- Lawsuit alleges GM trucks and SUVs are highly vulnerable to keyless entry theft.
- Plaintiff claims his GMC Sierra was stolen without triggering alarms or broken glass.
- Complaint alleges GM knew about vulnerability yet failed to issue recall or proper fix.
These days, driving a car that unlocks itself when you walk up to it feels like a small luxury. No fumbling for keys, no awkward shuffling with groceries in hand. But that convenience has a catch: it’s also become a welcome mat for car thieves.
Read: Nine Years Later, This Chevy Lawsuit Is Back For Blood
As keyless entry systems have spread across the market, so have the tools that let criminals intercept and clone the signal, letting them stroll off with your vehicle as easily as you do. Now, a class action lawsuit is taking aim at General Motors for allegedly not doing enough to stop it.
The complaint comes from Jeremy Burkett, a Texas resident who previously owned a 2016 GMC Sierra 1500. His truck came with two keyless entry remotes and, in November 2022, it vanished from his driveway. There were no broken windows, no alarm, no sign of forced entry.
Burkett suspects someone used a cloning device close to his front door, where he had left the keys inside, to capture the signal and quietly make off with the Sierra.
A Familiar Lawsuit With New Allegations
While Burkett was compensated for the loss of his truck by his insurer, he claims that GM has done nothing to prevent thieves from illegally cloning key fobs. Burkett now owns a 2023 GMC Sierra 1500 with keyless entry and, according to his lawyer, “constantly worries about theft.” He’s also concerned that the original thief knows his address.
The lawsuit names all Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, Silverado, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Sierra, Cadillac Escalade, and Cadillac Escalade ESV models built from 2010 to the present as being impacted. The class action says that GM “has acknowledged that the class vehicles are highly prone to theft” but has not issued any kind of safety recall, provided warranty coverage, or offered a remedy.
“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,” the lawsuit says.
What Owners Can Do
Owners of vehicles with keyless entry systems can take a few basic steps to make them less vulnerable to theft. If you have access to a locked garage, use it. If you park on a driveway or the street, avoid leaving your keys near the front door. If you’re really, really paranoid, you can store them in a small Faraday pouch or box that blocks wireless signals. Come to think of it, even if you’re paranoid it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you, or more specifically your car, does it?
