M3P alarm scared my granddaughter, who was exiting a locked car

[rotus8]

My 11 year old granddaughter came with us to an event on Sunday. She then wanted to get something out of the car so I unlocked it with the app on my phone. When she didn't return in about ten minutes I went to check on her. She was inside the car, totally frantic, she couldn't open the door from the inside. She was in the back seat. I had my phone with me in my pocket, opened the back door and the alarm went off! I used my key card to silence the alarm.

Today I tried to reproduce the sequence and was unable to get it to happen, though I am not sure exactly what she did. No, child lock was not active. Has anything like this happened to anyone else.

This event was potentially quite dangerous as it was a warm day and the windows were up.

I realize there are many ways she could have gotten out - emergency handles (front only), unlock button on the screen, put a window down, etc., but in her panic when the door open button didn't work she didn't think of those things. I have since show her these alternatives.

 

[rotus8]

Today I got the "real story". My granddaughter came over and we tried to reproduce the situation where she was locked in the car. It turns out she wasn't really unable to get out; The car did lock itself, but she was able to open the door, but it set of the alarm. The loud honking of the horn scared her and she jumped back inside behind the seat, covering her ears. She was so freaked out by that, she didn't try to open the door again. So, she wasn't really trapped, just scared by the alarm. I am pretty relieved, I thought that the car wouldn't open the door.

I did try to figure out how the car locked itself with her inside, it seems to be pretty smart, won't lock if a seat is occupied (at least the driver's seat) but I couldn't reproduce that. Oh well, panic over.

 

[OCR1]

Glad to hear she is OK.

When I have passengers in the car I’ve learned to brief them on how to open the door with the electronic lock, and if it fails with the emergency release. It’s like doing an in flight safety briefing. It seems silly but it’s not obvious how to get out of the Model 3 since the lock release looks more like a window control then a door control.

 

[mongo]

Today I got the "real story". My granddaughter came over and we tried to reproduce the situation where she was locked in the car. It turns out she wasn't really unable to get out; The car did lock itself, but she was able to open the door, but it set of the alarm. The loud honking of the horn scared her and she jumped back inside behind the seat, covering her ears. She was so freaked out by that, she didn't try to open the door again. So, she wasn't really trapped, just scared by the alarm. I am pretty relieved, I thought that the car wouldn't open the door.

I did try to figure out how the car locked itself with her inside, it seems to be pretty smart, won't lock if a seat is occupied (at least the driver's seat) but I couldn't reproduce that. Oh well, panic over.

Thanks for the update, glad she's ok!

 

[ronm2948]

When you unlocked the car and walked away, the car auto-locked itself. The only way the car has of knowing a passenger is inside is through the phone or keycard. Once the car was locked, the alarm was armed, and opening the door without using the key triggers the alarm. Sometimes when I am shopping, my daughters want to stay in the car. I need to warn them to call me if they want out, because opening the door from inside will cause the alarm to go off.

 

[Silicon Desert]

Depending on the event, and with so many weird people out there these days, I won't let my 11 year-old girl run off to the car. Good that you had the awareness to check on her.

 

[miimura]

When you unlocked the car and walked away, the car auto-locked itself. The only way the car has of knowing a passenger is inside is through the phone or keycard. Once the car was locked, the alarm was armed, and opening the door without using the key triggers the alarm. Sometimes when I am shopping, my daughters want to stay in the car. I need to warn them to call me if they want out, because opening the door from inside will cause the alarm to go off.

Yes, but he opened the car remotely with the app, so it was unlocked, at least briefly. If she had retrieved the item she wanted without closing the door while she was inside, there would have been no problem. I am also surprised that it re-locked so quickly, unless she was lingering inside.

 

[NoMoGas]

Yes, but he opened the car remotely with the app, so it was unlocked, at least briefly. If she had retrieved the item she wanted without closing the door while she was inside, there would have been no problem. I am also surprised that it re-locked so quickly, unless she was lingering inside.

Let's be honest she was probably futzing around inside the car which is why she closed the door in the first place. I have an 11 year old myself. The full truth is still a ways off... but glad she's ok.

 

[jjrandorin]

Today I got the "real story". My granddaughter came over and we tried to reproduce the situation where she was locked in the car. It turns out she wasn't really unable to get out; The car did lock itself, but she was able to open the door, but it set of the alarm. The loud honking of the horn scared her and she jumped back inside behind the seat, covering her ears. She was so freaked out by that, she didn't try to open the door again. So, she wasn't really trapped, just scared by the alarm. I am pretty relieved, I thought that the car wouldn't open the door.

I did try to figure out how the car locked itself with her inside, it seems to be pretty smart, won't lock if a seat is occupied (at least the driver's seat) but I couldn't reproduce that. Oh well, panic over.

I just wanted to thank you for closing the loop on this story. many times people post something like your first post, then find out and dont follow up (they just ghost out and stop responding on it).

Very nice to know what happened as the original story is pretty scary.

 

[ohmman]

Moderator note: Title amended to clarify the child wasn't locked in the vehicle.

 

[miimura]

Let's be honest she was probably futzing around inside the car which is why she closed the door in the first place. I have an 11 year old myself. The full truth is still a ways off... but glad she's ok.

I have a 10 year old daughter. I'm familiar.

 

[Rottenapplr]

Thanks for the update, glad she's ok!

Ya poor girl

 

[eustachio]

This happened to me last week, my wife and mother in law were in the car in the supermarket parking lot.

I could hear a car alarm going off outside, little did I know! I guess the thing to do in such situations is to leave a key card or phone with passengers

 

[RSL2020]

So the car does know when someone is in the backseat as it toggles the backseat airflow accordingly. Seems they could implement this for the alarm system to avoid this situation. (unless its a premium interior only feature)

BTW, it happens when someone is in the front as well. My wife sets it off about once a month.

 

[DirtyT3sla]

Yeah I was gonna say, if the car is locked, sentry mode on, and you use the door open button (even in the back seat) it opens, the outside alarm goes off, and the inside music alarm does NOT go off as shown here:

 

[davewill]

This happened to me last week, my wife and mother in law were in the car in the supermarket parking lot.

I could hear a car alarm going off outside, little did I know! I guess the thing to do in such situations is to leave a key card or phone with passengers

Or just turn off the auto lock toggle.