2014 randomly locking on its own

[SMFletcher91]

I've been experiencing my 2014 Chevy Sonic randomly locking itself under circumstances it shouldn't be locking. I cannot isolate an exact action I'm taking to cause the locks to lock. So far, I've had my doors lock when I turn the car off, when I pull out the key, when I open the door, and today, I started up my car, got out and shut the driver door, and the car locked itself with the keys still in the ignition as soon as the door shut. Luckily, I was expecting it to act stupid again and had my window rolled down just in case.

Can anyone help me determine a good plan for diagnosing what's going on here? Normally it's not a problem; I've gotten wise to my prankster car's tricks, but I've grown tired of the game and would like for it to grow up and behave like a proper car.

Trying to answer any potential questions: I've been experiencing this problem randomly - but at least once a week - for almost two years, my car is all stock minus the usual wear and tear replacements, 1.8L, auto-locking is configured so it'll lock once I take it out of park (I have kids, this safety feature has come in handy, and I'd like to continue using it), there are no warning lights on the dash, and my OBDII reader shows no codes.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

 

[shorebreeze]

Possibilities....the problem for me was inadvertently sitting on my key fob. Solution...coat pocket in winter, cargo pocket or being more careful in summer, never in the back pocket.

One other thing I can think of, though it never happened to me.....All 2014 Sonics ship with an assigned phone number for the Onstar....your vehicle hasn't been paired with someone else's GM app, by any chance?

Other than that I'd have to defer to a dealer or electrically inclined independent mechanic.

 

[gnonne]

The fault/error could be in the key/fob, not the car. It sounds like it is doing this only when the key is close to the car. The key might be sending a lock signal to the car when it is not intended. I'd see if it does this with the other key around that car first, assuming you have two of them. If that solves it, change the battery in the "bad key" before you buy a new one. If the battery does not fix it, then you may need a new key.

 

[gnonne]

One other thing - the key/fob you are using could have gotten water inside it somehow, causing it to complete circuits and send signals without the buttons being pressed. Maybe you already checked this, but its fairly easy to open it up like you are changing the battery.

 

[TurtleOverlord]

The fault/error could be in the key/fob, not the car. It sounds like it is doing this only when the key is close to the car. The key might be sending a lock signal to the car when it is not intended. I'd see if it does this with the other key around that car first, assuming you have two of them. If that solves it, change the battery in the "bad key" before you buy a new one. If the battery does not fix it, then you may need a new key.

" I started up my car, got out and shut the driver door, and the car locked itself"

The key fob controls don't work while the key is in the ignition, so that would mean it's something else.

 

[SMFletcher91]

Thank you for the replies! I'll have to swing by my parents and pick up the spare key and see if it continues with that one. I'll tear this one open to see if I can find any damage and replace the battery. I'll let you know how that goes!

 

[Carlson]

Thank you for the replies! I'll have to swing by my parents and pick up the spare key and see if it continues with that one. I'll tear this one open to see if I can find any damage and replace the battery. I'll let you know how that goes!

Did you ever figure out what it was?

 

[TurtleOverlord]

http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/threads/mystery-door-locking.25351/#post-417038

http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/threads/power-lock-issue.31612/#post-416141