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David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
3/13/25 9:17 p.m.

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. 

CyberEric
CyberEric SuperDork
3/13/25 9:20 p.m.

Wow! I'm speechless. 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
3/13/25 9:21 p.m.

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. 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
3/13/25 9:22 p.m.

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

RevRico
RevRico MegaDork
3/13/25 9:31 p.m.

That's fairly impressive. 

APEowner
APEowner UltraDork
3/13/25 9:48 p.m.

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

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH MegaDork
3/13/25 10:02 p.m.

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.

TravisTheHuman
TravisTheHuman MegaDork
3/13/25 10:19 p.m.
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.

codrus (Forum Supporter)
codrus (Forum Supporter) UltimaDork
3/13/25 10:51 p.m.

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

 

Appleseed
Appleseed MegaDork
3/13/25 10:55 p.m.

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Tech Editor & Production Manager
3/13/25 11:08 p.m.

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.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
3/13/25 11:14 p.m.
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. 

Andy Hollis
Andy Hollis
3/13/25 11:14 p.m.

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

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
3/13/25 11:15 p.m.
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. 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
3/13/25 11:17 p.m.
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. 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
3/13/25 11:32 p.m.
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. 

Streetwiseguy
Streetwiseguy MegaDork
3/14/25 1:12 a.m.

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...

footinmouth
footinmouth Reader
3/14/25 7:22 a.m.

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 . 

 

jimbob_racing
jimbob_racing SuperDork
3/14/25 7:31 a.m.
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?

CrashDummy
CrashDummy Reader
3/14/25 7:53 a.m.
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. 

adam525i
adam525i SuperDork
3/14/25 8:05 a.m.
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.

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
3/14/25 8:51 a.m.

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

ShawnG
ShawnG MegaDork
3/14/25 9:16 a.m.

I was expecting Corvette.

dean1484
dean1484 MegaDork
3/14/25 10:10 a.m.

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.  :-). 

John Welsh
John Welsh Mod Squad
3/14/25 10:26 a.m.

Two thoughts.

1. Those cops must be onto something.

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

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