NHTSA Complaint #10679894 — 2014 TESLA MODEL S

THE DEFAULT SETTING ON A TESLA MODEL S IS TO LOCK THE CAR IF YOU LEAVE YOUR KEYS IN IT FOR EVEN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND RESULTED IN MY TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS BEING LOCKED IN THE CAR ALONG WITH MY KEYS. ON 1/28 I ARRIVED HOME WITH MY DAUGHTERS. I LEFT MY PURSE WITH MY KEYS IN IT ON THE PASSENGER SEAT WHILE I WENT TO UNSTRAP THE GIRLS FROM THEIR CAR SEATS. IT WAS COLD, SO I CLOSED MY DRIVER'S DOOR. I PLUGGED THE CAR IN AND WALKED AROUND TO THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. I WAS WALKING SLOWER THAN USUAL BECAUSE OF THE ICE, BUT I WAS NOT WALKING SLOWLY OR LINGERING. BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND PUT MY HAND ON THE HANDLE, THE HANDLES RETRACTED WITH MY HAND ON IT AND ALL THE CAR DOORS LOCKED. I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY AND HAPPENED TO HAVE MY PHONE IN MY COAT POCKET AND HAD THE TESLA APP INSTALLED AND HAD CELL SERVICE. I WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOOR FROM MY PHONE. IF ANY ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTS HAD NOT BEEN PRESENT, I COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN MY DAUGHTERS OUT. IT TERRIFIES ME TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS OCCURRED IN A REMOTE LOCATION OR SOMEWHERE WHERE I WOULD BE FORCED TO LEAVE MY DAUGHTERS LOCKED IN THE CAR IN ORDER TO GET HELP. THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AT ALL AND IT MOST CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T BE THE DEFAULT SETTING. WE CALLED THE SERVICE CENTER THINKING IT WAS A BUG AND WAS TOLD THAT TESLA WAS AWARE AND THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT WAS TO DISABLE THE AUTOLOCK FEATURE ENTIRELY. WE CAN DO THAT, BUT I WORRY ABOUT OTHER PARENTS LEARNING THE HARD WAY. I EMAILED TESLA'S FEEDBACK LINE AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD MAKE A REQUEST FOR A NEW "FEATURE" FOR THE CAR TO NOT AUTOLOCK WITH THE KEYS INSIDE. THAT'S NOT A "FEATURE," THAT SHOULD BE BASIC. THIS AUTOLOCKING WITH THE KEYS INSIDE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED ON TESLA'S OWN MESSAGE BOARDS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS SO IT IS NOT SOMETHING OF WHICH THEY ARE UNAWARE. *TR