Question: I had my car keys and all personal information stolen from a LOCKED gym locker. My SUV was stolen, and I found it three days later, not the police. Ford has to change all locks, keys, remotes and ignition for my truck so that it will not be taken again by the person that stole my keys. My insurance company (Travelers) says since there is no damage to the truck, which is true, they won’t pay to rekey it. Any advice on how to resolve this problem?
Answer: Your insurance company knows the terms of your specific policy, so if they say your comprehensive coverage doesn’t cover the rekeying, then you’re on your own.
Car insurance policies vary according to state laws and insurance company guidelines. There are some auto insurance providers whose comprehensive coverage does pay for the cost to rekey cars and reprogram remotes as a way to mitigate damages. These insurers have decided it’s better to pay now for rekeying to keep the thief from stealing the car again, which would probably result in much higher claims.
Even in this situation, though, the car owner may end up paying for the rekeying of the car if the comprehensive deductible is more than the cost to rekey the car. For instance, if it’s $400 to rekey the car and the deductible is $500, then the owner would be unable to make a claim and have to pay personally.
Other insurance companies, like yours, don’t pay for rekeying because, in general, car insurance only covers losses to the actual vehicle (by damages or being stolen), not peripheral items like a stolen key.
We agree it’s a wise step for you to change out your SUV’s locks and anything on the vehicle that the thief, who is still in possession of your keys and personal information, could use to take your vehicle again.
However, since your car insurance company has already told you that they won’t pay, you’re left paying out-of-pocket for this. If the police do find the person that stole your keys (and the vehicle that you recovered), you can try to sue them.
We suggest contacting a Ford dealership to determine what needs to be changed out (and the cheapest way to do so) to keep the thief from taking your car again with the stolen keys. And I hope you informed your gym and the police about the theft from the locker. It’s unlikely the gym will compensate you in any way since normally gyms post that they are not responsible for your personal items, but they should be made aware of the situation.
— Penny Gusner contributed to this story.
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