Keys locked in the car (for real)

[TurboTerror]

So I’ve owned a 2013 P85 for exactly 3 days. I bought it in California on Thursday road tripped it back to Florida got home today.

My wife had both keys in her purse sitting in the middle of the back seat. We get out of the car and go to walk around to open the trunk to unload all our stuff and the door handles pull in.

We touch the door handles nothing. Give them a firm push, nothing. Trunk is locked as well. Called Tesla Roadside and since the car is not registered in my name yet they can’t help me. Called the dealer in Cali I bought the car from but they have no way of getting in touch with the previous owner. Called a locksmith he tried for an hour and was afraid he was going to mess up something on the car. So now I’ve priced a drivers door glass on eBay as a last resort. Before I bust the drivers door glass is there anything I’m missing or anything else I can try to get in my car?

 

[drtimhill]

Not sure anyone here should answer this .. I know this sounds mean, but if there WAS a way, how would any of us know (on your first post) that this wasn't a break-in attempt, and that it was safe to share such information with you?

 

[TurboTerror]

Not sure anyone here should answer this .. I know this sounds mean, but if there WAS a way, how would any of us know (on your first post) that this wasn't a break-in attempt, and that it was safe to share such information with you?

Look I get where you’re coming from but I’m really frustrated right now and I was just wondering if there were any other tricks that I could try. If the answer is no then my only option is to break the window which I will absolutely do if that’s the only way. But before I did that I just wanted to make sure I tried everything.

 

[Battpower]

I'm really sorry for your predicament. I would hope that people like aaa or emergency locksmiths would have as much chance at getting into the car as any advice here could offer, which isn't much help, but likely true.

I was recently (nearly) caught in a similar situation and remember the feeling.

What I don't get is why the car locks you out. There are many ways to forget to lock your car, and it seems somewhat unhelpful of Tesla to decide that the doors lock immediately on closing even with the key in range. My other (non Tesla) EV feels far more helpful on the several occaisions when I have closed the trunk or door only to realize I had put the key down inside.

My recent experience was at a supercharger where I normally make a point of not closing the door if I'm just going to plug in the cord and sit back in the car. The door just swung back enough to catch on the first locking point with the handle retracted, not openable but not fully closed. I touched the handle and no response. So what to do? Pus door fully closed and hope the handles present? I mean the key was right there in the car so why wouldn't that work? But then at least with the door slightly open, it would make it easier to ease the window and release the inside handle.

In this case, it turned out to be no issue as I actually (unusually) had the second key in another pocket, but I still lived the locked out moment!! I probably don't help myself by having proximity activation off, but that said, I really don't fully understand / trust door & trunk opening. The handle on the trunk did start working fine with one software update, but then went back to never working, even when other doors are unlocked (and even open).

Hope you got sorted without too much hassle.

 

[TurboTerror]

I appreciate the sympathy. We have a local Tesla service center here. I’m going to try calling them when they open and see if they can do anything. Maybe send a rep to verify ownership once the car is unlocked? I don’t know I’m grabbing at straws. I REALLY don’t want to break the window unless I absolutely have to.

 

[Battpower]

Maybe send a rep to verify ownership

You would hope so. If you have ID and purchase docs available you should be able to do something. Email proof? If the seller was the the registered owner and you have the CA pink slip there must be something you can do.

Are you in aaa? They surely can help. Or at least ask Tesla roadside if they can tell you cheapest glass to fix. I'd guess a window on off side and get one from salvage. Don't rush though. Overall usually better to take it step by step.

Good luck.

 

[TurboTerror]

Thanks BP. I have AAA and it was the locksmith they sent out that said he couldn’t open it without damaging the car. I bought it from a dealer not affiliated with Tesla in Costa Mesa. When I contacted them they said they didn’t know who the previous owner was, so contacting the previous owner isn’t an option.

All the documents for the sale, our bags, my wife’s purse (with her phone), the kids meal I had just bought for my 3yo... pretty much everything, is locked in the car. My mother-in-law watched my son while we went to get the car so I parked behind my car so she could get her car out of the garage and blocked our other car in. This whole thing is a soup sandwich.

Anyway if nothing else I appreciate being able to vent frustrations here. After I get into the car I’ll post back one way or the other. If I do end up having to break the glass I’ll video it and link it here along with a tutorial; “How to replace the door glass in your model s after it locks itself with your keys inside” lol. Also my family owns an auto trim and glass shop. I worked there from my late teens to my early twenties and have replaced hundreds of door glasses. I found a bunch of door glasses on eBay for less than $200.

 

[Snerruc]

Do you have the app on your phone? If so, it will unlock the car. If not does the original owner still have the app up? If so call him and have him unlock it. Tesla can unlock the car themselves if you can prove ownership, but they usually really don’t want to. Also have you tries a slim Jim? Many cops and first responders carry one. With frameless windows it’s easy to get a coat hanger or similar wiggled in and pull the inside handle.

 

[75Shappyt]

I have locked my key and phone in my car as well once, there is no way that I know of to get in the car without Tesla doing it. call them and beg, or call the police and have them try and call Tesla for you, that way they know you are real.

 

[Battpower]

or call the police

That might be a good call if you can. Get Tesla Roadside to come out (if they can do anything) on the understanding that you won't expect them to do anything without a police officer in attendance. Especially if your ID and papers are in the car.

 

[DerbyDave]

This is scary to me. Please post the resolution to your predicament. Hope you get back to normal soon.

 

[TurboTerror]

OK crisis averted. Tesla service was no help so I called around and finally found a locksmith that has experience with unlocking Tesla vehicles. They used the exact same tools the other locksmith had but I guess they have done it enough that they weren't afraid to break anything (and they didn't). Took them all of 30 seconds and Im including the time it took them to get their tools out. I appreciate the responses that I received here. Luckily I didn't have to break it.

 

[mongo]

OK crisis averted. Tesla service was no help so I called around and finally found a locksmith that has experience with unlocking Tesla vehicles. They used the exact same tools the other locksmith had but I guess they have done it enough that they weren't afraid to break anything (and they didn't). Took them all of 30 seconds and Im including the time it took them to get their tools out. I appreciate the responses that I received here. Luckily I didn't have to break it.

Yay!!!!

 

[Battpower]

good to hear.

 

[Dsancho]

So I’ve owned a 2013 P85 for exactly 3 days. I bought it in California on Thursday road tripped it back to Florida got home today.

My wife had both keys in her purse sitting in the middle of the back seat. We get out of the car and go to walk around to open the trunk to unload all our stuff and the door handles pull in.

We touch the door handles nothing. Give them a firm push, nothing. Trunk is locked as well. Called Tesla Roadside and since the car is not registered in my name yet they can’t help me. Called the dealer in Cali I bought the car from but they have no way of getting in touch with the previous owner. Called a locksmith he tried for an hour and was afraid he was going to mess up something on the car. So now I’ve priced a drivers door glass on eBay as a last resort. Before I bust the drivers door glass is there anything I’m missing or anything else I can try to get in my car?

glad to see you got this resolved. but if you have to break a window, I’d consider the rear window next time. Also the Tesla app wouldn’t unlock as well?

 

[cookie99]

glad to see you got this resolved. but if you have to break a window, I’d consider the rear window next time. Also the Tesla app wouldn’t unlock as well?

he just bought it, he doesn't have app access yet. the process to change ownership is tedious and manual if you dont buy from tesla.

 

[JoeCW]

Hey all, sorry if this is answered already somewhere, but this just happened to me. Is it confirmed that the MS knows there is no-one in the car and it locks it (have lock when walk away set) even if the keys (and my phone) were still in the car? So, the MS does not take into account the key is in the car for this "feature"?

Yes, tried to outsmart the car by leaving my keys in it to talk to a friend outside the car and my phone was still charging. Epic failure, MS 1/Driver 0. Silly me for thinking logically that Tesla uses the key fob as a tracker for walking away. Luckily my friend called my wife and she unlocked it with the app.

Any clarification or reiteration of this feature is appreciated.

 

[cookie99]

Hey all, sorry if this is answered already somewhere, but this just happened to me. Is it confirmed that the MS knows there is no-one in the car and it locks it (have lock when walk away set) even if the keys (and my phone) were still in the car? So, the MS does not take into account the key is in the car for this "feature"?

Yes, tried to outsmart the car by leaving my keys in it to talk to a friend outside the car and my phone was still charging. Epic failure, MS 1/Driver 0. Silly me for thinking logically that Tesla uses the key fob as a tracker for walking away. Luckily my friend called my wife and she unlocked it with the app.

Any clarification or reiteration of this feature is appreciated.

no i leave my keys in all the time, pushing the door handles always made them retract back out. the only time it didn't was when i put the keys in the middle console and somehow it didn't recognize it?

 

[Deanm0000]

no i leave my keys in all the time, pushing the door handles always made them retract back out. the only time it didn't was when i put the keys in the middle console and somehow it didn't recognize it?

With my car keys in my pocket, sometimes the doors handles won't retract with a push and I have to click the fob itself for them to open. I thought I had weak fob batteries but replacing them didn't fix the issue. I wonder if the OP's car is doing the same thing mine is in not recognizing the keys.

 

[tmarshay]

Tesla owner here. I’ve locked my key in the car as well. I’m wondering why my Tesla (as smart as it is) cannot detect the key is still in the car and not lock. I’ve owned vehicles not nearly as advanced as the tesla and even they could detect the key was still in the car and not lock me out. I don’t get it.