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Comments
since you did post a picture, why wouldn't someone grasp that rather noticeable silver handle to open the door instead of trying to lift a theft resistant unlocking post?
maybe it is a cultural difference.
door instead of trying to lift a theft resistant unlocking post?
I've been asking myself that question since the first post.
I had to start a new thread because the big picture cut off the reply button. Also my screen looks different today for some reason. Whats with the new choices at the bottom of posts, etc. Please take all that stuff away !!
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
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Really? That's stupid. In mine if the door is locked, you have to pull it twice. It's a safety feature to prevent accidental openings.
Mine is a Subaru... I'm guessing that a lot of Asian model cars work that way...
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maybe it is a cultural difference.
I think there are a few problems still. One is that he had trouble leaning over the gear shift lever to reach the front of the door. Not everyone is 6 feet tall.
Another problem is I am not sure that handle will unlock the car, as our good host explained on his car.
BUT
The big problem, as explorer pointed out is there is no place for a key in the passenger door. A guy can't even be courteous and unlock the passenger door before he gets in. I THINK this was the case, it was July and it was a friends rental, so when I see him I will ask him if he can recall the problem.
Sorry about the big picture going off the page all. I thought it was just a little over so wouldn't matter.
Note to JM, The dealership was the biggest Mazda Dealership in the world - that was in CANADA! booms dealership was a Toyota one, one of your favorites.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
This just gets more and more intriguing. I thought you originally said he had to get out walk around the car and unlock the passenger door. If there is no place for a key what did he use, a brick?
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Richard
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I am confused myself at this point...all I know is there was a major problem and he thought the key situation was ridiculous. I have emailed my friend and have asked him if he can recall what the problem was...and I will pass it on as soon as possible.
In the meantime I like that idea of a brick option.
Richard noticed his cars do not have a place for a key on the passenger
side, and our 2008 bimmers don't have a place for a key on the passenger
side. But, if the remote didn't work you could open the passenger door
from the inside. I am beginning to think the problem is that he can't
open the passenger side door because there isn't a remote, and he finds
it hard to reach across and open the passenger door from the inside.
Plus he is from a country where chivalry still lives and he probably does
not find it proper etiquette to open his drivers door first and get in. But, I am
just guessing....I'll try to find out more.
I wrote about this in July so give me a break here...I will do everything I can. And if Joel knows or someone is looking at Foci or Focus's let us know.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
i did remember that a couple of years ago, i rented the cheapest car i could find when visiting one of my kids for 'family weekend' at their school.
i ended up with a Kia Rio 4 door. it had no power windows/locks/remote entry.
sounds just like your friend's focus rental.
my guess is most people go for the low rental rate, then walk back into the office and ask for an upgrade when they actually see it.
anyways, i stuck with it and never thought about complaining that it lacked features. yes, opening the passenger side doors were a pain due to lack of power locks.
it was cheap and got us were we wanted to go without a problem.
if your friend is so into chivalry, he should have spent an extra $5 a day so as not to compromise his values.
i'm glad you took the time to do some homework to prove some of your points.
The Sandman :sick: :shades:
2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2025 VW GTI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)
open the passenger side door because there isn't a remote, and he finds
it hard to reach across and open the passenger door from the inside.
Just my 2 cents every car I have been in like that had a button on the drivers console that locked and unlocked doors. So in my car if I pull up to allow someone to get in my car all I have to do is push that little button to unlock the door (and press it again to lock it).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Good point, I forgot about that, most of our cars have that too. I don't think my 2000 Cherokee had it, and maybe boomer can confirm that. I don't think the Focus has one of those. Still trying to research...maybe I can get a PHD in this by the time I am finished.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That's not what I am thinking about. If another car parked too close to my driver's side door, I couldn't get in the car because the passenger side would have no exterior lock for a key. I could actually see this situation happening. In that case, I would have to go with the fezo/houdini brick option.
I couldn't even go through the trunk because the Explorer has no exterior lock on the rear hatch. The convertible has an exterior lock. I probably could go through the rear seat, but I'm not sure if that is possible. Also, I would not be able to use the police window hanger because the locks on the convertible are recessed. In addition, there are NO individual locks at all on the Explorer doors!
In conclusion, you either go with the brick option or you wait for the owner of the other car to return. Perhaps car companies did away with the passenger side exterior locks as a cost cutting measure. Regardless of the reason, it could certainly cause a major inconvenience.
Richard
Gottch! (Guess you're pulling your hair out with that bit of English). In this day and age a remote should be offered with every car made to sell in North America. Might not be necessary in China or India, but a car with no remote is a dinosaur.
there are NO individual locks at all on the Explorer doors!
That could be a problem. Occasionally the battery goes in the remote. It is nice to have a key to use.
I saw an old Intrepid next to me at the light and it had a place for the key on the passenger side. My brother is visiting and he has a Yaris (Toyota) which he describes as minimal transportation, but it has a remote and a place for the key in the passenger side. If they put a remote and aplace for a key in the passenger door in a Yaris, it should be in every car.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Absolutely! I hadn't thought about this until it came up here but I don't think I would buy a car that did not have that.
Richard
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Thats not possible as the back seats of the ragtop Sebring do not fold down.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Keep in mind the discussion started with the possibility, that the 2009 Focus 2 door S model does not have a remote and might not have a place for a key in the passenger door.
We know someone complained about getting in and out and we are trying to find out what the problem was.
I just got an email back from my friend and now he can't remember either. He thinks he couldn't use a key in the passenger door, and there was no remote, so he had to get in first, and he had to lean over and open with the door handle, which was awkward. I do remember, one day he said it was his turn to drive us, but, since it was so awkward, it would be better if we just took our rental car....a 4 door Taurus.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Richard
Sure there is, by the door handle there is a little rocker switch.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Money and remotes. To save money, a number of manufacturers starting producing vehicles with only one lock cylinder, in the drivers side door. Chrysler did it some time after 2002 when my PT Cruisers were born. Presently, I own a 2005 Saturn Relay, the older GM vans included lock cylinders in the tailgate and probably the passenger door. The Relay et al only have a drivers side key. To unlock the drivers door, I turn the key once. To unlock the entire vehicle, I turn and hold the key for a second or so. To lock the car, just turn the key to the right and all the locks activate.
Apparently not since he was able to type the message indicating that all his fingers are intact. :P
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Is business so bad for the sales pros?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Holy cow, there must be a shortage of cars out there. :confuse:
Are these miled-up cars going for high prices at the auction?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
How about a good key and lock story if not much to tell in sales.
What do you notice about key holes in the passenger door and with cars that don't have a remote.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
current civic and last gen camry do. neither looked like a base model.
all my vehicles have a lock on the driver side door.
when my 17 year old came home with the '02 explorer, i ran out to check the door.
when she asked me what i was doing, i told her i was checking for a lock on the driver door. she said, 'of course it does, how could else you get in if the battery died?'
egghead has a practical side even if her chance to get into Duke just went up in flames.
my fusion has a place to open the trunk with a key and the rear seat folds down, so i could always get in that way.
i would never consider the passenger having a lock or not being any kind of difference maker in a vehicle purchase.
Richard
Richard
>How would I get in if battery died?
I dunno. Call AAA?
This is getting funny; sort of like the Jay Leno show! :shades: Ohhh, wait, maybe that's not a good comparison--he's not doing well in the ratings, not at all.
Still funny.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Gotcha!
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Richard
it does have those wedgy buttons by the door handles, like posted in the picture a while back.
Oh heck, what do you think of this: 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible black on tan, auto, garaged in winter, V-6 with 44500 miles for $4200? Edmunds TMV outstanding is about $4500 and strangely, KBB excellent is only $3900.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
What a trip it's been. The endless banter, the vacuum salesmen, bobst's extra keys and award winning buying style, prized Dodge Stealth purchases, buyers are liars and dealers are cheats. The huge gaps where posts were deleted after a flame war are like scars on a battle ground from years past. Lots of knowledge and lots of entertainment. Some of the greatest stories ever told. I miss Mack. Is it odd to miss someone who you never met or even talked to? I wish his family well and hope he rests in peace.
I've worked in parts for a dealership for six years now so I get to see sales from the side lines. Now that i've caught up i'll chime in from time to time. I just bought a 1995 Land Cruiser off our back lot that was heading to auction for really cheap and i'm hoping to flip it. So maybe i'll have a sales story soon!
Thanks to everyone who participates in this forum. You all make it great, especially the ones who have stuck with it over the years.
I might be going to look at a new Chevrolet Equinox for/with my brother tomorrow. If so... I'll try to stir up some trouble at the dealership, then report back here with the results. :shades:
I don't recall ever reading any "banter" in here. :confuse:
bobst's extra keys and award winning buying style,
And I'm sure you meant the award winning "Jipst Method" of car buying, :mad:
Glad you enjoy the forum.
Your post was so well written that Richard will have a tough time in finding any mistakes, etc. Just what we need here, finally someone we can't make fun of...yet!!
Welcome, and don't be a stranger. Let us know how you make out on the flip.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Man...you need a life. :surprise:
How do we attract newbies like this? :confuse:
That flip thing could be interesting.
Good luck and welcome aboard,
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Welcome aboard Ivranger. Always nice to have more info and another point of view.
You'll have to let us know how the Land Cruiser flip goes.
I once bought a car privately from a used car lot...in other words the salesman sold me the car. That was in 1968 and it was a 58 Plymouth with huge fins and pushbutton automatic. That car was really fun to drive, but it was a real lemon.
Another car salesman tried to sell me a 1966 Ford Galaxie in a private deal. I took it to my garage (they were excellent mechanics) and they warned me not to buy the car.
Since I had one bad experience and one nearly bad experience, I wouldn't recommend buying a car that way. I am not suggesting that the car you are selling will be a lemon. All, I am saying, is it seems there is a reason the dealer doesn't want to sell the car.
Good luck and keep posting, and you should get some kind of award for reading almost 50,000 posts, even if you did skim a few of them.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250