keys in to start with? Did you turn off the anti-lockout feature on the radio that pretty much prevents this from happening?

Not that I know of. If my Camaro has that feature, I did not knowingly disable it. The 2LS is not heavy on extra features. Also, I believe that the car was not running (if that makes a difference,) but I'm not sure.

I will check and see if I have the anti-lockout feature available via the radio.