• Plaintiffs are suing GM in California alleging that the automaker built cars with a known defect.
  • That defect is an “easily hackable” key fob that criminals use to steal the cars.
  • The LAPD has warned Camaro owners specifically about a recent spike in thefts of the model.

Tens of thousands of Chevrolet Camaros have a material safety defect, according to a new lawsuit in California. According to the plaintiffs, the cars in question have an unsecured key fob that makes them an easy target for thieves. The suit leans on recent warnings from police and online tutorials showing how to copy key fob radio signals.

The plaintiff alleges that the radio signals from the key fob are the real defect. General Motors sold these cars with fobs that use non-secure commercial radio waves. Given the right tools, another person could intercept and then replay that signal when the owner locks or unlocks the car. In addition, it’s possible in some cases to capture the signal that starts the engine of the car as well.

More: Chevy Camaro Thefts Up 1,000% In LA, Cars Sold For $2K On Social Media

“Consequently, within a matter of 20-30 seconds, the intercepted signal can be utilized to unlock the car and start the ignition,” says the filing with the California Central District Court. It calls out other brands like Range Rover and Jaguar that prevent such a vulnerability with ultra-wideband protection. It claims that GM knows about this problem and failed to fix it.

The filing cites a CBS story, where the LAPD says it’s seen a 1,185% increase in Camaro theft from 2023. That figure appears gigantic, in part because it went from seven thefts in 2023 to 90 this year. The police say the thieves are committing additional crimes with the stolen vehicles and in some cases, they use them in street takeovers or sideshows.

“From what we understand, and things that they’ve explained to us, is that it’s easier and faster to steal those vehicles than it is the Dodge ones… and the market’s growing for people who want to buy these stolen vehicles and part them out,” said one officer.

The suit is still in its early stages but it hopes to recover funds for its plaintiff and any who join the class-action.