NHTSA Complaint #11207131 — 2014 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER

I PLACED MY CHILD IN THE CAR SEAT IN THE REAR SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS A WARM DAY SO ONCE SHE WAS SAFELY FASTENED, I STARTED THE CAR TO RUN THE AIR CONDITIONER. IT HAS A KEYLESS START AND THE KEYS WERE IN MY POCKET. ONCE THE CAR WAS STARTED, I GOT OUT TO GO BACK TO THE BACK SEAT WITH MY DAUGHTER WHILE WE WAITED ON MY WIFE, WHO WAS STILL IN THE RESTAURANT PAYING THE BILL. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, THE KEYS WERE STILL IN MY POCKET. I CLOSED THE DRIVER DOOR. IT STARTED BEEPING BECAUSE THE KEYS WERE NOT PRESENT (THEY WERE IN MY POCKET, NOT THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE). THIS CAUSED THE DOORS TO LOCK. I TRIED TO OPEN ALL OF THE DOORS, THEY WERE ALL LOCKED. THE KEY FOB WOULD NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS. I PRESSED THE BUTTON ON THE KEY FOB TO RELEASE THE MANUAL KEY. I INSTERTED IT INTO THE KEY HOLE AND TURNED. IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. NONE OF THE BUTTONS WOULD RESPOND. MANUAL KEY APPEARS TO ALSO BE ELECTRONIC. MY 16 MONTH OLD CHILD WAS LOCKED IN THE RUNNING CAR ALONE. MY WIFE CAME OUT AND WAS TRYING TO APPEASE HER THROUGH THE WINDOW. WE CALLED EMERGENCY SERVICES AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS DISPATCHED. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, MY UNSUPERVISED DAUGHTER PULLED HER BARRETTE FROM HER HAIR AND PLACED IT IN HER MOUTH. I PULLED A GREEN STAKE FROM THE GROUND THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY SUPPORTING AN ADOLESCENT TREE. I THREW IT LIKE A JAVELIN 10 TIMES AT THE CAR WINDOW IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK IT. IT WOULDN'T BREAK. LUCKILY, A MAN PULLED UP WITH A SMALL WINDOW BREAKING HAMMER DESIGNED TO BREAK WINDOWS FROM THE INSIDE OF A CAR SUBMERGED IN WATER. I USED THIS TO EVENTUALLY BREAK THE WINDOW AND DISLODGE THE ITEM FROM MY DAUGHTER'S THROAT. THE CAR LOCKED ME OUT ALTHOUGH A RETAINED THE KEYS. LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING. ANY PARENT WHO PARKS THE CAR AND GETS OUT TO REMOVE THEIR CAR FROM THE REAR SEAT COULD EXPERIENCE THE SAME FATE. I CAN REPLICATE THIS ISSUE ON COMMAND. IT WASN'T A FLUKE.