I have a brand new 2010 S4; it has the standard key, not keyless ignition.

This morning when I was dropping my child at school, I put it in park, turned off the engine, left the key in the ignition, set the parking brake, got out and walked around to my daughter's door - AND ALL THE DOORS WERE LOCKED!

I could not have locked the doors - the key was still in the ignition, covering the lock button, and this car does not have keyless locking and ignition, so you can't lock it by pushing an exterior button. I'm sure I didn't push a lock button on the door; and even if I had bumped into it (e.g. when the door was open), I hope the car wouldn't be able to lock in that state. I don't believe my daughter bumped into the lock button on her door (back seat).

My daughter tried to get out and could not - she could not open the door with the handle, and when she pushed the unlock button it would not unlock.

We are fortunate - I talked my daughter into climbing into the front, pulling the key out of the ignition and pushing the unlock button.

This could have been quite dangerous, and it was certainly scary for all involved.

Has anyone else seen this happen?
Any ideas what caused it?
How to prevent it?
(Besides carrying a spare key ALWAYS, or ALWAYS taking the key with me even when just walking around the car? These should not be necessary.)

Thanks in advance.

 

I did not think the car would lock with teh key IN the ignition. Did you pull it out partway?

I would think you would not want to leave the keys IN teh car with a child in there, IMHO. In thew off chance teh child DID lock the car.

I remember back when I was a teen, a lady up the street from us had her 18m/o son do that to her, from inside the car. I vividly remember the brilliant shade of crimson she slowly turned as she yelled, and yelled, and yelled through the glass trying to get her child to understand what mommie was screaming about. I did not know the human face could store THAT MUCH blood, subcutaneously. We eventually had to break into her car, for her (I got it on the 2nd try, and I was the 4th person to try it.). By that time junior (I do not rememmber his name) had lost interest in mommie and discovered her purse...

 

Thanks... The key was all the way in, I did not pull it out at all.

It seems to me that it should be impossible to lock the car from the back seats when the key is in the ignition; one could argue that it might make sense to be able to lock the car from the front seats with the key in the ignition, for certain circumstances. You should to be able get out and walk around the car with the key in the ignition, with no chance of it locking, but that's not the case.

The only explanations I have thought of are either my child's backpack bumped into the back seat lock switch, or it's a failure in the electronics. In the back seat you can lock the doors via the switch but you can't unlock them, and you can't get out by pulling the handle. This is a safety hazard and it seems like a design flaw.

I think I will ask the dealer to disconnect the lock switches in the back seat, as they appear to be more dangerous than helpful.

Looks like I'll have to either take out the key EVERY time, or carry the emergency key in my wallet all the time.

 

I always carry the flat emergency key in my wallet... totally saves you from locking yourself out. Gives you peace of mind. Ever load groceries into the trunk, with keys in hand? You set the keys down for a moment to rearrange a bag, forget they're there, then close the trunk?! You hear the chirp and you're locked out!

 

i had a 1995 audi 90 that had a screwed up vacuum lock system. it would lock the doors sometimes when engine running if you opened door and then closed it.. damn vacuum locks.. ridiculous.. cant they just be normal electric locks??!! just another way to over price the vehicle. poor audi desperately wants to be a bmw.