Woman makes it all the way to Target without her Mazda’s key fob. Then she turns off the car: ‘Now I’m stranded’

A woman says that she managed to drive far away from her house without her car keys. Only upon arrival did she realize that she didn't have a key fob.

In a video with over 124,000 views, TikTok user Trisha (@fabreflourish) shows herself stuck in a rainy Target parking lot.

The reason? Her car somehow allowed her to drive all the way there without a key.

“Drove all the way to Target without my key fob,” she writes in the video's overlay text. “Now I'm stranded because apparently the car would like the key to START again.”

In a comment, Trisha reveals that she eventually solved the issue by having her husband locate the key fob. It had fallen off the top of the car when she left the house. He brought it to her in the Target parking lot.

Several commenters claim that the same thing happened to them. But how is this possible?

Can you drive without keys?

The car in the video is a Mazda. In the 2023 Mazda CX-5 owner's manual, the company warns about the possibility of this happening.

“Starting the engine may be possible even if the key is outside of the vehicle and extremely close to a door and window,” the manual reads. “If the vehicle is started and the key is not in the vehicle, the vehicle will not restart after it is shut off and the ignition is switched to off.”

That said, there are usually supposed to be some warnings to inform the driver that something is amiss. It has a series of six beeps that play inside the cabin. It's unclear if this applies to Trisha's specific make and model of vehicle.

The “keyless driving” problem isn't unique to Mazdas. This issue is due to the fact that many cars implemented keyless driving, But any system that would stop the car if the key is no longer detected would be dangerous, as it could lead to vehicles suddenly stopping on the road.

Consequently, the standard practice for most cars is to start the car and let you drive, even if it no longer detects the key. This is usually paired with warnings about a missing key fob.

Can you beat the system?

There are a few ways to make sure that this doesn't happen to you.

The first is realizing that the key is missing before turning off the car. If you see a warning about a missing key, or realize that your fob is not in your pocket, don't turn off your car. Instead, return to the location of your fob, then turn off the vehicle when you locate it or are confident that you're in the right place.

The second thing you can do is have a backup physical key made. Many keyless entry vehicles still have physical overrides so that you can lock the door with your key. These physical keys are often located within the fob itself.

If you've already turned off the vehicle, you can safely exit knowing that you can lock and reenter the vehicle using a physical key.

This situation is why many experts recommend getting a backup key fob made. With a backup, you won't be stuck if you lose your original fob.

‘Parked at work one morning and…'

In the comments section, many users admitted that they, too, have managed to drive away without their key fob.

“I parked at work one morning and there was a noisy bus that camouflaged the sound of my engine still running. It's about a ten minute walk from my lot to my department inside the building, and my car stayed on all day. The fob was on my person,” wrote one user. “Bad design.”

“I have backed out of my driveway without my key fob and it alerted me. Had it not of done that I would have been in a similar situation,” added another. “I did wonder at that time if the vehicle stays running and the issue is when you shut it off.”

“I did this once with a rental on a work trip,” shared a third. “Dropped a coworker off and drove back to the rental house 30 min away. He had the fob in his pocket.”

We've reached out to Trisha via TikTok and Instagram direct message.

@fabreflourish I'd like to formally apologize to my younger self, who assumed I'd have it all figured out by 50. I made it all the way to Target without my key fob. The car, however, has now decided our journey together is over. Anyone else absolutely thriving in their 50s? #LifeAfter50 #Over50Humor #WomenOver50 #MidlifeHumor #TargetRun ♬ original sound – Mazz