key Key issue (maybe steering lock?)

[Testot]

Hello! I have a 2016 Note, manual transmission. 
This morning, everything was fine until I parked at work and tried to lock the car using the ‘lock’ button on the fob. The car bleeped and a red key-in-a-car warning light flashes on the dashboard. Starting and stopping the engine seemed to fix this: it worked fine after that. 
My next journey, no problems.
But then, the fob wouldn’t unlock the car at all - though the black buttons on the exterior door handles worked fine. The ‘lock’ button on the fob produced the same exterior beep and warning light. The engine button wouldn’t start and the warning light flashed. Holding the fob next to the start button didn’t work either. 
Tried the other fob. Exactly the same. So I don’t think it can be an issue with the fob battery because they wouldn’t both have gone at once.
I eventually fixed this by nudging the steering wheel, then the car started fine. I drove home. Then at the other end, I had the same locking issue: pressing ‘lock’ on the fob wouldn’t work until I started and stopped the engine once again.
If it’s at all relevant, the auto-start-stop feature wasn’t functioning on these journeys (as in, it was switched on, but when I stopped the car and went into neutral, the engine just continued). 
What can you lovely people advise me?
Thanks!

[Trevor]

I think the battery is showing signs of age

Classic reason for the stop/start to go offline is the first signs of battery degradation so if its an original one then it may be long overdue for replacement
The locking fault may also then be resolved if the battery is replaced