The keyless system on my 2021 VRS has started doing some very strange things, which I haven’t found others reporting here.

Several times in the last week, it has locked the doors spontaneously, without me touching the door handles - sometimes I’ve been in the car (with the key) and sometimes not. On a couple of occasions the alarm has gone off with me still inside - the only way to stop it being to press the unlock button the key fob.

But the worst thing it did was to lock the car with the key inside and me on the outside. I was away from home at the time so couldn’t use the spare key to unlock it and would have had a serious problem if I hadn’t been able to unlock it using the MySkoda app on my phone. If I’d been in an area where either my phone or the car didn’t have an internet connection, I’d have had to call for help to get back in. Surely, even if you try, it should be possible to lock the keys inside and of course it should have locked anyway without my either touching the outside of the door handles or pressing the lock button.

Anyone had anything similar or any ideas? I guess I’ll have to get the dealer to look at it while it’s still under extended warranty.

Thanks

Sorry - I meant “it shouldn’t be possible to lock the keys inside”…

I have had this problem today with my 2020 Karoq. Luckily it happened in a pub car park 15 miles away from where we lived, with my keys and phone! on the inside.

Thanks to the very kind landlord he gave me a lift home to get the spare key.

This seems to have started happening since the car was serviced by the RAC about a month ago.

I wondered if the car software had been updated during the service. I'll contact the RAC tomorrow and see if they have a log of what was changed on the car.

I'll report back here if I find anything useful.

33 minutes ago, Gerrycan321 said:

I wondered if the car software had been updated during the service.

Interesting…. I did wonder whether it was somehow related to the software update that took place the other day. I’ll be very interested to hear what the RAC say, but I think I need to get it into the dealer asap as the extended warranty runs out in a couple of months.

I found a demonstration of this issue on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-1uZlpwoanQ

If this link does not work search for 'kessey skoda locked out'

I have emailed Skoda and RAC - will see where this goes...

For those with newer cars, Check for the Service Campaign Software Update.

Edited 27 October, 202527 Oct by Evolution13

Hi folks

Seems this is a known issue - You can call Skoda for a free fix if you mention 'Service campaign 57NL' - Its a software fix in the car that needs Skoda service to fix.

Good luck

So, I phoned my dealer yesterday and spoke to service receptionist who was surprisingly helpful and knowledgable. I explained what had happened and mentioned that I'd heard there was a service campaign for the Karoq to fix the same problem. She checked and told me there isn't anything similar for the Octavia. She did seem to know what she was talking about because she mentioned 57NL (the Karoq service campaign), which I hadn't mentioned.

We agreed that booking in the car could be pointless as if it doesn't happen to do it while it's with them, there would be nothing much they could check. To be honest, even if it happened before their eyes, there still might not be much they could do. However, she agreed that it was worth checking for any error codes the car might have logged, so we have arranged that I'll pop-in one day next week for them to connect the car to their computer and check for any diagnostic codes. But If they don't find anything, I'm mot sure what else I or they can do.

We'll see.

If she works full time or part time on a Service Desk she should know something, unless no long term memory.

She was not a Technician though was she?

Edited 30 October, 202530 Oct by Evolution13

On 30/10/2025 at 14:24, Evolution13 said:

She was not a Technician though was she?

No, I don’t think so. Hopefully when i pop in next week I’ll be able to speak to a technician then.

When finishing up at work, I pass my car on my way to my debrief (couple of mins max) so my routine was always to put my belongings in my car on the way past, before debrief. However, one day my car locked itself with the keys inside, so I had to get a lift home to grab my spare set, have never left the keys inside since.

Does seem to me like it shouldn't happen though

On 30/10/2025 at 14:20, alancha said:

So, I phoned my dealer yesterday and spoke to service receptionist who was surprisingly helpful and knowledgable.

On 30/10/2025 at 14:20, alancha said:

She did seem to know what she was talking about because she mentioned 57NL (the Karoq service campaign), which I hadn't mentioned.

That wouldn't be the dealer in Ringwood would it? If so, that receptionist is very, very good, and the primary reason I drive three times the distance there instead of to my nearest dealer.

Hope they can sort your car for you.

11 hours ago, SteveTheElder said:

That wouldn't be the dealer in Ringwood would it? If so, that receptionist is very, very good, and the primary reason I drive three times the distance there instead of to my nearest dealer.

No - it's the one in Newbury. I've always found them helpful and the service reception people are also generally very good in my experience.

I know this should not happen but why would you leave your Kessy keyfob in the car, I have never done that, even with the old keyfobs.

I put the key fobs in my pocket so when I get out so does the fob

I had a variation on this on Sunday - The car would 'unlock' via the key fob unlock button, the wing mirrors would deploy, and then just before I could get in the car would lock all its doors again, and I could not get in, I repeated this twice with re-locking and unlocking with the key fob. When I got my phone out to video this, it started working as it should and I could not capture this on video. Car goes for an upgrade (57nl) later in November. Hopefully this 'fun and games' will cease after then.

20 hours ago, RADIOTWO said:

I know this should not happen but why would you leave your Kessy keyfob in the car, I have never done that, even with the old keyfobs.

I put the key fobs in my pocket so when I get out so does the fob

Yes - me too. It's great that the key fob never has to leave may pocket. On this occasion however, it was a cold day and earlier I'd left my wife in the car with teh engine running (to keep the heater running) while I popped into our hotel to get something. As the car doesn't like me walking away with the key if the engine is running, I took it out and left it in the cup holder. In the past on the rare occasions I've done this, I discover that the car won't lock just by touching the door handle and then realise that I've left the keys inside, which I then retrieve and them lock it as usual. This time, we got out of the car and before I even attempted to lock it, it locked spontaneously with the keys still inside.

Although I was able to the unlock it using the app, we've decided that from now on she will always carry the spare key in her bag, so we have it with us always.

1 hour ago, Gerrycan321 said:

I had a variation on this on Sunday - The car would 'unlock' via the key fob unlock button, the wing mirrors would deploy, and then just before I could get in the car would lock all its doors again, and I could not get in, I repeated this twice with re-locking and unlocking with the key fob. When I got my phone out to video this, it started working as it should and I could not capture this on video. Car goes for an upgrade (57nl) later in November. Hopefully this 'fun and games' will cease after then.

Oh dear. Was this on an Octavia? No-one seems to be able to confirm for sure that 57NL is valid for the Octavia as well as the Karoq.

Well, I've just been into my dealer for them to check for fault codes that may give some clue as to what happened. But the service receptionist, who has been there for a long time and who has always seemed to me to be very knowledgeable, told me something she herself had only recently learned...

I'm still not sure I believe this but she told me that the car is working as designed. If you shut the doors with the key inside, she told me that after a short interval it is supposed to lock automatically. She told me that this is considered a safety feature to prevent the car being stolen if you accidentally leave the keys in the car.

I'm still not convinced. I suppose I should experiment with it (with the spare key close at hand), to see if this really is true - and I suppose if someone else could try it too it would to confirm whether this behaviour is consistent on other Octavias - not just mine.

The car is not designed to lock with a keyless entry key in it when parked with the ignition off.

3 hours ago, Evolution13 said:

The car is not designed to lock with a keyless entry key in it when parked with the ignition off.

Well that's what I would have thought but can you point me to any documentation from Skoda that confirms this?

I used to leave mine in every day for a few minutes, whilst parked securely I might add, and it only ever locked on me once. Haven't given it the chance to do so again mind...

11 hours ago, alancha said:

Well that's what I would have thought but can you point me to any documentation from Skoda that confirms this?

...User Manual?
Let's not forget that leaving the key inside the car while washing the car, is a (widely used) way to avoid the car locking and unlocking + folding/unfolding mirrors.

15 hours ago, alancha said:

I'm still not sure I believe this but she told me that the car is working as designed. If you shut the doors with the key inside, she told me that after a short interval it is supposed to lock automatically. She told me that this is considered a safety feature to prevent the car being stolen if you accidentally leave the keys in the car.

You can hold up the B.S. sign on that. As described, the auto/re-lock feature - which isn't an exclusivity to Skoda or VAG cars, works the same on whatever brand with keyless systems, the only variation is some vhicles offer the option to set the interval, like 30s, 60s, and so on.

If the key is in AND is detected, car should beep upon trying to lock or should indicate a mis-lock, either visually or acoustically, depending on how is set up.

I have other two kessy cars in my stable, the most primitive being a K12 Micra which is 21 years old, and the system works as described, flawlessly.

However, the #$@@#$# Superb has started on this random locking as indicated in all the posts above over the past few weeks, whether is with me inside or no, sometimes when closing a door, and so on. Example: open the car - with button or handle don't matter - oper rear door, leave my bag or jacket in rear seat, close door, STRAK! car locks. Now if you leave rear door open and open front door, then it does not, although sometimes it will attempt if I close the driver's door AND another door is open.

I have already been left outside a couple times and had to resort to external assistance to get another key brought to me or go get it, so now I NEVER ever leave the darn key inside.

Armed with VCDS, I've scanned the car a few times, first couple would not get anything, but last time I got the following faults:

• 196665 Switch for Central Locking - Signal Implausible

• 196652 Mirror selector switch - Signal Implausible

Now, since I also noticed the Mirror switch is acting up, sometimes mirrors would not deploy or retract on command - they work normally if the car is opened or closed with the locking system, I have to find some time and look into the door itself, switches and/or possibile the lock in the door.

I would suggest to those with this problem to plug in a diagnostic and check if there is not a fault that can be traced back to some component or the wiring, regardless of any software update that might be. It has to be a pretty interesting "bug" that would allow this to happen, but I put my coin in an electric failure of some kind.

Update will follow! Sorry for the long post ...

2 hours ago, leolito said:

I would suggest to those with this problem to plug in a diagnostic and check if there is not a fault that can be traced back to some component or the wiring, regardless of any software update that might be. It has to be a pretty interesting "bug" that would allow this to happen, but I put my coin in an electric failure of some kind.

Interesting. Yes - in fact the reason I was at the dealer yesterday was so they could check for any diagnostic codes (which had been suggested by another receptionist at the same dealer only a week or so earlier). Although this time I was told it was working as designed, she agreed to go ahead and have it check for diagnostic codes and apparently none were found.

The beauty of Main Dealerships is the vehicles new and used sitting about the place.

Easy for the Receptionist or a Tech / Fitter or salesperson to go with the key to a car leave it in and see if the car locks with it in.