2021 Dodge Ram 1500 starts and drives without key FOB

[BrewCityMusic]

New to the forum, I had an odd thing happen this AM ... I jumped in my truck, started it as normal and drove about 8 miles to the grocery store, where I realized i had left my wallet AND keys at home. Luckily, I keep a $100 in my cell phone case, so no issue w groceries but while walking out to the truck I realized I was likely stranded - nope. Got in, hit the pedal and button, fired right up and drove home, no problems.

Is this normal? I can see it starting with my keys on the coffee table when I left home as the truck was close enough to get a signal, but 8 miles away and it fired right up, no warnings, issues, nothing?

Did i perhaps somehow activate a "No FOB needed" thing in the past or ??? I have forgotten my keys in the past and gotten the "No FOB" warning, why would that just suddenly change or did i get REALLY lucky today?

 

[barr0208]

that shouldnt happen if you are still under warranty i would get that taken care of

 

[markabby]

extra key fob in the glove box?

 

[GTyankee]

There would have to be a FOB or keys close by, either in your vehicle or some one parked within a few feet of, that has a FOB or a set of keys really similar to yours.
My neighbor has a seperate set of keys to unlock her Doors, then normally she would use a FOB to Start & Drive the car away.
She found the FOB after a week of searching

 

[CrispyBacon]

Did you buy your truck used? I'm wondering if a previous owner lost a key inside the truck and it's still hanging around somewhere.

 

[Bigdaddyii]

I cant even start mine standing outside the truck with the fob in my pocket using my hands to push the pedal and hit the button. There is likely another fob somewhere in the truck. In a rural area, I "might" tape one on the backside of one of the dash panels, similar to what I may have done with the head of a chip key so that way I could just have a regular key cut.

 

[BrewCityMusic]

We did a complete search of the truck this AM, no hidden FOB. NOW, that said, I took MY FOB and put it in the shop about 100ft from the truck and it was normal, "No FOB Detected" and would not start, hmmm .....

 

[gwilburn]

Try locking the doors using the power locks on the door. Get out and shut the door. If there's a fob inside, it will beep 3 times and unlock.

 

[Tulecreeper]

We did a complete search of the truck this AM, no hidden FOB. NOW, that said, I took MY FOB and put it in the shop about 100ft from the truck and it was normal, "No FOB Detected" and would not start, hmmm .....

That tells me your truck's receiver is very sensitive, or your FOB is putting out a heck of a signal. I know that I have put my fob in the pocket of the driver's door and just being behind that thin plastic my truck loses the signal and will not start.

 

[BrewCityMusic]

SO - I may have found something ... IF I have the FOB out of range, no start etc HOWEVER if i plug in my phone (not BT but hardwired to the port i always use down under the dash) it starts and operates just like if i had the FOB there. Does Android Auto maybe emulate the FOB with a registered phone?