A mother is putting Mercedes on blast for a scary feature that nearly put an abrupt end to her Best Buy shopping trip.
TikTok user Kimberly (@kimberlymillionaire) posted a video from Best Buy on June 9 that details her unfortunate experience. She starts the video by saying, “So I’m so disappointed in Mercedes right now.” In the video’s text overlay, she writes, “Huge Mercedes FAIL! 2024 C300.”
Kimberly explains that she and her two children just got to Best Buy. “And normally when we’re out together, I put the baby in the car first, and then I put the 4-year-old in the car,” she says. “But this time, I put the 4-year-old in the car first, after I put my purse on the front seat. Help me understand why after I shut the door with the 4-year-old in the car, all the doors locked.”
She continues, “And it’s 91 degrees today. And the key was in my purse in the car, along with my phone. Now when has Mercedes started letting your key be locked inside the car? When did that start? It was the scariest two minutes ever. But, of course, the 4-year-old was able to unbuckle herself, get my purse, get the key, and unlock the door. Because she couldn’t get the door open.”
Kimberly concludes the video, “Do better, Mercedes. Don’t let us lock the key inside the car.”
Viewers call the incident ‘user error’
The video has amassed more than 188,000 views. In the comments, users shared similar experiences with Mercedes door lock feature.
One user wrote, “That happened to me and my S550 and I was so upset with Mercedes. They told me it was impossible for that to happen. I was livid. They need to do better.”
Another user wrote, “Happened to me… I have a 2020 GLB250. I threw my diaper bag in my trunk with my keys. Luckily I had my phone to unlock it.”
However, other users blamed Kimberly for the problem. One user wrote, “That’s an user error, not the car.” A second user agreed, “Operator error.”
How Mercedes’ lock feature is supposed to work
The Mercedes lock feature is supposed to auto-lock at 9 mph or when the key fob is more than 10 feet away. It’s unclear why Kimberly’s C300 locked with the fob in the front seat. It is possible to unlock the vehicle via app if you’ve set that up.
According to Mercedes, key fobs sometimes malfunction due to age or low battery. Additionally, a faulty door lock actuator, a central locking system glitch, sensor interference, or another mechanical locking mechanism issue could be at fault.
In a follow-up video with more than 500,000 views, Kimberly reveals that she heard from Mercedes about the situation. “They were very apologetic for my experience,” she says in the video. “They said everything that needed to be said given the experience that I had.” According to Kimberly, Mercedes told her they would be forwarding her video to the brand’s advocacy team for investigation. It also offered her a credit toward her next Mercedes purchase.
@kimberlymillionaire Now i have to rethink the whole brand!! @mercedesbenzusa @Mercedes-Benz
♬ original sound - K. Millionaire: Influencer|UGC
The Daily Dot reached out to Kimberly via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also reached out to Mercedes via press email for comment.
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