How to Use the Child Safety Lock on Car Doors, and Why It Matters
By Navin Kotecha, The Car Doctor
Published
A child lock stops a rear door opening from its inside handle, so a curious kid can't pop it open on the 401. The outside handle still works. You set it with a small lever or slot on the edge of each rear door, or on some newer models with a button by the driver.
What does a child safety lock actually do?
With the lock on, pulling the inside handle of that rear door does nothing, even when the door is unlocked. Anyone standing outside can still open it with the outside handle. That is how manuals from Kia, Genesis and Stellantis, for the RAM Heavy Duty, all describe it.
It is a rear-door feature. The manuals put it on the back doors because that is where kids ride: the Canadian Paediatric Society and the Ontario government both say children under 13 belong in the back seat.
Where is the child lock switch on a car door?
Open a rear door and look at the painted edge of the door itself, the face that meets the body of the car when the door is shut. That is where the mechanical lock lives. Kia shows it on the rear edge on some models and the front edge on others (Kia K5, Kia Carnival Hybrid), so check both edges if you can't spot it.
The control comes in two styles. Some are a small lever you push into the lock position, as on the 2022 Kia Carnival. Others are a dial or slot you turn with the tip of your key or a flat screwdriver, as on the Genesis G70 and the RAM Heavy Duty. Each rear door has its own, so set both.
Where the child lock is and what it does
A mechanical child lock sits on the edge of each rear door and only shows when the door is open; vehicles with an electronic child lock use a button the driver presses instead. Drawing is simplified; your owner's manual shows the exact spot.
Source: Door-edge lock: Kia K5 owner's manual, Genesis G70 owner's manual, RAM Heavy Duty owner's manual. Electronic lock: Kia Telluride owner's manual, Genesis GV70 owner's manual.
How do electronic child locks work?
Many newer vehicles skip the door-edge lever. Instead there is a child lock button the driver presses, with a light that comes on when it is active. With the light on, the rear doors won't open from inside, and the rear window switches stop working too. Press it again, the light goes off and the doors behave normally. The Kia Telluride and Genesis GV70 manuals both describe it this way, and both say a vehicle with the electronic version has no manual lever on the doors.
On the Telluride the button sits with the window controls on the driver's door (Kia window lock switch). If a child lock fault message shows on the dash, both manuals say to have the system checked by the dealer. Not sure which kind you have? Your owner's manual will say.
| Question | Door-edge (mechanical) lock | Electronic child lock |
|---|---|---|
| Where is it? | On the edge of each rear door, seen only with the door open | A button the driver presses, on the driver's door on some models |
| How do I turn it on? | Push the lever, or turn the slot with a key or flat screwdriver | Press the button; the indicator light comes on |
| How do I turn it off? | Move the lever or slot back to the unlock position | Press the button again; the light goes off |
| Does it cover both rear doors? | No, set each rear door on its own | Yes, one button for the rear doors |
| Rear windows? | Use the separate window lock button on the driver's door | Rear window switches are disabled while it is on |
| Who can still open the door? | Anyone using the outside handle | Anyone using the outside handle, or the driver by switching it off |
Source: Kia K5, Kia Carnival, Kia Telluride and Kia Telluride window lock owner's manual pages; Genesis G70 and Genesis GV70 owner's manual pages; RAM Heavy Duty child lock and RAM window lockout owner's manual pages. Layouts vary by model: check your own manual.
Child locks, seen from above
- Door-edge child lockEach rear door has its own, on the door edge, and you only see it with the door open.
- Inside handleWith the lock on, it won't open the rear door, even when the door is unlocked.
- Outside handleIt still opens the door, so an adult can let a child out.
- Driver's door buttonOn cars with an electronic child lock, the driver presses it to lock the rear doors from inside and to disable the rear window switches. Press again to cancel.
- Indicator lightIt shows when the lock is on.
Cars with an electronic child lock don't have the door-edge lever. Kia, Genesis and RAM owner's manuals show where yours is. Simplified drawing; the layout differs between vehicles.
How do you test that the child lock is on?
Do this in the driveway. 1. Set the lock on one rear door, then close the door. 2. Sit in that seat, or reach in through an open window, and pull the inside handle. The door should stay shut. 3. Pull the outside handle. The door should open. 4. Repeat on the other side. With an electronic lock, check that the light is on and try both rear doors from inside.
The RAM owner's manual goes a step further and asks you to test from inside every time you switch the lock on or off, so you're never guessing which way it's set.
How do you get out if you're an adult stuck in the back?
The fix is simple, because the outside handle always works (Kia, Genesis, RAM).
Ask the driver. With an electronic lock, the driver can switch it off with the button. With a mechanical one, someone opens the door from outside and moves the lever on the door edge back to unlocked.
Use the window. For door-edge locks, the RAM manual describes unlocking the door, lowering the window and opening it with the outside handle. That won't work with an electronic lock, since it also shuts off the rear window switches (Kia, Genesis).
Use a front door. Child locks are on the rear doors, so once the vehicle is parked, climbing forward and leaving through a front door works too.
The RAM manual also warns that a child lock can make it harder to get someone out of the back after a collision, so tell adult passengers when it's on.
Where is the window lock button and should you use it?
Yes, when kids are in the back. The window lock button sits on the driver's door with the other window switches. Press it and the rear passengers' window switches stop working, while the driver can still run every window. A light on the button shows it is on. The RAM and Kia manuals both describe it this way, and Kia tells owners to keep it locked so children can't play with the windows.
Closing windows can catch small fingers and wrists. NHTSA's advice, shared by the National Child Passenger Safety Board, is to turn on the window lock, keep kids buckled in, and check that hands and heads are clear before raising a window. The RAM manual carries the same warning about children getting trapped by power windows.
The family checklist
Back seat until 13
Children under 13 ride in the back, away from the front airbags.
Lock both rear doors
Each rear door has its own lock, so set both.
Test it from inside
Try the inside handle after you switch the lock on, and again after you switch it off.
Use the window lock too
It stops children from working the rear windows. The driver keeps control.
Why do child locks matter?
Because kids pull handles. Owner's manuals from Kia and Genesis warn that a child who opens a rear door while the vehicle is moving can fall out and be badly hurt, and both tell drivers to use the lock whenever children ride in the back.
Is a child lock enough to keep kids safe in the car?
No. A child lock keeps a door shut. It does nothing in a crash. That job belongs to a car seat or booster that fits your child, is installed properly and is used every trip. If you haven't checked yours lately, read my guide on how to install a car seat. Transport Canada notes that most provinces and territories let children ride up front from age 13, and warns that front airbags can injure children.
Shopping for a family hauler? See my minivan comparison for Ontario, or get in touch and I'll show you the child lock and window controls before you sign anything.
Child Locks: Common Questions
Can a child lock be opened from the outside?
Yes. A child lock only disables the inside handle of the rear door. The outside handle still opens the door normally, as long as the door itself is unlocked. Owner's manuals from Kia, Genesis and RAM all describe it that way, and it is how a parent lets a child out at the curb.
Where is the child lock on a car door?
On most vehicles it is on the painted edge of each rear door, the part you only see when the door is open. It is a small lever, or a slot you turn with a key or flat screwdriver. Vehicles with an electronic child lock use a button the driver presses instead. Your owner's manual shows the exact spot.
How do I know if my child lock is on?
Close the door, then pull the inside handle. If the door stays shut but opens with the outside handle, the lock is on. With an electronic child lock, the light on the button tells you it is active. Test both rear doors, since a mechanical lock is set on each door separately.
Why won't my rear door open from the inside?
Most often the child lock is on. Check the lever or slot on the edge of the door, or the child lock button by the driver. If an electronic system shows a child lock fault message on the dash, Kia and Genesis manuals say to have it inspected by the dealer rather than forcing the handle.
Do electronic child locks also lock the rear windows?
On the systems we checked, yes. The Kia Telluride and Genesis GV70 manuals both say the rear window switches stop working while the electronic child lock is on. Vehicles with a mechanical door-edge lock have a separate window lock button on the driver's door instead.
Do the front doors have child locks?
Not in the owner's manuals we checked. Child locks are a rear-door feature, because that is where children ride. Canadian guidance from the Canadian Paediatric Society and the Ontario government says children under 13 should sit in the back seat, so the rear doors are the ones that need it.
Is a child lock a replacement for a car seat?
No. A child lock only keeps the rear door from opening from inside. It gives no protection in a crash. Your child still needs the right car seat, booster or seat belt for their age and size, installed correctly and used on every trip, however short.
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