Fob Locked Inside (2020 CX-5)

[cptinjak]

Had a weird one today and curious if anyone can shed some light and explain what may have happened:

I left our 2020 Signature at the tire shop to get snow tires installed. Came back at the end of the day, key was in the center console, all the doors and hatch were locked, BUT the mirrors were not folded in. I had assumed the mirrors folded every single time the doors locked, but apparently not? I did read about the issue of it locking when the door is partially closed, but all doors were fully closed so I don't think that was it. I thought maybe the fob got cold outside (35F today) and finished off an old battery, but the the fob worked when I finally got in, so I'm pretty stumped.

I had thought this was impossible, and since we have a toddler and a newborn I'd like to figure out how it happened to make sure we don't accidentally do it again. Heaven forbid it happens with the kids in the car. (I know I know, "just don't leave the fob in it" but s*** happens.) So if anyone can help me understand how it works and what happened, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Thanks,

Jack

 

[stickerbush]

I think it's possible to lock the car with a fob inside if you also have a fob outside the car.

 

[cptinjak]

Could be. My second fob was 20 miles away when this happened though.

Jack

 

[HeloJoe]

I've actually noticed my 2021 locking the doors if I'm on the passenger side of the vehicle with the door half open as well.

As long as I have access to the MyMazda app I have less concern about locking the key in the car. Just unlock from the app if you use it.

 

[sm1ke]

As I understand it, you left the car and the keyfob with the tire shop. When you came back later to pick the car up, the tire shop had left the keyfob in the center console for you. Is that correct? How did you get back into the car with the doors locked? Did they unlock after pressing the button on the exterior door handle?

I think you can manually lock the doors if the ignition is off and the keyfob is in the car. That's probably how the shop did it.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

If I remember correctly, the owner's manual for the 2016.5 CX says something about certain areas inside the car where the fob can't be 'seen' by the antenna that receives the fob's signal. Again, if memory serves, one of these spots is inside the cupholders.

 

[ceric]

I agree to sm1ke and Conrad's comments. My understanding as well.
I have owned Mazda vehicle with SmartKey since '08 CX-9.
Check the fob got locked inside to make sure that the battery is not low.

 

[cptinjak]

As I understand it, you left the car and the keyfob with the tire shop. When you came back later to pick the car up, the tire shop had left the keyfob in the center console for you. Is that correct?

Yes that is correct.

How did you get back into the car with the doors locked? Did they unlock after pressing the button on the exterior door handle?

I went back home and got our other key. The button on the handle did not unlock the car.

I think you can manually lock the doors if the ignition is off and the keyfob is in the car. That's probably how the shop did it.

From the outside with the handle button? I don't believe that is possible.

Jack

 

[cptinjak]

If I remember correctly, the owner's manual for the 2016.5 CX says something about certain areas inside the car where the fob can't be 'seen' by the antenna that receives the fob's signal. Again, if memory serves, one of these spots is inside the cupholders.

And that makes it lock? Usually when the fob is out of range, the opposite happens and the car does not lock when it should.

Jack

 

[cptinjak]

Does anyone have insight on the mirror thing? That's the weirdest part of all of this. Under what conditions does the car lock but NOT fold the mirrors???

Jack

 

[cptinjak]

I've actually noticed my 2021 locking the doors if I'm on the passenger side of the vehicle with the door half open as well.

As long as I have access to the MyMazda app I have less concern about locking the key in the car. Just unlock from the app if you use it.

Yes my wife has the app but she was at work and unavailable. The scenario that scares me is both her phone and key in her purse, in the car, and this happening.

Jack

 

[Conrad 16.5]

And that makes it lock? Usually when the fob is out of range, the opposite happens and the car does not lock when it should.

Jack

No! It doesn't make it lock but the car doors CAN be locked with the fob in the car under the right conditions.

I think you can manually lock the doors if the ignition is off and the keyfob is in the car. That's probably how the shop did it.

From the outside with the handle button? I don't believe that is possible.



It is possible. With the car unlocked, driver's door open, lock the doors manually from the inside.

As stated in the owner's manual

"If I remember correctly, the owner's manual for the 2016.5 CX says something about certain areas inside the car where the fob can't be 'seen' by the antenna that receives the fob's signal. Again, if memory serves, one of these spots is inside the cupholders."

So, the car is now locked with the door open and if the fob is placed inside the cupholder area, where the antenna can't 'see' the fob, the locked door can now be closed, and the fob is locked inside.

Dunno what to think about your folding mirrors that aren't folding though.

 

[sm1ke]

From the outside with the handle button? I don't believe that is possible.

No, not from the outside. Basically it seems that the shop turned the car off, left the keys in the center console, then opened the door, locked all the doors using the switch on the door card (or manually locked each door using the switch by the interior pull handle), then closed the door.

Does anyone have insight on the mirror thing? That's the weirdest part of all of this. Under what conditions does the car lock but NOT fold the mirrors???

Jack

I would guess that the auto-folding trigger is either using your key fob or the central locking switch on the door card to lock the car. If you manually lock the car, then they don't get triggered.

 

[chickdr]

I think it's possible to lock the car with a fob inside if you also have a fob outside the car.

Definitely is. When we do this with ours (wife has a key in her purse which was left in the car and I have a fob in my pocket) there will be an extended beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep to let you know you are locking a fob in the car. I thought you had to have a second fob in your hand to do this though.

 

[sm1ke]

Definitely is. When we do this with ours (wife has a key in her purse which was left in the car and I have a fob in my pocket) there will be an extended beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep to let you know you are locking a fob in the car. I thought you had to have a second fob in your hand to do this though.

Yep I can confirm this on our 2018 CX-9. My wife carries our second fob in her purse, and when we pick the kiddos up from daycare, she leaves her purse in the car. When I lock the car with the second keyfob, I get the hundred beeps, and then when we get back to the car I have to unlock the doors.

 

[Oceantango]

I had that happen once and although I couldn’t unlock the doors I was able to open the hatch for what ever reason.

 

[arks]

I also had this happen once, so I had a (metal) key made so the drivers door can be unlocked manually. I put the key behind the license plate.

 

[Ranman57]

I just got a '24 moving from a '20. I kept a spare key on the rear plate of the '20 as others have done since I read about folks managing to lock their fob in the car.

I had a key cut for the new one and was sticking it on the plate today and got curious about just what it would take to lock your fob in the car.

First I tried locking the car, then opening the hatch and putting a fob in a lot of different positions in the car. No matter where I put it when I closed the hatch it would beep like crazy and always open again when I pushed the button.

Then I tried the same thing with the hatch closed, moving the fob around and trying to lock the doors from the button on the handle. No beeps but it simply did nothing and wouldn't lock at all.

Finally I tried manually locking the doors with the fob in the car. When I closed the door the car beeped again and immediately unlocked and unfolded the mirrors.

As chickdr said it will lock from a second fob when the lock button is pushed if another one is in the car and beeps to let you know something is up. But since you have to have the second fob to do it you're not really accidently locking yourself out so I guess that kinda makes sense.

So I'm not saying it can't happen, but it seems like it would take some odd set of circumstances to lock yourself out by accidently leaving your fob in the car. But I'm keeping that key where it is just in case.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

Yep I can confirm this on our 2018 CX-9. My wife carries our second fob in her purse, and when we pick the kiddos up from daycare, she leaves her purse in the car. When I lock the car with the second keyfob, I get the hundred beeps, and then when we get back to the car I have to unlock the doors.

This is the opposite of what happens with our CX.

There's only been a couple of times that this happened.

My wife has her fob in her purse, I have mine in my pocket. She leaves her purse in the car and I lock the doors with the action button on the driver's door handle with the door closed. The car beeps at me 7 or 8 times but the doors do not lock.