Today, my wife went to the grocery store in our 2008 (but just six months old to us) S80...well, she tried, but when she got there, she couldn't take the remote out of the little slot it fits in (she preferred this over leaving it in her purse, because she felt like she was "putting a key in").

The dealer informs us that the remote has swollen up, and hypothesizes that the plastic reacted to some chemical exposure, possibly some petroleum product. My bride is not a mechanic, and she's no longer doing pottery, but she does have very dry hands, so she uses hand lotion frequently. This is the only "chemical" that she applies to her hands. We suspect, then, that it's her hand lotion; she uses several common brands, nothing exotic, so the plastic is reacting to something that's going to be a frequent encounter.

She is now convinced that I was right from the beginning just to leave the remote in my pocket, and plans to follow the same practice from here on out.

The good news is that the dealer is covering the repair of the "key" slot and replacement of the remote under warranty, so the only cost was gasoline to get there and my time. It sure ruined the day, though.