Had finished some shopping with mum, went back to the car. Unlocked the car (central locking) and opened the boot. Put kids in their car seats, pram in boot but left boot door open so mum could put stuff in. Opened driver's door, turned car on, aircon on. Mum's friend pulled in, I called out a hello and went to get into driver's seat - door locked. All doors locked. Car running, kids inside but doors have locked themselves. The boot is on the same central locking unit - doors can't lock if one door or the boot is open.
I couldn't climb through the boot to get to the kids because we have a cargo barrier (it's a wagon) and I don't have tools to unbolt it. Rang DH - he was an hour away and his key was locked in the car anyway. Rang RACV, they called the fire brigade and organised a tech.
Mum was asking me if we could coach DD1 to open the door but I didn't want to teach her to take her seatbelt off and the back doors are child locked so she couldn't open it from the inside. If she got out of the seat and climbed into the front, well the car was running so I'd hate to think what would have happened if she'd bumped the gear shifter. We were waiting for help when DD1 started to shriek "Nonna! I got the door open!"
Somehow my clever munchkin had opened the door - even though the child lock was on. Right at the same time, the MFB and ambos turned up with the RACV. Everyone checked that we were all okay. Strangest bit was they confirmed that the child lock was on - we couldn't open it up again from the inside.
So even though we have these great cars that shouldn't do things like this - mine did. It broke all the rules and locked itself - even with the boot open. Keep your keys close!!!!!!!
I got caught the same way - thankfully pre kids - a few years ago too; keys in the ignition and the car locked itself. I always make sure the driver's window is down far enough for me to get my arm in now.
Must have been scary for you with the kids inside. Glad everybody's ok. Awful way to learn a lesson
My DH's Nissan Navara has done the same thing - fortunately at home and not with the kids in the car. He had started the car in the morning to warm up the engine and get the heater cranking and it locked itself. He couldn't figure out how to open the door manually with the spare key so he had to wake me up - at 5am!! (Any Navara owners, you have to flick off a little flap on the door handle of the driver's door to expose the key lock!) I often start my car while I load the boot so that the heater/air conditioning gets going for the kidlets, but I always leave the drivers door open.
I've always been paranoid about locking my keys and child in the car at the same time - whenever I put DS into his seat the keys go in the door handle next to him and the door is left open, then when we're ready to go I grab the keys and shut the door.
I'd be contacting the manufacturer about that kind of malfunction personally - really not cool!
how scary! i thought i was just being paranoid always opening the window if i was out of the car and the keys were in, but i will continue doing it now. Glad things are ok.
My previous car did this, luckily I hadn't put my dd1 in yet, I always kept my keys on me after that until I was seated in the car. So scary for you xx
Oh my darling!!!!!! So glad you're all ok! I can imagine how scary that would have been. I don't mind saying that my heart was racing when you told me.
how scary!! one of the reasons i love my car, no central locking, infact you have to have to physically put the key in the drivers door to lock it, so near impossible to lock the keys in the car.
that actually really scares me... glad your kiddies are ok
I had a similar thing happen to me with the twins and being at chiro. Put them into the car (2 door hyundai) and if you press the lock button accidentally without the doors being closed it will activate the mechanism and when the doors are all closed it locks. I didn't realise the locking mechanism had been activated when I was putting the boys into the car so finished with them and shut the door, went around to the drivers side to get in and door locked with kids inside. Luckily it wasn't a hot day, but I was freaking out... ran inside to get them to call RACV who took ages to answer who told me a twech was an hour away and they could call the fire brigade to break a window.
While we were waiting I went back to the car to check on the boys (as best I could) and searched around and luckily found the car keys had fallen onto the ground just under the car - disaster averted - called back RACV to stop Fire Brigade coming as we were all o.k, but now I have a lanyard with my keys attached which I put around my neck when I'm putting the kids in the car and I will always leave a car door open until everyone is all in safely including me.
I know on hot days putting the a/c on to cool the car down before everyone gets in seems like the best option but for me, I open the car up put the key in the ignition to open the window then take the key out, put it around my neck and then get the kids in the car and once we are all in safely then I'll turn the car on and crank up the a/c and then close the windows.
Keep your keys on you
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Glad everything worked out ok. Amazing that the child locked door opened just that once when needed...
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