It means she left with the only working key and it’s letting you know not to drive off without a working key, Try it with her fob only. Then check your fob batteries.
Main issue is the water pump failing and taking out the engine but I think Ford revised the water pump to make it less likely. Changing coolant frequently will help. Edges with the same type of powertrain can easily go 200k-300k.
Same paint but the bumpers are typically painted elsewhere plus they are plastic vs metal which can change the appearance. Prep is different. Common issue and repainting will fix it.
Is it possible there is a keyfob inside the vehicle somewhere? There is a safety feature that prevents locking the fob inside accidentally but using the keypad overrides that.