Just got locked in a car–in my own driveway

Can’t recall that ever happening before.

It’s this week’s press car, a new Genesis GV80.

Before dinner, I went to check it out since it arrived later today and it’s been a busy day. 

How’s the back seat? Let’s see.

Not the biggest as it’s one of those “coupe” SUVs. I think the back of an Elantra has more room. Definitely more headroom. 

Well, let’s get out and eat: nothing.

Try the other back door: nothing.

Handles just don’t do anything. 

Unlock via the button? Nothing.

Unlock via the fob? Nothing. 

Open the rear windows? Nope.

I can reach the starter button but, still, no rear windows. 

Cannot open the rear doors. 

Did someone engage the child locks? 

I can open the hatch via the fob but the cargo cover in kinda in the way–and, remember, it’s a coupe SUV so the sloping bodywork. 

My phone is in the house, so I can’t call my wife. I can’t even make a video and go viral. 

Think, Fry, think.

Okay, how about this: I can move the driver seat all the way forward and the passenger seat all the way back so I can (not gracefully) slither over the center console and into the passenger seat.

Success!

And, yep, someone engaged the child locks. First time in 30 years I have found them engaged on a test car. 

My wife said that eventually she’d have come looking for me. 

Wow! I'm speechless. 

It kinda reminded me of when I wiped out on my bike at the other end of the neighborhood. It was about 11 p.m., and it took like an hour for someone to find me. 

And if anyone from Genesis is reading this, I was wearing my slip-on Vans and took them off before escaping. 

That's fairly impressive. 

It's nice to know that your wife would have come looking for you eventually. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Getting into the back of an unfamiliar car alone is a fairly mundane action that could be an underappreciated danger in the wrong circumstances. The same thing happens to me about once every other month at some gig work I've been doing. The first time was in a Prius, I was able to get out through the front like you did just before I resorted to calling for help. The worst was in a Hummer EV, if it didn't have roof panels that were removable from the inside I wouldn't have been able to get back out on my own (at least without rubbing my shoes all over the interior of a brand new car). I've learned to check the child locks before I get in the back, and I probably catch about 2/3rds of them before it happens, but sometimes I forget, especially if the control isn't in the usual obvious place as with the Hummer EV.

David S. Wallens said:

And, yep, someone engaged the child locks. First time in 30 years I have found them engaged on a test car. 

I'm guilty of setting the child locks on cars at auto shows.

Turn the car on, put the windows down, then reach through and open the door using the outside handle?

Now I feel bad because i drove by your house earlier and saw the Genesis rocking, but as per the code, I did not come knocking.

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

Turn the car on, put the windows down, then reach through and open the door using the outside handle?

 

I thought about doing that. I could turn the key (press the button) to accessory mode, but the rear windows wouldn’t open. 

Read the thread title and thought you were in a McLaren.  They do that, despite being a two-seater.

JG Pasterjak said:

Now I feel bad because i drove by your house earlier and saw the Genesis rocking, but as per the code, I did not come knocking.

That was you slowing down as they drove by?

Did you hear my screams? No. Why? It’s a Genesis. 

TravisTheHuman said:

David S. Wallens said:

And, yep, someone engaged the child locks. First time in 30 years I have found them engaged on a test car. 

I'm guilty of setting the child locks on cars at auto shows.

You can’t casually flip these child locks. Looks like you need to use the actual key that’s buried somewhere inside the fob. 

Andy Hollis said:

Read the thread title and thought you were in a McLaren.  They do that, despite being a two-seater.

I once got locked out of a Viper ACR.

In the middle of no where.

My cell was inside the car. 

Fob simply would not talk to the car. 

I wonder, in 44 years working on Volvos, how many repair orders I have encountered requesting service on a rear door not opening from the inside...

Climbing over the seat are good skills to know if you were arrested for a crime you didn't do .If the keys are in the ignition ,hey take it for a short spin . 

David S. Wallens said:

Andy Hollis said:

Read the thread title and thought you were in a McLaren.  They do that, despite being a two-seater.

I once got locked out of a Viper ACR.

In the middle of no where.

My cell was inside the car. 

Fob simply would not talk to the car. 

Ok Paul Harvey, what's the rest of the story?

David S. Wallens said:

How’s the back seat? Let’s see.

Not the biggest as it’s one of those “coupe” SUVs. I think the back of an Elantra has more room. Definitely more headroom. 

All of the engineers responsible for a 5,000 lb, $60k SUV that has a less useful back seat than an Elantra should be punished severely. 

CrashDummy said:

David S. Wallens said:

How’s the back seat? Let’s see.

Not the biggest as it’s one of those “coupe” SUVs. I think the back of an Elantra has more room. Definitely more headroom. 

All of the engineers responsible for a 5,000 lb, $60k SUV that has a less useful back seat than an Elantra should be punished severely. 

I doubt it's the engineers pushing this sort of stupidity.

"Getting locked inside your own car" was certainly not on my bingo card of things to be irrationally worried about. (But it is now.)

I was expecting Corvette.

If I was ever trapped in a car because of child locks my wife probably would have told me "Oh so they are doing there job" or something to that effect.  :-). 

Two thoughts.

1. Those cops must be onto something.

2. Getting old sucks considering "back seat gymnastics" used to be a thing.