Tesla locked owner out with child inside.

[demarpaint]

You’ve lost your keys - so how do you open your locked Tesla from the outside?

When the battery is dead?

Because from my reading of the owner’s manual - there is NO outside manual way to open the car.

It requires a key fob, phone app, or key card. All three are electronic and all three require the 12V battery to have enough charge to work.

Further, the car has a “walk away” feature, that when it thinks you’re walking away, it locks automatically.

Looks like that happened here. Grandma puts kid in car, walks around to driver’s door, car thinks she is walking away, and locks itself. Battery dies.

Since there is no manual entry option, kid is now trapped in the car, in 100F heat (this happened in Scottsdale, and 100F has been the low lately).

Time to break a window.

That’s it - breaking the window is the only option.

But Tesla is perfect, why would someone break a Tesla window to get a child out in the hot summer? Elon and his followers would never approve! These threads amaze me, they really do. Break the stinking window get the kid/kids out and then share it on social media...

 

[atikovi]

can you get to the jump box in the trunk if you have no power to open the door?

No but I doubt many Tesla owners carry a jump box in the trunk.

 

[Nukeman7]

I only read the article and there’s no mention of a toddler getting trapped in the car.

Here is the correct story being discussed by the OP. It also mentions the other (unrelated) events involving drivers who could not exit the Tesla from within when their 12V batteries were depleted.

Toddler rescued from Tesla

 

[demarpaint]

Here is the correct story being discussed by the OP. It also mentions the other, unrelated events involving drivers who could not exit the Tesla from within when their 12V batteries were depleted.

Toddler rescued from Tesla

No over the air flash to fix that problem either.

 

[slo town]

But Tesla is perfect, why would someone break a Tesla window to get a child out in the hot summer? Elon and his followers would never approve! These threads amaze me, they really do. Break the stinking window get the kid/kids out and then share it on social media...

Once again, I think you're raising two issues, like the OP did.

If a toddler is locked inside a car, just break the effing window. What's the big deal? We have a world where strangers can break a window to rescue a dog that's trapped inside. Simple solution - do it for the kid like you would a dog.

With respect to Testa and their critics taking to social media to air their grievances - they're no different than influencers. They love to see their mug on the internet. I couldn't care less about the likes of Diane or grandma. For Diane, RTFM before operating the thing! For grandma, if you can't do it yourself, have someone break the window for you.

Is it really necessary that these simple incidents become so called news stories? The root cause for both is that these so called "victims" are stupid.

Scott

 

[atikovi]

The child was safely removed from the car after firefighters used an ax to smash through a window.

Can't imagine first responders don't know about the jump post in a Tesla. In the time it takes to grab an ax to smash the window they could have attached the jump box and popped the door open.

 

[demarpaint]

Once again, I think you're raising two issues, like the OP did.

If a toddler is locked inside a car, just break the effing window. What's the big deal? We have a world where strangers can break a window to rescue a dog that's trapped inside. Simple solution - do it for the kid like you would a friendly canine.

With respect to Testa and their critics taking to social media to air their grievances - they're no different than influencers. They love to see their mug on the internet. I couldn't care less about the likes of Diane or grandma. For Diane, RTFM before operating the thing! For grandma, if you can't do it yourself, have someone break the window for you.

Is it really necessary that these simple incidents become so called news stories? The root cause for both are that some people are stupid.

Scott

I say take it to social media because that seems to be how some people, even seniors become aware of problems like this, when it doesn't make the headlines or nightly news. Granted not all seniors are on social media but they might know people who are, and if those people are smart they could warn a senior of a potential problem like this that they discovered on social media, and say the window had to be broken to get the kid out. If social media can save just one life it did well. Opinions vary.

 

[slo town]

Can't imagine first responders don't know about the jump post in a Tesla. In the time it takes to grab an ax to smash the window they could have attached the jump box and popped the door open.

Oh, pleeeeze. My God.

Scott

 

[Astro14]

Can't imagine first responders don't know about the jump post in a Tesla. In the time it takes to grab an ax to smash the window they could have attached the jump box and popped the door open.

Not every firefighter knows the details of every car.

They’re trained for many things, but expecting them to know how to take the nose off a Tesla to jump it just isn’t reasonable.

And yes, swinging the axe is far faster than all that.

And yes, a child is trapped in a hot car, so this is, in fact, a life-threatening situation, so, yes, time is important.

The axe was the right call.

 

[slo town]

I say take it to social media because that seems to be how some people, even seniors become aware of problems like this, when it doesn't make the headlines or nightly news. Granted not all seniors are on social media but they might know people who are, and if those people are smart they could warn a senior of a potential problem like this that they discovered on social media, and say the window had to be broken to get the kid out. If social media can save just one life it did well. Opinions vary.

That Tesla had been warning grandma for weeks or days about the 12v battery going soft. If we lived in a world where electric cars came first and ICE later - people would run out of gas because they wouldn't know what the gas gauge was for.

Some of these modern day "problems" are analogous to the "how can I be out of money, I still have checks!". You can't fix stupid.

Scott

 

[slo town]

They’re trained for many things, but expecting them to know how to take the nose off a Tesla to jump it just isn’t reasonable.

EXACTLY!

Scott

 

[demarpaint]

That Tesla had been warning grandma for weeks or days about the 12v battery going soft. If we lived in a world where electric cars came first and ICE later - people would run out of gas because they wouldn't know what the gas gauge was for.

Some of these modern day "problems" are analogous to the "how can I be out of money, I still have checks!".

Scott

There are cases where you can't fix stupid, I'll give you that. Even so it doesn't change this case at all, a kid was trapped in the car and the window had to be broken to get the kid out. Maybe going forward the main battery that powers the motor/motors can be used when the 12V battery craps out to open the door. A worthwhile safety feature in a so called high tech car. That makes sense to me for an emergency, and save a window. Does that feature exist?

 

[burbguy82]

No but I doubt many Tesla owners carry a jump box in the trunk.

So the jump box is useless, sounds about right.

 

[slo town]

There are cases where you can't fix stupid, I'll give you that. Even so it doesn't change this case at all, a kid was trapped in the car and the window had to be broken to get the kid out. Maybe going forward the main battery that powers the motor/motors can be used when the 12V battery craps out to open the door. A worthwhile safety feature in a so called high tech car. That makes sense to me for an emergency, and save a window. Does that feature exist?

I agree that there could be an improvement in this scenario.

You got that big honking screen in the Tesla, maybe it needs to display a warning message in "plain English", something like "You have a malfunction that will soon make it impossible to unlock your vehicle from the outside! It is urgent that you see your Tesla service center immediately or stop driving the vehicle until this service is performed. DO NOT LEAVE A CHILD OR PET UNATTENDED INSIDE THE VEHICLE!"

Scott

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Kids get locked into cars all the time . This is nothing special with Tesla. Been happening since we lock cars..

Not when you have two different keys outside of the car and you still cannot get in.

On reason I used to like my Yugo, you have to lock the door from the outside with a key.
A good design compromise for a 1/2 brain dead 20 somthing in the 80's

 

[fdcg27]

You wouldn't use an axe to break out a tempered glass window.
Any responding rescue company would have a couple of spring loaded center punches and with a gentle push, the whole pane glazes over with cracks and can then be quickly and gently pushed out of the opening.
Even if this Tesla had some mechanical means of opening the doors from the outside, there would have been no way of unlocking them.

 

[andrew_j]

If you follow the link guessing story was edited as it now states the person was INSIDE car with toddler NOT locked out.

I am unclear in our 18 Tiguan without any physical lock (just switch) if it’s locked and power quit if you can get out either.

 

[supton]

I used to feel naked if I didn’t carry two keys for my car, one on a ring with all my vehicles, the spare with house keys and keys to other things. Didn’t have to be locked out too many times to learn that. Too expensive now to get spare fobs though.

[Didn't bother with spare keys for the house, I knew which window I was willing to break. Actually most any of the doors could be kicked open.]

Rode in a Tesla recently, the acceleration was great, the rest… eh. Toss in this and I see zero desire in ownership. Just because you can engineer a new solution doesn’t mean you should—mechanical door pulls and locks are better.

 

[Nukeman7]

If you follow the link guessing story was edited as it now states the person was INSIDE car with toddler NOT locked out.

I am unclear in our 18 Tiguan without any physical lock (just switch) if it’s locked and power quit if you can get out either.

Not seeing any update. The OP's story is about Grandma Renee Sanchez. The driver locked inside was "Diane", not Renee.

Renee Sanchez's Story

Diane's Story

Please post a link to the update you are referring to if I am mistaken.

 

[alarmguy]

Kids get locked into cars all the time . ..

How?
I know people lock themselves out of cars, leaving a fob or key behind but I don't know of stories where the person (owner) is not at fault and the car is at fault like in this case.
I guess it happens just don't remember reading anything so I don't think your statement applies as far as "all the time" automobiles, through no fault of the owner lock kids in cars.