GM class action lawsuit claims key fob system is hackable

GM key fob class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: General Motors was hit with a class action lawsuit by a Texas plaintiff.
• Why: The plaintiff claims a hackable key fob system makes vehicles prone to theft.
• Where: The GM key fob class action was filed in Texas federal court.

A new class action lawsuit alleges General Motors manufactured vehicles with a key fob system that is hackable and prone to theft.

Plaintiff Jeremy Burkett filed the GM key fob class action lawsuit against General Motors Company and General Motors LLC on June 2 in Texas federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

Burkett claims that tens of thousands of Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac SUVs and trucks have a key fob system that is hackable, making them easy to steal.

He alleges that the vehicles, manufactured from 2010 to the present, use keyless entry to lock, unlock and start the vehicle, but the key fob system is vulnerable to hacking.

According to the lawsuit, the key fobs use non-secure commercial radio waves that can be intercepted by thieves, allowing them to unlock and start the vehicles without setting off the car’s security alarm.

Burkett claims that GM has known about the defect for years but has failed to issue a safety recall or provide a remedy for affected vehicle owners.

Plaintiff’s car stolen after wedding, GM key fob theft class action says

Burkett says he purchased a used 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 in 2017, and it was stolen from his driveway in November 2022, just three days after his wedding and one day before his wife began chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Burkett says the thief was able to clone his key fob’s signal and steal the car without breaking any windows or setting off the alarm. As a result, he was forced to borrow his wife’s vehicle for work and experienced emotional distress and financial stress due to the theft, he claims.

Burkett alleges GM’s failure to disclose the defect has caused owners and lessees of the affected vehicles to suffer an ascertainable loss of money and property, including loss of value, loss of use, repair costs, insurance deductible costs, higher insurance premiums, lost time and other inconvenience and anguish.

Burkett is looking to represent anyone in Texas who purchased or leased a class vehicle with said key fob system installed. He is suing for violations of state and federal consumer laws and is seeking certification of the lawsuit, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

Recently, another GM lawsuit alleged the company issued an “inadequate” recall to address defective engines in certain vehicles that were prone to catastrophic failure.

What do you think of the allegations in this GM key fob theft class action? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Bruce W. Steckler, Austin P. Smith and Paul D. Stickney of Steckler Wayne & Love PLLC, Monica Goff of Carter Arnett PLLC and Timothy Micah Dortch of Dortch Lindstrom Livingston Law Group.

The GM key fob class action lawsuit is Jeremy Burkett v. General Motors Company, et al., Case No. 4:25-cv-00584, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

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