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This was quite common in communist built cars, in Romania at least. There were very few brands, models and colors available and the keylock patterns had also a

This was quite common in communist built cars, in Romania at least. There were very few brands, models and colors available and the keylock patterns had also a very small variety between them, meaning there was always a high chance that some drunk guy at night mistaking another car that was same model and color as his own and his key would also work to unlock and drive it.

wil421 4y ago
I used to have a 4Runner and someone had a near identical one at my old gym. Sometimes I would try to unlock their car. One time it was unlocked and I tried to start it and thought it was broken. Thank god it didn’t work. We both kept our cars clean and free of clutter so there weren’t many cues as to which car was which.
adhesive_wombat 4y ago
I'm sure I heard it about cheaper cars in the 90s too, but it could also have just been friend-of-a-friend urban legend.
- lostlogin 4y ago
  Mazda 323 and Ford Lasers had interchangeable keys. We found this while messing about as kids in the ‘90s. I don’t think these were communist cars as suggested above.
- grecy 4y ago
  As a beginner I locked the keys in the car. Dad just asked someone nearby in the parking lot with a similar ford laser to borrow their keys and it opened right up and even started the engine.
geoelectric 4y ago
I remember back in the 80s—-think it was a Chevy Vega—-my mother and I got into the wrong one in a parking lot after she unlocked it. It’s a little weird realizing the car doesn’t smell quite right and then there’s everyone else’s stuff. Guess the pins in those old locks were like bits. The ignition has to have all the bits right, but the door only had to match the highest ones.
tyingq 4y ago
The remote for my late 2000's Ford vehicle occasionally beeps the horn or unlocks other Ford vehicles. The key itself is a separate thing, and probably doesn't start them though.
newsclues 4y ago
I’ve opened other similar cars with a normal key in the past, they aren’t 100% unique…

wil421 4y ago

I used to have a 4Runner and someone had a near identical one at my old gym. Sometimes I would try to unlock their car. One time it was unlocked and I tried to start it and thought it was broken. Thank god it didn’t work. We both kept our cars clean and free of clutter so there weren’t many cues as to which car was which.

adhesive_wombat 4y ago

I'm sure I heard it about cheaper cars in the 90s too, but it could also have just been friend-of-a-friend urban legend.

lostlogin 4y ago
Mazda 323 and Ford Lasers had interchangeable keys. We found this while messing about as kids in the ‘90s. I don’t think these were communist cars as suggested above.
grecy 4y ago
As a beginner I locked the keys in the car. Dad just asked someone nearby in the parking lot with a similar ford laser to borrow their keys and it opened right up and even started the engine.

geoelectric 4y ago

I remember back in the 80s—-think it was a Chevy Vega—-my mother and I got into the wrong one in a parking lot after she unlocked it. It’s a little weird realizing the car doesn’t smell quite right and then there’s everyone else’s stuff. Guess the pins in those old locks were like bits. The ignition has to have all the bits right, but the door only had to match the highest ones.

tyingq 4y ago

The remote for my late 2000's Ford vehicle occasionally beeps the horn or unlocks other Ford vehicles. The key itself is a separate thing, and probably doesn't start them though.

newsclues 4y ago

I’ve opened other similar cars with a normal key in the past, they aren’t 100% unique…