NHTSA Complaint #11172331 — 2018 AUDI Q7

THE CAR CAN BE LOCKED BY A TODDLER FROM REAR SEAT EVEN WHEN THE CHILD SAFETY IS ENABLED WHILE THE CAR IS IDLE. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER THE REMOTE/KEY IS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE CAR. WHEN THE CAR IS IDLE, YOU CANNOT UNLOCK THE CAR USING THE REMOTE AND THE TODDLER WILL BE LOCKED INSIDE THE CAR. THIS CASE IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE CASE OF NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10626358, WHICH WAS REPORTED FOR 2014 AUDI Q7 IN 2014. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE REPORTING SIMILAR PROBLEM. BUT THIS CASE POTENTIALLY CAN BE DEADLY FOR THE TODDLER IF THE CAR IS PARKED IN A NON-OPEN SPACE. THE 2014 CASE REPORT MENTIONED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN THERE FOR AT LEAST 5 YEAR BEFORE 2014. SO, IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 10 YEAR SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED. FORTUNATELY, THE MOTHER WAS INSIDE THE CAR TOGETHER WITH THE TODDLE AND SHE UNLOCKED THE CAR FROM INSIDE. OTHERWISE, IT WILL BE A TRAGIC DAY FOR US WITH ALMOST 0 DEGREE AND THE SNOW STORM. AUDI NEED TO DISABLE THE 'LOCK ALL DOOR FROM REAR' FUNCTION. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND AUDI SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IN SUMMARY, THERE ARE TWO SITUATIONS THAT THE TODDLER CAN LOCK HIMSELF INSIDE THE CAR: 1. THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING. THE TODDLER CAN LOCK HIMSELF IN THE CAR IF THE PARENTS ACCIDENTLY LEFT THE REMOTE IN THE CAR. FOR THIS CASE, THE PARENTS CAN UNLOCK THE CAR WITH THE OTHER SET OF REMOTE. 2. THE CAR IS RUNNING. THE TODDLER CAN LOCK HIMSELF IN THE CAR NO MATTER WHERE THE REMOTE IS. BUT IN THIS CASE, THE DOOR CANNOT BE UNLOCKED WITH THE REMOTE. SO, IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE THE CAR (FOR EXAMPLE, JUST FINISHED BUCKLING UP THE TODDLER), YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO BEFORE THE CAR IS OUT OF GAS. AND THIS SITUATION IS MORE DANGEROUS.