Honda Knew About Keyless Theft Risk for 15 Years, Lawsuit Claims

The Price Of Innovation

Automakers are constantly innovating their products not just to release new models, but also to entice customers to buy from them. In an industry littered with cars, it’s become apparent that to rake in sales, you have to offer new features. Convenience features are highly sought after, such as automatic tailgates, self-parking, and more.

One of the first convenience features to go mainstream was keyless entry; the ability to walk up to your car and unlock it without using a key became a godsend for motorists. However, a trade-off seems to be that Honda’s keyless entry system has a loophole that makes it easier for car thieves to steal a car, according to a lawsuit.

Easier To Steal

A class action suit has been filed against Honda in the U.S. Plaintiff Trina M. Innarella claims in her suit that Honda and Acura cars that have the brand’s passive keyless entry (PKE) systems are more vulnerable to theft. The complaint goes on to say that Honda failed to disclose ‘material information’ concerning the vulnerabilities of keyless entry systems while selling or leasing cars across the U.S.

The plaintiff wants to represent consumers nationwide who bought or leased a Honda with PKEs from an authorized dealer as far back as January 1, 2015. Data also show that multiple Honda models were among the top-20 most stolen vehicles from 2022 to 2024. In the suit, the plaintiff adds that Honda has known for the last 15 years that its PKE systems had specific vulnerabilities, but the brand has failed to offer additional anti-theft products or to simply address the issue.

The suit was filed as the rampant exploitation of the PKE systems continues to grow. Even then, the suit says the response from automakers has been ‘lethargic’ to the point that U.S. Senator Edward Markey wrote 17 letters to various carmakers, including Honda, seeking information about their keyless entry systems and what efforts, if any, have been made to address the problem.

International Auto Theft Ring

The new complaint also mentioned that back in April, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia unsealed a 15-count indictment and brought charges against six people who were part of an International Auto Theft Ring.

That group primarily targeted recently manufactured Hondas and Acuras with PKEs because they could be easily exploited via electronic devices that allowed thieves to make the cars accept a new blank key fob. In other words, it was easy to steal these cars without raising suspicion by smashing windows, triggering the car’s alarm system, or picking the locks.