My Remote key works on neighbour's Outback - common problem?

[Guest]

My neighbour has exactly the same model as me: 2005 Outback - color
white. We just found out my remote locks/unlocks hers and vice versa.

We got the cars at dealers in different towns.

Questions: How common is this situation? How easy is it to fix? Should
one of our dealers fix it for free?

 

[Fred]

My neighbour has exactly the same model as me: 2005 Outback - color
white. We just found out my remote locks/unlocks hers and vice versa.

My garage door remote open my neighbor's door too ... LOL. That's an easy
fix.

We got the cars at dealers in different towns.

Questions: How common is this situation? How easy is it to fix? Should
one of our dealers fix it for free?

Don't know how common is it for the Outback but we have a Camry, hundreds
more of those, its not uncommon to have four Camrys parked side-by-side with
the same color in the mall, never open any ones Camry before or vice-versa.
Have the dealer change the key code, your car is under warranty so you
shouldn't pay for it.

 

[Al]

My garage door remote open my neighbor's door too ... LOL. That's an easy
fix.



Don't know how common is it for the Outback but we have a Camry, hundreds
more of those, its not uncommon to have four Camrys parked side-by-side with
the same color in the mall, never open any ones Camry before or vice-versa.
Have the dealer change the key code, your car is under warranty so you
shouldn't pay for it.

When in college, the key from my '47 Pontiac fit my friend's soupped up
'55 Chevy. Were we amazed. It turned out that the key pattern would
repeat every 10,000 times. And GM used the same locks for all their
cars. So there were a lot op duplicates. I'm sure the same thing happens
with current electronic locks. At least the cheap ones ;-)

Al

 

[Hallraker]

When in college, the key from my '47 Pontiac fit my friend's soupped up
'55 Chevy. Were we amazed. It turned out that the key pattern would
repeat every 10,000 times. And GM used the same locks for all their
cars. So there were a lot op duplicates. I'm sure the same thing happens
with current electronic locks. At least the cheap ones ;-)

Same thing with me and my best friend's first cars. Both were '85 Fords and
we delighted in pranking each other by moving the car, putting things inside
it, or just turning the stereo all the way up for a good volume blast.
Sadly, the key for my Outback does not work in his Impreza.

-Matt

 

[BrianW]

I think there is a way to reprogram your remote. Check in your owner's
manual for info.

 

[maddog55]

There are a finite set of FOB combinations - odds of matching your neighboor
better than local lottery -- go figure !