# Model 3 drivers BEWARE! Locking behavior



## FRC

It has come to my attention (and more importantly to my wife's attention) that there is a significant safety issue with our Model 3 door lock implementation. When seated in the driver's seat with the car in park and the doors locked, ie, the lock icon on top left of screen is closed; the drivers door can still be opened from outside. If the car is in gear the door cannot be opened. I always assumed that if the doors are locked, they can't be opened from outside. Assumption incorrect!

Of course my wife imagines the scenario where she being chased across a dark parking lot, jumps in, locks the doors and thinks she's safe. Sorry, she must lock the doors AND put the car in gear. Otherwise the molester simply opens the "locked" door. Obviously, I've only tested this on my car. Try yours and let us know, are you safe?


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## garsh

Thanks for the info.

Have you tried contacting Tesla to report this? Hopefully it's easily fixable in software.


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## FRC

garsh said:


> Thanks for the info.
> 
> Have you tried contacting Tesla to report this? Hopefully it's easily fixable in software.


I haven't contacted Tesla yet. I'd like to confirm that I'm not alone first.


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## Feathermerchant

Just went out and tested mine. The 'Unlock on Park' function is ON
Locled or Unlocked it determined by looking at the icon on the screen.
Entering the car it is unlocked. Sitting in the drivers seat and closing the door it is still unlocked.
Put it in 'gear' and it is unlocked.
If you lock it by touching the icon, it is locked and door cannot be opened from outside.
It may lock when you reach a certain speed but I was in the garage.

So it looks like you have to enter the car and lock the doors just like any other car.

If it locked the doors after the driver entered, then any passengers arriving after that would not be able to enter. You would have to leave your door open until other passengers arrived.


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## FRC

Feathermerchant said:


> If you lock it by touching the icon, it is locked and door cannot be opened from outside.


To be clear, did someone attempt to open from outside? This case that you describe is precisely what I'm talking about. Enter the car, hit lock icon to "lock" doors, car still in park, door can be opened from outside.


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## Feathermerchant

Yes my wife was on the outside.
Oh you did not say lock after entering and in Park.
I'll try that.


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## Feathermerchant

OK
Got in, did not start car but hit lock and mirrors folded, lights flashed and got the lock/unlock chime. Doors unable to be opened from outside.
Started car and door icon remained locked. Didn't try door from outside.


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## shareef777

FRC said:


> To be clear, did someone attempt to open from outside? This case that you describe is precisely what I'm talking about. Enter the car, hit lock icon to "lock" doors, car still in park, door can be opened from outside.


Did you try tapping the brakes after entering to engage a driver profile? I wouldn't think entering and closing the door would lock anyone out as that would lock you out by simply opening and closing the door.


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## JasonF

Just tested in my garage with the driver window open since I didn't have a 2nd person:

- Got into the car, hit the lock icon right away. Reached outside, was not able to open the door. This matches the scenario of having a parking lot stalker and jumping into the car and hitting lock right away.

- Got out and back in to reset. Hit the brake first, then the lock icon. Reached outside, was not able to open the door.

- Reset again. Hit the brake first, then the lock icon. Then tapped Park on the right stalk. Reached outside, WAS able to open the door. Examined reason why: When you tap Park, the doors unlock automatically.

* I used my phone to unlock the car, and it's the only phone that is enabled as a key. None of the key cards were within range.

* I had no passengers in the car.

* Car is set to unlock for park, and to lock when I walk away.

I suspect that the reason you were able to open the driver's door with the car locked is either because Park was hit first (unlocking the doors again) or because another phone-key or key card was in range outside of the car. Huge asterisk on this entire test, though, because I don't know if the Model 3 will behave differently with the driver's window closed. I don't suspect it would, because having the car lock _better_ when the window is open would be silly.


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## MelindaV

FRC said:


> To be clear, did someone attempt to open from outside? This case that you describe is precisely what I'm talking about. Enter the car, hit lock icon to "lock" doors, car still in park, door can be opened from outside.


I actually tested this out some time back (and again just now). If you press the lock on the screen, the exterior door handles are disabled.


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## garsh

JasonF said:


> I suspect that the reason you were able to open the driver's door with the car locked is ... because another phone-key or key card was in range outside of the car.


@FRC, did the person opening the locked door in your testing have a key?


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## msjulie

Can we remove 'female' from the title? If this is important safety tip, it's not limited to one gender... thanks!


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## JasonF

garsh said:


> @FRC, did the person opening the locked door in your testing have a key?


Yes and no. There was no 2nd person, I had the driver's side window open so I could reach outside and pull the door handle. I had a phone-key, but inside the car.


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## garsh

That particular question was directed towards FRC, not you.


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## JasonF

garsh said:


> That particular question was directed towards FRC, not you.


It's still early in the morning here. The little bell icon said "garsh quoted your post", and I took it as its word because I'm still half asleep.

And so I don't go too far off topic, yes, change the title of the thread! People who take _that_ at its word and avoid it will miss out on important testing.


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## FRC

garsh said:


> @FRC, did the person opening the locked door in your testing have a key?


No, she turned her I phone off and took it out of range. @MelindaV , for me your statement is absolutely untrue: If I am seated inside(with my active phone key), the car is in park, I engage the lock icon, and my keyless wife can open the door from outside. If the car is in drive or reverse she cannot. I think I'm hearing that this situation is unique to my car, or at least is not a fleet-wide phenomenon. Good news for the fleet. If anyone else can replicate my issue, please post here, thanks. And thanks for the title change mods, I suppose my southern chivalry reared it's ugly head(used to be a virtue in the pre-politically-correct era).


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## Feathermerchant

FRC:
Try turning off the 'Unlock on Park' and see if the doors stay locked.
If you get in and hit the lock icon, then Park, it should unlock the doors per the setting 'Unlock on Park'


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## MelindaV

FRC said:


> If I am seated inside(with my active phone key), the car is in park, I engage the lock icon, and my keyless wife can open the door from outside.


to just confirm, you are not hitting park after the lock icon, right? because as others have said, that will unlock the doors (if you have it set to unlock on park). Otherwise, if the car is locked (by using the screen lock icon or putting the car in gear), the doors should NOT open using the exterior handles regardless of there being a phone present. If yours is able to be opened from the outside when locked, check in with service.


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## FRC

MelindaV said:


> to just confirm, you are not hitting park after the lock icon, right? because as others have said, that will unlock the doors (if you have it set to unlock on park). Otherwise, if the car is locked (by using the screen lock icon or putting the car in gear), the doors should NOT open using the exterior handles regardless of there being a phone present. If yours is able to be opened from the outside when locked, check in with service.


No, Melinda, the car is already in park when I engage the locks. This issue first popped up while car camping, where my wife and I were surprised to learn that we couldn't lock ourselves in the car overnight unless we turn off bluetooth on both phones. I expected to learn by starting this thread that this is a fleet-wide safety issue worthy of Tesla's immediate attention. But based upon responses here, it seems to be my isolated problem.


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## MelindaV

I did just think of a downside issue to the locks 'working' though, for those with little kids that like to play with the screen, they could potentially lock their parent out. BUT I did just try one of the cards with the door manually locked, and it still unlocks - so no worry of your 3 year old hi-jacking the car with you standing outside


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## MelindaV

ok @FRC - I think I have an answer on the difference you were seeing while camping... 
The lock disables the exterior door handles when it recognizes someone is in either of the front seats. it does NOT when the front seats are empty or someone is in the back seat. I would assume it was set up like this to reduce the risk of being locked out of the car.

SO. next test would be to place something on one of the front seats to trigger the front seat weight sensor, but I have to get to work so will leave that for someone else to try


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## FRC

MelindaV said:


> ok @FRC - I think I have an answer on the difference you were seeing while camping...
> The lock disables the exterior door handles when it recognizes someone is in either of the front seats. it does NOT when the front seats are empty or someone is in the back seat. I would assume it was set up like this to reduce the risk of being locked out of the car.
> 
> SO. next test would be to place something on one of the front seats to trigger the front seat weight sensor, but I have to get to work so will leave that for someone else to try


Mine doesn't behave this way, I'm gonna test further when wife gets home. I think my car is behaving differently than everyone else is experiencing. Tesla mobile is coming next week anyway, so I'll let them look. I'll update if I learn anything of interest to the community. As for now, I think we've beaten this dead horse to a pulp! Thanks for the input everyone!


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## mrau

I have the "Unlock on Park" turned off. I really don't see the advantage to have it turned on. After I put the car in Park, I just press door button and the car door opens. If "Unlock on Park" was turned on, I would still have to press door button to open the door. It does not save me a step to get out of the car. It is more secure to keep doors locked when you are parked and not quite ready to get out. 

I think the only reason to have "Unlock on Park" turned on is if you stop, put car in Park, and then want anyone from outside the car to get in without you having to press the Unlock Icon. Maybe picking up the kids a lot or if you are a Uber driver. 

Maybe I am missing something, but having "Unlock on Park" turned off works best for me.


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## Achooo

mrau said:


> I have the "Unlock on Park" turned off. I really don't see the advantage to have it turned on. After I put the car in Park, I just press door button and the car door opens. If "Unlock on Park" was turned on, I would still have to press door button to open the door. It does not save me a step to get out of the car. It is more secure to keep doors locked when you are parked and not quite ready to get out.
> 
> I think the only reason to have "Unlock on Park" turned on is if you stop, put car in Park, and then want anyone from outside the car to get in without you having to press the Unlock Icon. Maybe picking up the kids a lot or if you are a Uber driver.
> 
> Maybe I am missing something, but having "Unlock on Park" turned off works best for me.


I was about the post almost the exact same thought. Thanks for reading my mind and saving me a few key strokes!


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## JWardell

I think there is a lot more variables we are overlooking that need to be tested, I doubt FRC's situation is unique unless the car happens to be on some old firmware. For example everyone else was testing with their windows lowered. I also do think phone proximity might have something to do with it, or whether you are coming from a drive or entering a car that was previously sleeping.


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## JasonF

JWardell said:


> I think there is a lot more variables we are overlooking that need to be tested, I doubt FRC's situation is unique unless the car happens to be on some old firmware. For example everyone else was testing with their windows lowered. I also do think phone proximity might have something to do with it, or whether you are coming from a drive or entering a car that was previously sleeping.


I repeated all of the tests and tried some new ones, also with the driver window open - for some odd reason I can't convince anyone to test these things at 11 pm on a weekday. 

This time I did all of the tests with the car unplugged, in case that makes a difference.

No change in the results, but I did get some odd behavior if I unlocked the car with my phone's Bluetooth turned on (it's an iPhone X), and then switched it off and locked the car, and then switched it back on again. It did not allow the door to open from the outside, but it also took a few seconds for the car to recognize it. Yet during the short time when the car thought there was no key anywhere in or out of the vehicle, it also refused to fold the mirrors (as in "walk away lock").

So I have formulated the following theory: If your phone has difficulty with accurate Bluetooth location and reliability, the car might think your phone is _outside_ the car instead of inside when you lock the doors. Then, as soon as you pull the handle, it will happily unlock the car for you and let you in.


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## JWardell

This discussion came up today and I immediately though of this thread...any chance you were hitting the park button twice and unlocking the doors?


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https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/cgrnhp


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