I Drove My GMC Acadia Without the Keys In the Car For 20 Minutes, How Did My Car Go That Far Without the Keys? It’s a Hazard

"I literally drove 20 minutes the other day without my keys in my car." 

That's what Sidnee Lazo (@sidneelazo) says after she drove her GMC Acadia for 20 minutes without her car keys. In this case, she went without the key fob because her car had a push-button start. 

Imagine getting in your car, pushing the start button, your car engine coming to life like normal, pulling out of the garage, and taking off for your twenty-minute commute to work. You pull into a parking spot, and all is well until you look for your bag with your car keys and realize it's not in the car.

How were you able to drive 20 minutes from home without the car keys? 

That's the question that Sidnee Lazo has for GMC. Her 2020 GMC Acadia started in her garage, and she did not realize the key fob was left in her bag that was still in her garage. It's an easy mistake to make.

You can imagine her shock when she realized she didn't have her car key fob, and now she can't turn the car engine off. How will she be able to get her car started again when she leaves to go back home? 

Here is Sidnee's story and dilemma. 

Sidnee says, "I literally drove 20 minutes the other day without my keys in my car. I get there and turn my car off to realize, hey, it won't start because I took the bag with my car keys in it out when I was at my house."

"I put the bag in my garage. Guess where I am now and where my keys are? In my freaking garage. Guess where I am now? I'm 20 minutes away from my garage in my car that ran for that long, not realizing the keys weren't there."

"So, how did my car go that far without the keys? It's a hazard. What if I went even further? It ended up working out because I had someone to bring them to me." 

But what if she didn't? 

What if she was stranded in an unfamiliar place, or worse, in a dangerous situation? This is a potentially serious concern for all GMC owners.  

"What the heck, you guys? Has anyone else had this happen to them?” 

"I drive a 2020 GMC Acadia, and I just didn't turn off my car, so it's still running. I took the keys out, and it still let me drive. So, that's got to be a hazard. So, GMC, do you want to weigh in on this? Or am I crazy? Is my car defective? Or am I stupid? Am I the problem? Let me know."

Sidnee said she expected her car to warn her that her key wasn't in the car with her.

She expected that her GMC Acadia would have an alert telling her that the key fob was not detected in the car. But this was not the case. 

Is this a common issue with the GMC Acadia?

From the information I found, the 2020 GMC Acadia will display a warning if the key fob is not detected when starting the vehicle. 

Sidnee's Acadia SUV detected the key fob because it was close to the vehicle sitting in the garage. When she pulled out of the garage, the vehicle kept running. So, she did not know, and there was no warning that the key fob was left behind.

The GMC "No Remote Detected" warning is supposed to display a message on the DIC (Driver Information Center) if the key fob battery is weak or dead. However, Sidnee's key fob battery was good. 

General Motors vehicles will run once started with the fob in close proximity without the key fob in the vehicle. Sidnee could drive for 20 minutes without the key fob but could have driven even farther. 

The driver won't know that the key fob is not in the vehicle until you try to shut the vehicle's engine off. Only then will the driver get the KEY NOT DETECTED notification on the DIC. 

And then that presents another problem.

GMC now has a feature on its vehicles called Extended Parking. If a car equipped with Extended Parking is left running with the transmission in Park and the key fob is not present, the engine will shut down after 30 minutes of idling. Even if the car's key fob is present – in the cupholder, on the seat, in your pocket – the car still shuts down after 60 minutes.

So, Sidnee called someone, likely a family member in the house, so they could bring her the bag with the key fob she left in the garage. 

Conclusion. 

What is the takeaway from Sidnee's story? 

There are two main takeaways. Apart from double- and triple-checking your pockets or bag for the keys to the car you're driving before you turn a wheel out of the driveway. 

First, automakers should program an obvious message that flashes and alerts the driver if they push the start button, but the key fob is not detected — however, most cars warn with beeps and a message.

To answer Sidnee's question, she is not crazy or stupid. However, her car did fail her. GMC vehicles need to have a more sensitive detection system. It would have kept her from a stressful and potentially dangerous situation.

How about you?

Have you experienced a similar issue with your GMC Acadia or another GMC vehicle? If so, you're not alone. Your experience could help others. Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

Check out my Chevrolet Silverado story.

I Have A New Chevy Silverado, and This Thing Says ‘Buckle to Shift,’ I Have to Buckle My Seat Belt in Order to Shift Out of Park. Read my report and amazing story here.

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Sidnee