NHTSA Complaint #11024734 — 2015 AUDI Q7

2 YEARS AGO, WHEN MY BABY WAS 2, MY CAR LOCKED ITSELF BEFORE I WENT TO THE FRONT TO START DRIVING (THE CAR WAS PARKED). AUDIS HAVE A FEATURE THAT KNOWS WHEN THE KEY IS INSIDE AND DOES NOT TO LOCK ITSELF. THIS FEATURE WORKS 99% OF THE TIME, BUT FOR ME, OUT OF THE 3 TIMES THAT IT FAILED IN THE 2 YEARS I'VE HAD IT, 2 TIMES THE CAR LOCKED MY BABIES INSIDE THE HOT CAR AUTOMATICALLY. THE SECOND TIME HAPPENED A FEW DAYS AGO WITH MY 1 1/2 YEAR OLD, LIKE LAST TIME, AT NOON WHEN THE CAR WAS OFF AND 100 DEGREES OUTSIDE. TWICE 911 HAD TO BE CALLED TO GET THEM OUT.THE FIRST TIME THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY SAID EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. I FIGURED IT WAS A GLITCH. THIS TIME THEY WANT TO OFFER ME ANOTHER CAR, BUT I HAVE TO PAY MORE MONEY AND START ANOTHER 3 YEAR LEASE. THE LOCAL DEALER TOLD ME TO CALL AUDI NORTH AMERICA AND THEY HAD THE AUDACITY TO TELL ME THAT IF I LEAVE THE KEY IN THE CAR THAT IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO LOCK ITSELF!! WHEN THAT IS A FEATURE THAT THEY SELL AND THAT 99% OF THE TIME WORKS. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR WHO GOT MORE TECHNICAL WITH ME AND SAID THAT IF THE KEY IS LEFT INSIDE THE CAR THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO ONLY BE "LEFT IN THE DRIVER SEAT OR THE BACK OF THE SEAT" FOR THE CAR TO RECOGNIZE IT AS BEING INSIDE. THEIR MANUAL DOES NOT STATE THAT AND IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO COVER THEMSELVES. EVEN THE LOCAL MANAGER SAID THAT THAT WAS "NEWS TO HIM AND THAT HE GENERALLY LEAVES HIS KEY INSIDE WHEN SWITCHING DOORS WITHOUT PROBLEMS." OTHERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD THAT PROBLEM BUT IT'S ODD. THEY'VE ALSO HAVE TRIED TO BLAME MY CHILDREN WHEN MY KIDS WERE BOTH STRAPPED IN THEIR CAR SEATS AND ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT REACH THE LOCK BUTTON. IT ALSO HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER CLOSING THE DOOR. ALSO, THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS IN MY HOUSE WITHOUT KIDS INSIDE AND WHERE I HAD MY SPARE KEY HANDY TO OPEN IT. I FEEL THAT THIS COULD LEAD TO A FATALITY.