I remain surprised that, some years after fob-sensing door locks appeared on cars, so many automakers still can't get them to work reliably.
As our Lucid remains in the shop for the tow hook recall, I used our 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid to make an errand run today. It's a car that my partner usually drives, although my mobile key is programmed to the car, and I carry a Tesla key card in my wallet. I could not get the car to unlock, even though I was carrying the fob we both use, had my mobile key with me, and tried several times to use the key card to unlock the car. Finally, my partner had to come out and open the car with his mobile key. He said that any time the car sits more than a day without being driven, he also has trouble getting the car to unlock. And on this errand run, every time I got out of the car it would unlock with the key fob when I returned, but the car wouldn't start until I rubbed the key card over the phone charger pad, even though I had the key fob and the mobile key in the car.
Our 2018 Honda also has fob-sensing door locks. Despite a recent battery change, unlocking the car is becoming balkier, with us sometimes having to press the unlock button on the fob when the auto-sensing doesn't work.
Until carmakers can get these kinds of software-based features to operate reliably, they ought to include old-fashioned mechanical backups, such as a conventional door lock with a metal key. The number of posts this forum alone has seen from owners (and journalists) who have recurrent problems with locking and unlocking Lucids and starting them up is simply ridiculous. And the same can be said of some other brands.
