General Motors is facing a lawsuit that alleges defective key fob systems allow would-be thieves to clone a radio signal and easily steal vehicles. Stop us if this story sounds familiar. The 47-page class-action lawsuit comes from plaintiff Jeremy Burkett, a Texas resident and previous (it was stolen) owner of a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck. In November 2022, the Sierra disappeared from Burkett’s driveway with no broken glass, no car alarm, and seemingly no damage.
- Base Trim Engine
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2.7L TurboMax I4 ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
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8-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Rear-Wheel Drive
The lawsuit claims the thieves were able to get close to his front door, clone his key fob, then use the copied signal to unlock and start the truck before driving it away. Insurance has already remedied Burkett for the Sierra, but his lawyers claim General Motors has done nothing to prevent this issue from happening again. Burkett now drives a 2023 Sierra 1500 and fears the thieves already know where he lives.
“As a result of GM’s unfair, deceptive, and/or fraudulent business practices, owners and/or lessees of the class vehicles, including plaintiff and members of the classes, have suffered an ascertainable loss of money and/or property in the form of, for example, loss of value, loss of use of the vehicles, repair costs, insurance deductible costs, higher insurance premiums, lost time, and other inconvenience and anguish.”
– Burkett v. General Motors Company
Which Vehicles Are Impacted?
The lawsuit targets all GM full-size trucks and SUVs. These include the following vehicles (model years 2010 to present):
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- Chevrolet Suburban
- Chevrolet Silverado
- GMC Yukon (XL)
- GMC Sierra
- Cadillac Escalade (ESV)
It’s currently unclear if other GM vehicles that use the same key fob could also be at increased risk of theft. Readers may remember a similar lawsuit filed in 2024 involving the Chevrolet Camaro. That case also alleged that the Camaro’s key fob could be easily copied due to “non-secure” commercial radio waves. It’s also hard not to draw some comparisons to the infamous “Kia Boys” scandal, where vehicles could be stolen with a USB stick, though that situation did require thieves to break a window.
How To Protect Your Vehicle
If you are one of the thousands of owners of a GM full-size vehicle, there are several steps you can take to avoid theft. First, avoid putting your keys near your front door, or anywhere a thief might get close to copy the fob. If you need a place to put your keys anyway, a Faraday box is a device that blocks any wireless signals coming in or out. These can be purchased for less than $20.
Related
Thieves Won’t Stop Stealing Hyundais And Kias
The Korean brands are proving popular amongst those with sticky fingers.
Keeping the vehicle in a locked garage is also a good deterrent, though not everyone will have the space, especially for large vehicles like these. CarBuzz will monitor this lawsuit and provide any pertinent updates.
Source: Classaction.org
#Sued #Key #Issue #Results #Theft
