NHTSA Complaint #10524829 — 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS C

WHEN I PULLED UP OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE AND WENT TO OPEN THE BACK HATCH, I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE LOCK BUTTON. THE CAR THEN LOCKED - BUT WITH MY SMART KEY FOB AND MY 10-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER INSIDE OF THE CAR. IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCK THE CAR WITH THE KEY FOB INSIDE. I HAD NO WAY OF GETTING INTO THE CAR TO GET MY DAUGHTER OUT - I HAD TO CALL THE POLICE AND HAVE THEM BREAK INTO THE CAR FOR ME. AS THE CAR STARTED AND DROVE TWICE - FROM WORK TO MY SITTER'S, FROM MY SITTER'S TO MY HOUSE - THE KEY WAS DETECTABLE FROM ITS LOCATION IN MY CAR. THERE IS NO WAY IT SHOULD HAVE LOCKED WITH THE KEY FOB STILL INSIDE. AND I CAN'T EMPHASIZE HOW MUCH OF A SAFETY HAZARD THIS IS - MY 10-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER WAS IN THE CAR. WHAT IF IT HAD BEEN A REALLY HOT DAY? WHAT IF I HAD BEEN SOMEWHERE WHERE IT TOOK THE POLICE TIME TO GET TO ME? WHAT IF MY PHONE HAD BEEN LOCKED IN THE CAR? WHILE IT ALL TURNED OUT FINE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE SMART KEY SYSTEM ON MY CAR SHOULD NEVER ALLOW THE KEY TO BE LOCKED INSIDE. *TR