[bssybeep]

I love my new Racing Red SE, but it pissed me off tonight. I went out to pick up my son. When I arrived at the house I got out of the car to help him load his bags and the front door closed on me. Next thing I know all the doors are locked![scream]

So, here I am stuck outside my car with the engine idling, headlights and fogs on and all the doors locked. After an hour of idling, headlights getting hot, etc, my wife arrived with my spare key.

The auto lock "feature" is bad, how will it know if you are actually in the car or not before it decides to lock all your doors.

Turns out the manual does document how to disable this feature, which I just did. This is a strong recommendation to turn it off before you end up being locked out of your own car.

 

[newmission]

I haven't had a problem like this "yet". Auto locks do worry me as well! But we've had a string of car jackings, and having the doors locked is a good thing. I've noticed the doors don't lock until the car actually moves. Now on my 01 Grand Cherokee, the doors didn't lock until you were going 30mph or above. Which I thought was the better approach. Mind you this is on an 01, is Ford really that far behind?

P.S. Good call on the blacked out grille! +1

 

[bssybeep]

I haven't had a problem like this "yet". Auto locks do worry me as well! But we've had a string of car jackings, and having the doors locked is a good thing. I've noticed the doors don't lock until the car actually moves. Now on my 01 Grand Cherokee, the doors didn't lock until you were going 30mph or above. Which I thought was the better approach. Mind you this is on an 01, is Ford really that far behind?

P.S. Good call on the blacked out grille! +1

Thanks.

The Jeep approach makes sense. From now on I'll lock my own doors manually [hihi]

 

[bsp_53]

Figures

Thanks for the tip. Many vehicles today automatically UNlock the driver side door if it is locked with the keys in the ignition.

Fortunately, up in the sticks of Maine, I'm not too worried about a prowling car jacker, so I too will be disabling the auto locks (or selecting a different auto lock uption, if it exists) when I take delivery.

 

[estoyloco]

I haven't had this issue... I've sat idle plenty of times in my Focus while testing my MFT out...

only time I notice it lock automatically is when I put it in gear and drive.

 

[eyeballeater]

Yup, I got locked out too 4 days after getting our focus! It sat idling for 2 hours before CAA came and unlocked the car for me. I wonder how good that is for breaking in the engine?

 

[SydneyRoo]

Strange that it'd lock while the car is parked. My car doesn't auto-lock until you're moving about 10 km/h, my roommate's 02 Focus is the same.

Though with my car it won't let you lock the keys in the car, cause it knows where the key is +1 for the Intelligent Access key!

 

[completely_focused]

This just doesn't sound right to me. Isn't there a occupancy sensor in the seats? If you are in the car it knows it so why would it lock you out. I also notice that my doors don't auto lock until I am moving. How long after you shut the doors with the engine running will it lock the doors?

This would be easy to test without fear by using both sets of keys to see if your car will lock you out.

 

[bsp_53]

Though with my car it won't let you lock the keys in the car, cause it knows where the key is +1 for the Intelligent Access key!

Phew, one more reason I'm glad I'm getting a Titanium.

 

[nortsr]

This just doesn't sound right to me. Isn't there a occupancy sensor in the seats? If you are in the car it knows it so why would it lock you out. I also notice that my doors don't auto lock until I am moving. How long after you shut the doors with the engine running will it lock the doors?

This would be easy to test without fear by using both sets of keys to see if your car will lock you out.

Why dont you just get a key made for abiut $5.00 and place in one of those magnet key cases from Pep Boys, Walmart, AutoZone, etc. and place it under the car on the metal area somewhere??? If your key is microchipped, the spare key won't start the car...but it will let gain accessto the keys locked inside?????

 

[completely_focused]

Why dont you just get a key made for abiut $5.00 and place in one of those magnet key cases from Pep Boys, Walmart, AutoZone, etc. and place it under the car on the metal area somewhere??? If your key is microchipped, the spare key won't start the car...but it will let gain accessto the keys locked inside?????

That's fine but I'm not the one with the problem locking my keys in the Focus. Check for the OP. I will test mine out shortly since I just finished cleaning up all the yard debris from Irene.

 

[completely_focused]

I just tested the theory that the focus will automatically lock you out if the car is running with the keys in ignition. It doesn't hold any water because I tried it and it doesn't lock me out. You can lock yourself out though if you or someone else in the car pushes the lock button on the center console before you leave the car. That's the only way I can see getting locked out with the engine running. That also is the same way most people on other cars lock themselves out too. Heck, I did it in my truck since I had a habit of using the lock button instead of the key fob to lock the doors. I'm now retraining myself to use only the key fob to lock the doors.

 

[hotleadsingerguy]

I haven't had this issue... I've sat idle plenty of times in my Focus while testing my MFT out...

only time I notice it lock automatically is when I put it in gear and drive.

Same here. Drive for 3 seconds and it locks the doors.

I do question, though, why anyone would get out of the car while it's running. Why on Earth would you do that?

I do it with my car, but only because I have the key in my pocket and I lock the doors when I get out. That way, the car might be running, but the doors are all locked and I still have the key.

 

[Binyana2011]

A related question. If the car auto-locks as you start to drive, does it auto-unlock when you come to a stop and put the car in park or shut the car off?

 

[redav]

I'm now retraining myself to use only the key fob to lock the doors.

IMO, this is the single greatest feature of key fobs--they encourage you to lock the car from the outside, which is impossible unless you have your key on your person, and that prevents you from locking yourself out. I've also trained myself to always lock my home using the key on the outside (as opposed to locking the knob on the way out) for the same reason.

But stuff in cars wears out, and I've seen IA systems that failed & couldn't tell the key was inside the car. So I would rather be forced to manually use the fob to lock the doors than have the car do it automatically.

 

[pra2veen]

A related question. If the car auto-locks as you start to drive, does it auto-unlock when you come to a stop and put the car in park or shut the car off?

The car auto-locks once the car starts moving faster than 4mph. Even if the car is brought to a stop and put in Park, the doors don't auto-unlock. You just pull the handle on the inside to unlock/open the doors anyway.

 

[BetaDnB]

OP, are you sure you didn't hit the lock button to unlock all the doors when you got out? How it works is the car locks all the doors at 4mph. Each door is unlocked from the inside when you pull the lever to open the door. When you open the driver's door from the inside it unlocks all the doors. The scenario I see is you were unaware of how this feature works and logically hit the lock/unlock button to unlock all the doors after you opened your door. That in turn locked all the doors. This is the only possibility I can see for getting locked out in this instance.

 

[Binyana2011]

The car auto-locks once the car starts moving faster than 4mph. Even if the car is brought to a stop and put in Park, the doors don't auto-unlock. You just pull the handle on the inside to unlock/open the doors anyway.

That'll work. My current car wont do this. You have to either hit the unlock button, or pull back on the unlock tab. It is a PITA as I am in/out of the car countless times per day, many times for only moments at a time.

 

[sierragm84]

locked out with keys in ignition, engine off

Twice now I have been locked out of my Fusion. My car stays in a locked attached garage at night and I usually just leave the keys in the ignition. BOTH times I have gone to open the door and they are all locked. Is there a safety system of some sort that the car thinks it will get stolen because the keys are in it and automatically locks !! It was both times where I was meeting someone and had to make other arrangements. I will take keys out now or have a spare set made (husband at work, with the other set !)

 

[sailor]

This has happened often enough with all generations of the Focus that we know it's possible. Exact circumstances are usually difficult to ascertain, so it's often hard to point at the cause.

One circumstance I KNOW will cause it with my earlier model is unlocking the doors without subsequently opening one. The car will relock the doors after a waiting period, assuming you didn't actually want to access it.

So, imagine opening the door then accidentally hitting an unlock button as you shut it down & leave it. After a waiting period, it'll lock itself again trapping your keys inside. Just one possible scenario I know will do this.

Not being trusting of the automatic system, I won't leave a key inside without a window down enough to reach in & unlock.

Locked garage is less secure than you'd think, pulling the keys & at least hanging them inside a locked access door to the house would be better.