NHTSA Complaint #10661941 — 2014 FORD FLEX

MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS PUTTING OUR 20 MONTH OLD SON IN VEHICLE. SHE PLACED HER PURSE WITH THE KEYLESS ENTRY FOB INTO CAR AND CLOSED THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR. SHE FOUND THE VEHICLE NOW ENTIRELY LOCKED AT ALL DOORS AND WOULD NOT OPEN DESPITE THE KEY FOB BEING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT IS BELOW FREEZING OUTSIDE AND OUR SON IS NOW LOCKED INTO THE CAR AND GETTING COLDER. MY WIFE CALLED ME. I HAD HER CALL 911. I CALLED FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND EXPLAINED THE EMERGENCY WE HAD. FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND SUGGESTED I CALL SYNC. I THEN CALLED SYNC AND THEY TOLD ME THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE BACK AND THEY WERE EVEN MORE RUDE THIS TIME AND TOLD ME THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. I EXPLAINED TO EACH CONTACT THERE WAS A TODDLER LOCKED IN A VEHICLE. WE FINALLY CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SIMPLY GAVE US A 5 DIGIT CODE TO ENTER INTO THE KEYPAD ON THE VEHICLE AFTER VERIFYING SOME INFORMATION. I FIND THIS EXTREMELY TROUBLING AND CONCERNING FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND FORD SYNC DID NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO DIRECT US OR AN ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE MANUFACTURER ASSIGNED 5 DIGIT KEYPAD CODE FOR ENTERING THE VEHICLE. NOT TO MENTION THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED WITH THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION ONE BIT. THE OUTCOME OF THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE RESULTED QUITE WORSE THAN IT DID. AN INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED ON PROCEDURES FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND FORD SYNC EMPLOYEES ARE TO FOLLOW IN LIFE THREATENING SITUATIONS INVOLVING WOMEN AND CHILDREN WITH THEIR VEHICLES, SPECIFICALLY WHEN INFANTS/TODDLERS AND CHILDREN ARE LOCKED INSIDE FORD VEHICLES. AT THIS POINT WE CAN ONLY ASSUME THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHICH RESULTED IN ALL DOORS AND HATCHES LOCKING WHILE THE KEYLESS FOB WAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *JS