GM class action claims automaker tracks driver behavior through OnStar

GM OnStar class action overview: 

• Who: Plaintiff Jonathan DiNardo filed a class action lawsuit against General Motors (GM), OnStar and Lexis-Nexis Risk Solutions. 
• Why: DiNardo’s lawsuit claims GM and OnStar collect driving data, share it with Lexis-Nexis Risk Solutions and Lexis-Nexis, which then sell the data to car insurance companies.
• Where: The GM tracking class action was filed in federal court in Pennsylvania.

General Motors (GM) and OnStar collect driving data without customers’ full knowledge and share that tracking data with Lexis-Nexis Risk Solutions, a new class action alleges.

Lexis-Nexis then allegedly sells the GM tracking information to third parties such as automobile insurance companies, which use the data to justify premium increases for drivers.

“The net result is every entity in this clandestine series of transactions is profiting from the sale of drivers’ data, while drivers themselves not only do not see a penny from the sale of their own data, but often see their insurance quotes or premiums inexplicably go up,” the class action says.

GM, OnStar stopped sharing with Lexis-Nexis on March 20, companies say 

GM vehicles from model year 2015 and newer are equipped with OnStar but also record data through apps such as MyBuick, MyChevrolet and MyCadillac, according to the GM class action.

GM claims it does not store and track data without driver consent, but the lawsuit claims that is untrue. The data collection is represented as an optional service to help drivers when it is actually collected and sold to third parties, the class action says.

GM and OnStar recently admitted they had been sharing the data with Lexis-Nexis and Verisk, with The New York Times reporting March 20 that the companies had stopped sharing that data. Drivers suffered harm due to the sharing, along with risk of future harm from the data that was collected and can be used against them, the lawsuit says.

In a previous GM tracking lawsuit in Florida, a Cadillac owner claimed he did not sign up for OnStar Smart Driver, but GM and OnStar nonetheless tracked his driving behavior and sold his data to Lexis-Nexis, leading to denials from insurance carriers.

Do you have a vehicle equipped with OnStar? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Ruben Honik and David J. Stanoch of Honik LLC.

The GM OnStar class action lawsuit is DiNardo v. General Motors LLC, et al., Case No. 3:24-cv-00524-JKM, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• NFL texts continue despite opt-outs, class action alleges
• Wayfair class action alleges retailer sends unsolicited text messages 
• Wingstop class action alleges company captured, stored customer voiceprints from phone orders
• Amazon, Prime collect, share private customer data, class action claims