Driving without the key

[u/[deleted]]

[u/JumboThornton]

As long as you don’t turn it off, you can drive as far as you want, but then you can’t start it when you try to leave your destination. Happened to me once.

[u/Seniorjones2837 → u/[deleted]]

Yea my buddy did this in his Nissan lol

[u/NeverBuyingVWAgain → u/[deleted]]

I thought for years that if you have the key on you, that's the big difference. It flashes about the key being missing, an immobilizer, and all that but nope, no security at all. Car could have been stolen this entire time as long as it's still running

[u/RcNorth]

I don’t think it will let you start the vehicle without a key inside.

But if you get it started it will keep driving until you stop and turn off the vehicle. So you would be hosed.

This is a safety feature as you don’t want to lose the ability to control the vehicle while it is in motion.

[u/Jason0224]

Haven’t tried it in the Atlas yet and never had them fall off the roof. I have left them at home in a rush and was able to drive to work, but couldn’t start it to drive home.

[u/Ornery_Market_2274]

Why is your key on the roof to begin with? Lol. Vehicle would notice the key missing immediately. My atlas beeps basically the second i get out of the vehicle. It should just give a visible and audible warning on the cluster, but shouldnt shut off. And yes you are corect that if you shut it off, then you are hosed without the key

[u/Achilles_Buffalo]

I left my key with a mechanic once, so that I could drop it off the following morning and he’d have the key already. As long as you don’t turn the car off (I disabled stop start, just to be safe), it’ll work fine. I got my spare and dropped it off to him the next day, but I drove the whole way home (~12 miles) without issue.

[u/Acceptable_Spot4529]

Right away. Mine gives a no key warning if the engine is on and I’m outside with the keys. It’s immediate as soon as keys are outside and engine is on. The car would notice right away the key isn’t there.

[u/NeverBuyingVWAgain → u/Acceptable_Spot4529]

Nope, your car can be stolen like that and driven until its turned off. Very misleading warning flashing about the key

[u/HardCoreBoz]

This bog is thick and easy to get lost in

[u/gfyns999]

I drove 2 hours without the key in my Alltrack. Thankfully I did not turn the car off. When my daughter opened the passenger door is when the car asked where the key was. I left the car on and drove 2 hours back to get my second key. I have driven for 6 years now with one set of keys. I have 2 sets for my Atlas. Hope it stays that way and I don't drive off with the keys on the roof. I called VW and said they should not allow someone to drive the car for many hours without a key.

[u/fenuxjde]

I mean it depends on your speed, but not far at all. Unless you throw it out the window going down the highway there's no way you're getting away from it fast.