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ANTIOCH, Calif. (KGO) — 7 On Your Side investigated an apparent safety hazard with a Cadillac EV that left a young infant trapped in the car — and the parents scrambling to get their baby out.
It was a chaotic Sunday morning for this Antioch family.
What they thought would be a typical ride to church turned into 30 minutes of chaos.
How it happened
It was January fourth, and Lacey Gunn was en route to Sunday service. The mom of two tried taking her girls in the grandparents’ Cadillac Lyriq EV.
“That’s the best car that we have to transport our precious cargo,” said Erika Tinoco, the children’s grandmother.
“The car automatically unlocked. Everything was fine. She put our infant, baby Lyla, inside, strapped her in and closed the door,” Tinoco said.
Gunn walked over to the driver’s side to place her toddler Hazel inside, but noticed the handles were in. She says normally they pop out when the vehicle is unlocked.
A pit in her stomach — as she realized the car was completely unresponsive.
“She couldn’t access the car!” Tinoco said. “So obviously, the first thing that she does is to go into her purse to take out the key fob.”
The key fob wasn’t working.
Gunn says she then tried to access the car with the remote keyless entry feature via the Cadillac mobile app.
“Doesn’t work!” Tinoco said. “So, she got the second key fob and still nothing!”
She felt frantic and helpless.
“The charging port won’t open,” Tinoco said.
Mom and Grandpa took turns trying to open the car.
“This is a fatal flaw dude!” said Mr. Tinoco.
Meanwhile, Gunn’s 12-month-old baby was stuck inside.
“The baby starts to cry and is becoming really upset,” Tinoco said. “It was a cold winter morning. She’s in there by herself!”
Gunn immediately called OnStar, a safety and security service available for customers of General Motors vehicles. The feature advertises things like emergency services, vehicle diagnostics and remote vehicle control, which supposedly allows users to remotely lock or unlock doors for certain models.
“No success!” Tinoco said. “They couldn’t give me any other alternatives on how to access the car. Nothing.”
According to GM, OnStar offered assistance contacting authorities and roadside assistance. A remote unlock was attempted but was not possible due to the vehicle’s battery condition.
At this point, it’s been 23 minutes.
Gunn called 911.
The two debated breaking the window.
“This is not cool man,” Mr. Tinoco said. “Too much time had gone by. Nobody was of any help.”
Meanwhile, Gunn’s husband typed the situation into ChatGPT and got a solution within seconds.
“He read that you can access the trunk through a small latch, but you just need the physical key that is hidden inside the key fob,” Tinoco said.
Understandably, they were panicked and broke open the key fob to access the emergency mechanical key, but GM says the key is accessible by pressing a button on the side of the Lyriq key fob; it should then slide out.
“She pulls out the babies through the trunk. At that point, baby is crying. She’s already soiled herself,” Tinoco said. “She had been in there for 27 minutes all by herself!”
The service report
Tinoco’s 2024 Lyriq was towed to a nearby Cadillac dealership.
A service receipt shows the car’s 12-volt battery was tested and determined to be faulty and replaced. The OnStar diagnostic report also listed electrical issues. Tinoco says a technician told her it caused the electrical system to go dark and into lock mode.
“At that point when you’re helpless and you can’t save your child or your grandchild or anyone, everything goes through your mind like, how could this happen?” Tinoco said.
Here’s her frustration: Tinoco says aside from accessing the car through the rear hatch, there’s no emergency feature to gain entry or turn on the fully electric car if or when this happens.
The grandma of two was just grateful it was raining and not in the middle of 105-degree Antioch heat!
Tinoco says she called the dealership service department first to complain — adding she then used six pages of notes documenting the process to file a formal complaint to corporate Cadillac. She says she wanted to learn more about what caused the faulty battery and what the company is doing to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. But she says she never got clarity from them.
“We put so much faith into this luxury brand,” Tinoco said.
Instead, the family got a big bill from the dealership. Tinoco says Cadillac initially charged her for replacing the key fob.
“So, I’m on the hook for nearly $1,000 because of this mistake, or this faulty safety issue,” said Tinoco. “So, I pleaded with him. I explained that the only reason why it was broken was because our granddaughter was in serious danger.”
“And so, I contacted you… 7 On Your Side!” she said.
7 On Your Side reached out to the Cadillac dealership and exchanged emails with General Motors for further comment on this and were told: “Safety is a priority for Cadillac and General Motors. We are sorry to hear about this situation this customer encountered. That is why every GM vehicle, including those vehicles equipped with interior electronic door openers, has a physical key and key cylinder access through the door or rear hatch. The 2024 Lyriq has access via the rear hatch and this is explained in the owner’s manual and other materials.”
Following our correspondence, the dealership agreed to refund Tinoco the cost of replacing the key fob and gas for the rental car.
“It’s because of you, so thank you so much. I appreciate that 100%,” Tinoco said.
According to an online Cadillac forum, a few other drivers report issues with the Lyriq’s 12-volt battery, some citing the newer 2026 Cadillac Lyriq model.
GM told 7 On Your Side: “We work very closely with NHTSA to determine when a vehicle issue requires a recall. The 2024 Cadillac Lyriq was not included in any 12-volt battery specific recall.”
“The car is not safe. I can’t wait for this to happen again,” Tinoco said.
For Tinoco, she’s only halfway through her two year lease on the luxury car. And while the dealership did replace the faulty battery, for the past two months she says it has sat vacant in her driveway.
“It’s done. I am no longer going to be a Cadillac consumer,” Tinoco said.
Lemon Law protections
Cadillac denied Tinoco’s request to buy back her lease, citing her case doesn’t qualify under Lemon Law.
It’s a consumer protection law that allows consumers to be entitled to a refund when defective vehicles fail to meet certain quality and safety standards.
7 On Your Side consulted Lemon Law attorney William McGee on this case, who agreed Tinoco’s case did not meet the legal criteria.
“It needs to be something that substantially impairs the use, value, or safety of the car,” McGee said. “If the problem is just a nuisance or annoyance, it won’t qualify.”
While having a car battery suddenly fail could result in a serious safety hazard, McGee says for a problem to result in Lemon Law protections, the case must involve multiple failed repair attempts.
“At least two or more failed repair attempts of a car issue that’s likely to result in serious bodily injury or death within the first 18 months of the lease in order for Lemon Law to be triggered,” McGee added.
If you find yourself in a situation like this, you can always file a complaint with the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration.
Take a look at more stories and videos by 7 On Your Side.
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