After I unlock the doors with my fob on my 2013 Fit, the car locks the doors by itself in about 30 seconds. This is terrible design. If I unlock the doors then obviously the doors should be unlocked.
Does anyone have any ideas about how to disable this design defect?

 

I don't think it's possible to do so. If you unlock with the key or with the inside button, they do not auto-lock. The relocking only happens if no door is opened in the meantime.

I assume the relocking was done as a security/safety measure in case someone pushed the wrong button on the fob by mistake or (perhaps more likely) had something else in their pocket or purse that pushed on the buttons occasionally. Having the car lock itself again if you unlock it but don't open a door is a bit annoying at odd times, but having a car that unlocks and stays unlocked when you had locked it (or thought you had locked it) is a recipe for disaster in some areas.

 

Actually, I'm not sure my Fit is set to do this.
It will Re-Lock, if I Un-Lock, using the fob but then do not open a door.
But as far as I can tell, if it's unlocked and I walk away, it does not automatically lock itself.

And actually? I think I'd like that feature.
I use to have an auto-lock alarm system on an older vehicle and it was kind of nice.
If you went into a shopping mall or movie theater and couldn't remember if you hit lock on the fob, it was nice to know the vehicle would lock itself.

There have been a few times when I've had to turn around, or leave a dinner, to go check and make sure The Fit was locked.
I don't know if I'd call auto-lock a design flaw. If I can set mine to do so? I will.

 

This feature is described in your owners manual....looks like on page 79.
Copied from your owners manual:

Using the Remote Transmitter*
If you do not open a door within 30 seconds of
unlocking the vehicle with the remote transmitter,
the doors will automatically relock.

No, you cannot disable it.

It's a great design.
It's designed this way for a good reason.
I think other car manufacturers should use the design too.
It makes perfect sense, if you think about it.


But if your door jamb switch is broken, that causes it to relock even though you are already in the car. That's the only time anyone else has real complaints.

 

I agree. This is actually great design and a great feature.

Why would you unlock your doors but not actually open any of them within 30 seconds? Are you planning on loading something heavy and don't think you'll be able to reach for your keys? Just put it down for a second, unlock the doors, and then open said doors. Or open the doors before lifting something heavy. Are you leaving the car parked in your garage and want to keep it unlocked? Just open a door within 30 seconds and the car will stay unlocked indefinitely.

 

I hate this feature on my rav4. Maybe I'm just competent enough to use my key fob correctly. Something absolutely silly would have to happen for the unlock button to accidentally get pressed by some other object in my pocket or bag. But I have on many many occasions wanted to unlock my car from inside so someone else can run and grab something out of it and by the time they get there it's relocked itself. I don't want to give them the keys because I'm paranoid they will do something stupid with them. Now in the Tahoe I'm using the doors randomly auto lock after 5 seconds even with the keys in the ignition or when it's running. Not every time. Just occasionally. It's the worst "feature" I've ever had on a car. Been locked out at least 4 times in two weeks just quickly running into the house or getting out to pump gas. I now have to keep the window cracked at all times to prevent it from locking me out while I'm warming it up in the winter. It's been in the negative temps this week. This happens even with the setting turned to off. It randomly turns back on.

And the other guy asking about loading heavy things. I deliver pizza. You ever try to reach for your keys while carrying 2 2-liters under each arm and a giant bag full of pizzas in one hand. I am lucky I can even get the door open. Let alone fish my keys out of my pocket.