2010 Lexus RX 350 --- locked out today

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Feb 22, 2011
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MN
Hoping someone can enlighten me.

Doing courier work today. Dropped off package, come back to running car....it has locked me out. Fob is sitting in cup holder, not my pocket. $150.00 later, a locksmith gets me in.

How can a running car lock itself? First and cheapest thing to do is verify my FOB battery is fresh. Neither my mechanic or the locksmith can explain it.

Locksmith did say it is some kind of Lexus issue. He gets called to Lexus dealerships all the time, after they are locked out.

What to do going forward, other than keeping my FOB in my pocket?

Thank You.
 
Well, keeping the FOB in your pocket isn't rocket science. I would start there.

The other option is to keep a spare mechanical key.

Check the customization settings in your owners manual. You might have an option to avoid autolocking on timer.
 
just keep in your pocket 100% of the time.
if its painful remove keys from ring to bare minimum needed.

I'm trained myself to always lock with fob and never remove from pocket (to place in cupholder etc)

Also leaving car running with keys in it.. is just asking for it.
 
Wife’s Lexus es350 will beep and not allow drivers door to lock if the fob is left in the car. Don’t ask me how I know. :rolleyes:
 
Hoping someone can enlighten me.

Doing courier work today. Dropped off package, come back to running car....it has locked me out. Fob is sitting in cup holder, not my pocket. $150.00 later, a locksmith gets me in.

How can a running car lock itself? First and cheapest thing to do is verify my FOB battery is fresh. Neither my mechanic or the locksmith can explain it.

Locksmith did say it is some kind of Lexus issue. He gets called to Lexus dealerships all the time, after they are locked out.

What to do going forward, other than keeping my FOB in my pocket?

Thank You.
 
"DAVE: Open the pod bay doors, Hal.
HAL: I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.
DAVE: What’s the problem?
HAL: l think you know what the problem is just as well as l do. “
 

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I had a 3rd mechanical key cut to my 2016 CR-V.

I keep the key from the second fob on a keychain. And have the fob I use all the time wrapped in food plastic wrap and that is inside the top of an old sock to protect it. That way it is protected in case I get soaked by an unexpected storm while walking in woods. The second fob (without key and without battery is well hidden (in / on / inside a part) of the vehicle far enough from the field coil of start button. The key on chain is used for glove box. The 3rd key is wrapped in food plastic wrap and hidden where I can access it from outside of vehicle.

So, even if I loose the fob I can open the vehicle. Second fob will work to start vehicle without battery if held near start button. But I also have its battery and a new battery for it in glove box.
 
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Had something similar to this happen several years ago with my 2007 Tacoma.

My truck doesn’t have an ENGINE START button - just a traditional keyed ignition. And it has remote keyless entry.

However…the truck has a “safety“ feature that works like this -

When the truck is unlocked with the remote, a timer starts, and, if a door is not opened within about 30 seconds (detected by a microswitch on the door), the doors are automatically re-locked.

Handy safety feature…unless the microswitch on the door malfunctions. 😫

I was at a park about 25 miles from home one afternoon, out for a mountain bike ride.

I get back to the truck around 6 pm, unlock the doors with the remote keyless entry fob, open my door to grab some water, throw the keys down on the driver’s seat, close the door, and walk over to talk to a couple of other mountain bikers for a few minutes.

After talking to my friends, i get ready to head home, walk back over to the truck, pull the door handle…nothing. It’s locked! 🤬

What the heck?! How could it re-lock???

The only thing I could figure was a malfunction in the driver side door microswitch. For some reason, the switch didn’t open when I originally unlocked the truck with the remote and opened the door, so the automatic re-lock countdown timer was never halted. The result? I’m now locked out of my truck with my only option being to call a locksmith (luckily back in 2014 it was only $60).

Whats weird is, that’s the only time that I know of that it has happened, in the 15 years I’ve owned the truck.

I have had a couple of other electrical issues that pop up periodically - a cruise control stalk that works only when it feels like it (I need to replace that thing), and an air conditioning relay that has malfunctioned a couple of times, resulting in a sudden flow of warm, humid air from the vents, to my horror.

When that happens, the A/C button light flashes. The fix has been, simply, to press the button twice, banishing the problem for another few months (or years…I don’t think it’s happened for a least a couple of years now - interesting how electronic devices can “fix themselves” sometimes, eh?).

Anyway…I don’t trust closing the door with the keys inside anymore!
 
my 03 sorento locked me out also with key in the ing! it was 100deg outside also. i pulled the relay for the power door locks so it cant happen again.
 
Me either. A friend of mine had his car stolen by doing that. Ran into the convenience store for a minute and came back out and the car was gone.
Yes, I understand. I am in driveways, no further than 20 feet from the vehicle. I am not in a commercial area, I am at people's houses.
 
just keep in your pocket 100% of the time.
if its painful remove keys from ring to bare minimum needed.

I'm trained myself to always lock with fob and never remove from pocket (to place in cupholder etc)

Also leaving car running with keys in it.. is just asking for it.

With keyless go, why leave the key in the car? Just keep it in your pocket.
I agree. Its a new car to me, never thought this would be possible. I have no idea why I didn't have the FOB in my pocket, as I typically do.
 
When I carry my dogs with me I carry my spare key as doors will be locked with dogs in front seats. Been locked out once I learned.
 
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