GM Sued: Are Key Fobs Making Your Vehicle an Easy Target?

Case Overview: A class action alleges General Motors knowingly sold millions of Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac SUVs and trucks with a keyless entry system design flaw that makes them easy targets for high-tech theft.

Consumers Affected: Texas consumers who owned or leased a Chevrolet, GMC, or Cadillac SUV or truck (2010 to present models) with the allegedly hackable keyless entry system.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division

General Motors is facing a proposed class action lawsuit from vehicle owners who say the automaker knowingly sold millions of Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac SUVs and trucks with a dangerous design flaw that makes them easy targets for high-tech theft. 

The lawsuit alleges that GM’s vehicles, spanning models built from 2010 to the present, are equipped with a keyless entry system that can be hacked in seconds without triggering alarms or requiring forced entry.

Owner Describes Stolen Truck, Personal Hardship

Jeremy Burkett, a Texas resident, filed the proposed class action lawsuit after he says he experienced the defect firsthand when his GMC Sierra was stolen from his driveway using a device that mimicked his key fob’s signal. 

According to the complaint, the thief was able to intercept the signal by standing near the front door of the plaintiff’s home, where the fob was stored. Within seconds, the cloned signal unlocked the doors and started the engine, no alarm, no broken glass.

Burkett says in the lawsuit that the theft occurred just three days after his wedding and a day before his wife began chemotherapy. The loss left him without transportation, forcing the couple to share a single vehicle amid serious medical needs. 

Though insurance covered part of the loss, the payout didn’t match the rising price of replacement vehicles, leading to long-term financial and emotional stress, he alleges.

Even after buying a new 2023 GMC Sierra, Burkett says he now lives in constant fear of it being stolen again. He’s extra cautious about where he parks and avoids leaving anything in the car with his address on it.

How the Alleged Theft Defect Works

The lawsuit centers on what plaintiffs call the “Theft Prone Defect,” a vulnerability in GM’s keyless entry system that uses low-frequency radio signals. Hackers can buy cheap devices online to intercept and clone the key fob’s code, tricking the vehicle into believing the actual key is nearby, according to the lawsuit. 

This type of theft, known as relay or “key clone” theft, takes just 20 to 30 seconds and doesn’t require the thief to break into the vehicle.

Many of the affected vehicles also reportedly have unsecured OBDII ports that allow thieves to plug in programming tools and create new key fobs on the spot. Online tutorials for this method are easy to find, fueling a spike in thefts nationwide, the complaint states. The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra were the two most stolen vehicles in Texas, according to the complaint.

GM Faces Other Lawsuits Over Vehicle Safety

This isn’t GM’s first time in legal crosshairs. The company is already defending itself against a massive class action lawsuit over allegedly defective transmissions in hundreds of thousands of vehicles. Texas has also sued the automaker over the sale of driver data to insurance companies.

Meanwhile other automakers, including Ford, are also facing lawsuits over safety defects ranging from battery failures to engine issues.

In his lawsuit, Burkett wants to represent anyone in Texas who owned or leased one of the affected vehicles. He is suing for violations of the state’s consumer laws and is asking for a notice regarding the defect and reimbursement of all expenses associated with the repair or replacement.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Burkett v. General Motors Company and General Motors, LLC, Inc.
• Case Number:  4:25-cv-00584
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division 

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Bruce W. Steckler, Austin P. Smith, and Paul D. Stickney (Steckler Wayne & Love PLLC)
• Monica Goff (Carter Arnett PLLC)
• Timothy Micah Dortch (Dortch Lindstrom Livingston  Law Group)

Do you own a GM vehicle with keyless entry? Have you experienced attempted theft or concerns? Share your thoughts below.