Locked in my MG4 & unable to escape - Serious Safety Issue

[siteguru]

You're outside of the 30 day initial right to reject, so you'd need to cite a specific fault with your car. You'd also need to let the dealer determine the most cost-effective remedy (repair, replace, refund). If the car still doesn't conform to contract after the first remedy (assuming repair or replacement) then you can reject for a refund. (As it's beyond 30 days then the dealer can [not will] reduce the refund by a reasonable amount to account for usage - i.e. miles added - but the earlier this is in the period of ownership the less this will be).

 

[Mars6394]

my car has been booked in for oil leak and auto hold fault for 3 weeks.to then this week being trapped in the vehicle I think should be enough to reject the car as not fit for purpose/intended car has driven 450 miles very little in 7 weeks to have all the above issues

 

[Mars6394]

my car has been booked in for oil leak and auto hold fault for 3 weeks.to then this week being trapped in the vehicle I think should be enough to reject the car as not fit for purpose/intended car has driven 450 miles very little in 7 weeks to have all the above issues

Also have a breakdown report from aa stating I was trapped in car can’t see this being fixed asap

 

[Steve T]

Somebody has literally posted this same issue invalid key on Facebook police had to help him escape with the spare key in the side door

Is there evidence this has been reported to MG UK centrally? This is a major problem and there needs to be a formal response

 

[Mars6394]

Is there evidence this has been reported to MG UK centrally? This is a major problem and there needs to be a formal response

I emailed mg directly no response so speaking with dealer tommorow when my car is booked in for oil leak

 

[BugEyed]

my car has been booked in for oil leak and auto hold fault for 3 weeks.to then this week being trapped in the vehicle I think should be enough to reject the car as not fit for purpose/intended car has driven 450 miles very little in 7 weeks to have all the above issues

Also have a breakdown report from aa stating I was trapped in car can’t see this being fixed asap

I can't see them being able to argue against that.

Out of interest, how many days have you had the car when it's not been in the garage? Arguably the clock stops when you don't have it.

 

[siteguru]

I can't see them being able to argue against that.

Out of interest, how many days have you had the car when it's not been in the garage? Arguably the clock stops when you don't have it.

But that depends on when it first went in to the garage ... after 30 days then it doesn't really matter as the only clock impacted is the 6 months burden of proof clock.

 

[OJEastwood]

As has been said before, of all the issues the car has this one scares me the most. Most other things are inconveniences for sure, but this is another level of problem. It's good to hear that Gench's dealer is trying to chase MG about it.

I can't see our car arriving before the New Year so hopefully that gives MG enough time to take it seriously and get to the bottom of it.

 

[Mars6394]

I have had my vehicle for 7 weeks reported oil leak at week 4 locked in car at week 7 on Saturday awaiting appointment tommorow at dealer for last 3 weeks.

 

[Steve T]

I emailed mg directly no response so speaking with dealer tommorow when my car is booked in for oil leak

That's shocking, and the fix can only come from MG itself. I don't have my car yet (January?) but I've often found that emailing the MD, and asking for a formal complaint reference, makes sure that something happens. Companies treat complaints differently because they have metrics around them!

 

[Oberoy]

I've had this problem with my MG4 and even drove 3 miles to my dealer with the usual invalid key and pulled up while being locked in the car. It drove fine the whole way. Stopping, starting, accelerating. Everything was fine.

Their tech had me pop the bonnet and try unlocking the car while out of the drivers seat and it worked first time so I'll be trying that if it ever happens again.

They couldn't find anything wrong but are chasing MG up about it.

If this works then this should be made more widely known, I would suggest that somehow this is passed to MG assist (the AA) and they could add it to their knowledge base, then should an owner get trapped and not know then MG assist would be able to assist quickly without the time taken to attend in person.
Gench, are you in discussion with your dealer WRT this issue if so can I suggest you raise it with them?
EDIT flagging to Miles
@Miles Roberts CG are you able to raise this possible workaround to possibly the most serious MG4 issue (people locked in the car) with MG and have them make it widely know to the relevant people i.e. MG Assist?

 

[BugEyed]

But that depends on when it first went in to the garage ... after 30 days then it doesn't really matter as the only clock impacted is the 6 months burden of proof clock.

I have had my vehicle for 7 weeks reported oil leak at week 4 locked in car at week 7 on Saturday awaiting appointment tommorow at dealer for last 3 weeks.

I suspect that @siteguru is correct and that you have missed the 30 days from a legal perspective. But it is not beyond belief that the garage will recognise the right thing in this case. I'd write to the MD of the dealer group setting out the issues and formally reject the car.

 

[Mars6394]

As far as I understand you have 6 months to prove the vehicle is not fit for purpose in this case it is very dangerous

 

[SamuelH]

Somebody has literally posted this same issue invalid key on Facebook police had to help him escape with the spare key in the side door

This was me.

I’ve obtained a police reference number and I’ll be submitting a complaint to MG once my dealer advises me of the procedure.

It was quite a scary experience, mainly because it was a main road where it occurred. Luckily the police showed up ten minutes later and were able to push me onto the central reservation (still had control of the parking brake)

As I initially set off I put the window down, it got around an inch down and stopped once the invalid key error came up. This ended up being vital to my escape as I was able to pass the key to the AA to let me out mechanically. I only found this out after scouring the internet. Before hand my partner had driven out to me to try the spare key.

I’m usually not one to complain, but this is a serious issue that needs looking into. I’m just glad I didn’t have the kids in the car or my head would be banging a lot more than it is now!

Fingers crossed MG find a suitable solution soon. Thanks for the workaround solutions though, I’ll be trying the bonnet opening and the lifting of the bottom next time it happens.

Thanks
Sam

 

[Alb]

From everything I've read so far, I would class this as a Serious Safety Defect. It must of course be reported to MG but if anyone affected is dissatisfied with their response, the matter can and should be reported directly to the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) here:

Vehicle Safety Defect Report | DVSA

I think it may also be a good idea to retitle this thread accordingly.

 

[Retsiba]

From everything I've read so far, I would class this as a Serious Safety Defect. It must of course be reported to MG but if anyone affected is dissatisfied with their response, the matter can and should be reported directly to the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) here:

Vehicle Safety Defect Report | DVSA

I think it may also be a good idea to retitle this thread accordingly.

I would do this right now if I was an owner already as like several have said, this is a serious issue. Most of my driving is motorway driving at odd hours of day. I shiver to think what would happen if caught on the M8 or A90 at 2343 hrs.

 

[siteguru]

As far as I understand you have 6 months to prove the vehicle is not fit for purpose in this case it is very dangerous

No - after 30 days and up to 6 months it is for the seller to prove that a fault does not exist (or was caused by the consumer). After 6 months it is for the consumer to prove the fault existed (at the time of sale). This is known as "burden of proof" and 6 months is the point at which it switches from seller to consumer.

Consumer Rights Act 2015.

 

[john andersen]

Has any tested putting the key into the special spot, that is shown in the manual for it, if it is out of battery ?
I saw that les tested some stuff but dont think he tried that.

 

[the briggie]

Yes, made no difference. It is not the key that is the issue as spare keys have been tried to no effect...I know its a long thread but its all in there somewhere

Key -no
Key in sweet spot - no
Spare key - no
App - no
Interior handles- no
Transit mode - no
Open windows - no
Bluetooth - probably a no but not seen confirmation yet
Bonnet opening - not in its own right

Escape through boot - yes
Physical key in exterior emergency lock - yes
Move from drivers seat and try fob (didn't work in at least one case)
(The car was in park and the hand brake was on, bonnet was fully open Maybe locked the car first before unlocking it)
Disconnect/reconnect 12v battery - unconfirmed

Have I missed anything?

 

[Mars6394]

Just spoke to dealer who are investigating with a set of 10 questions from Mguk.so they must know about this issue.garage have been great and sympathetic with the issue and agree it is a big issue.but they are the middle men and it’s upto mg.I stayed to garage about rejecting car which they said is a no until they have investigated said issues.I am awaiting a response further tommorow.like I say the garage have been great in looking into my issues but I still can’t take the car back if the invalid key issue hasn’t been solved as it is a serious safety issue