Hi All,

So had a VERY scary experience. Luckily nothing tragic happened but repairs will be expensive. And I really think there is something wrong with the design here.

I have a XC60 with one of those pop in keys (keyless drive).

I have been driving for 25 years without a single incident so a pretty decent driver.

Anyway, I was very stressed out and needed to pop back home to pick something up. Quick in and out.

Drove car up near gate, stopped, pulled key out and got out. Closed door walked around front of car and noticed lights and engine still on. Went around to passenger door which was locked and didnt respond to press of key. walked around back of car to driver's seat. opened driver's door as car begins to drive off. No driver in car!! luckily did not get far as it hit gate. Cold sweat at thought of what could have hppened if car was on open road, or a kid or pram was in front of the car.

Once inside my car I see that I have left car in drive and must not have pushed the off button.

I am of course a total and complete fool and need to reprioritize my life BUT is this seriously suppose to be possible? Is the car suppose to be able to drive off with no one in the drivers seat? with no key in the car?

whats the point of screeching to high heaven if i drive off with no seat belt on when it will let my car drive off without a driver???

I don't believe I am that unusual- there are lots of frazzled, brainless stressed- out people out there.

 

Some 50 views and not one person has a comment or any knowledge if this is meant to be happening

was really hoping the Volvo forum could give me some guidance.

1) because this is a scary thing that I think needs to be discussed as it could potentially cost lives

2) i need to know if I am totally 100% to blame for this or if Volvo is somehow liable

3) would like advise if its possible to reprogram so car will only move with key in the slot in the car

Thank you to anyone who can provide any answers to these questions!

 

Perhaps you should approach Volvo directly with your explanation of what happened and hear their responses to the fact that the engine still operates and / or the key is even removeable without the gearshift being in Park.
If it is a fault they will call you in for a check.
Maybe it is a design fault they are not aware of ??

 

Sorry, but I would say you are at fault. You left the car in drive and got out. When the car is in drive, it can obviously move. It is the driver's responsibility of the driver to safely operate the vehicle, which means putting it in park when needed.

 

in this case. But since I am normally far more responsible and careful than most people, I figure there are loads more super frazzled, stressed out, task juggling people like myself who might do the same thing.

So perhaps this keyless thing isn't such a super swell and well considered invention.

OR perhaps car designers need to be made aware of these potentially lethal cases so they implement better safety systems like a blaring alarm when you get out of the car leaving it in drive with engine on.

I called Volvo today and the lady said she thinks there is a warning that appears on the dashboard - mmmm not very helpful when you have already gotten out of the car.

 

Naturally, if you get out of a running car in drive, it'll drive away. They all do. But here's how the key comes into it:

The physical memory we all have of taking the key out of our cars is very, very powerful. People don't realize that the whole process of putting a car in park, removing the key, and getting out is deeply ingrained. I figured this out from talking to people who had locked their steering wheels at speed after a hung throttle (which is insane, obviously). but they couldn't help themselves.

The purpose of the park/key removal interlock is to lock the steering wheel, and to prevent locking it while moving, but nobody remembers that any more. It came out in 1969 in the USA. Not sure about elsewhere. Since the key cannot be removed without putting the transmission in park, we have all gotten very dependent on that linterlock for our behavior, without realizing it.

All in all, it's a good exampe of the addition of a feature that totally sucks, improves nothign, and costs a lot more. Perhaps microsoft was involved.

 

In my opinion, the key has nothing to do with this. You left the engine running and the car in drive. If you had a normal key, why would that help you remember to put the car in park? You could have shut the car off, with the key in or not. But having a car that moves when in drive is not a factory defect or design flaw.

 

If any vehicle can be started and run without the key inserted then surely this has risks, especially for example with young children playing about with the controls whilst Mum/Dad have nipped into a store to make a quick purchase.
They could slip the shift into drive and start the engine ??
Zharptitsa is implying that a vehicles engine should not be capable of running without a key inserted.
Needless to say his actions overall were definately at fault and he acknowledges his lack of care.

 

Different situation. If someone stops at a store to run in and leaves the car running and in drive, the car will move.

If they put it in park and shut it off and run in with the key, the car won't start if the key isn't inside the car.

If they leave the kids with the key, car running or not, then whatever happens is on them, not the car.

 

All quite true ES6T and I agree with your comments also but the issue is that it was possible to remove the key and the engine remained running. Thats the dangerous bit.
The engine should not be able to run at all unless the key is inserted.
Is that not a safety issue, however rare and silly the drivers action was?
'Keyless drive' is the questionable issue.
What useful purpose does it really serve at the end of the day?

 

We all know that cars are/can be a dangerous piece of machinery and must be operated with the utmost care. If you are impaired, drunk, stressed out, sleepy, etc., accidents can and will happen. This was an accident caused by the operator. Had he put the car in park the car would not have moved. That is why we HAVE to buy insurance.

The car can be started whenever the key is within 15 feet or something like that. Some of these cars can be started and driven off without the key in it. You just won't be able to restart it if the person standing next to it with the key in their pocket didn't make the trip to the store. Had the car stalled when he got 3 feet from the car, it still could have rolled away since it WASN'T IN PARK.

I promise you, I'm stressed more than unarmed soldier in uniform in Afghanistan and make stupid mistakes all the time. It's only God's grace that has kept me and the people around me safe. I think the driver should simply be thankful that the fence is the only thing that got ran over, call the insurance company and move on.

 

The key is irrelevant in this situation. With or without keyless drive, if you leave the car running and in drive, it will move. Everyone is always so eager to try to blame someone else for mistakes. This is a case of driver error and that is all it is. It isn't a defect or design flaw. The car isn't responsible for shutting off if the driver leaves it in drive and gets out of the car.

And to clarify, the car will not start with the key outside of the car.

 

The strange part of his story for me is the fact that he got out of the vehicle walked to the passenger side, then returned to the drivers side before the vehicle began to move off.
I guess he had applied the parking brake which held for that short period of time before losing out to the urges of the vehicle to go on unaccompanied. He has not mentioned the parking brake at all.

 

Yes, that is strange. It should move right away. However, there isn't much power at idle, obviously. So any obstruction (slight incline perhaps) can certainly cause the delay.