A judge of the Superior Court of Quebec has authorized a collective claim that alleges that FOB’s key signals are too easy for automobile thieves to intercept.
The collective demand was presented on behalf of the Quebec residents who had a vehicle equipped with remote car access and a stolen starting system on May 2, 2021, regardless of the vehicle manufacturing date.
The demand alleges that the companies spent years using the key FOB system “without worrying about the appropriate level of security against theft.”
He states that diagnostic systems on board these companies also make cars vulnerable to theft, since it would allow someone to force a car to start after breaking and open the hood.
In a ruling issued on Wednesday, Judge Clemon Samson approved the class action for the following 13 car manufacturers: Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Mazda, FCA, Ford, Audi, BMW, Kia, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Volkswagen and Volvo.
The judge failed against a request to include Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Class action also excludes cases that involve ultra wide band technology.
The number of stolen vehicles in Quebec and in all Canada shot after the pandemic, although they have been in decline in recent years.
A report published this week found that robberies have dropped 19 percent in Canada in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period of time in 2024.
According to a new report by Équité, more need to help combat car theft in Canada. The report also describes which cars are most likely to be stolen. CBC Britnei Bill has more.
There is no warning in the owner’s manual
The main plaintiff in the case is André Lacroix, who bought a 2018 Toyota Highlander in June of that year.
In April 2022, his car was stolen from the front of his daughter’s house in Bouchaville, on the southern coast of Montreal. He had closed his car using his keychain. There were no security images that show what happened exactly.
“The owner’s manual does not provide absolutely any warning about the safety of the intelligent keys associated with this vehicle,” says the demand.
“The manufacturers, including Toyota, have known about these defects for several years, but despite the risks for consumers, it seems that they have not modified the safety measures of their vehicles.”
The judicial document establishes that Lacroix wishes to represent more than 10,000 victims of car theft in the province.
Lacroix wants automobile manufacturers to admit the responsibility of having created a “design defect that allows the theft of vehicles of the group members and for not having warned consumers a safety defect in their keys.”
The demand seeks $ 1,500 in compensation for each person who had a stolen vehicle as of May 2, 2021 or later.
It is looking for another $ 1,500 for each vehicle that was sold or leased between May 2, 2021 and May 2, 2024, the latter being the date of the class action application. This amount would be given to a non -profit company that advocates the consumer protection of car owners.
The lawsuit also asks the judge to order car manufacturers to remove their vehicles and modify them to make them less vulnerable to theft.
Approval means that class action can proceed and, ultimately, could be directed to trial. Automobile manufacturers have 30 days to appeal the decision.
Éric Bouchard, one of the lawyers behind the lawsuit, is asking the victims of car theft that are eligible to participate in this case to contact him.
