Car Makers are being Sued thanks to Hackers

Marc Stanley, a well know Texas attorney is taking Ford (F: NYSE), Toyota and General Motors (GM: NYSE) to court. He filed the class action suit in San Francisco Federal Court overnight claiming car makers have not addressed “a defect that allows cars” to be hacked taking control away from drivers.

The lawsuit comes just after the US news magazine, 60 Minutes, aired a piece showing how hackers can accomplish this task. Hackers can steer, accelerate and control a car once they have gotten into the car’s system.

Stanley asserts in his brief that when these car makers sell or lease a car to a customer they have a duty to ensure the vehicle is performing properly and safely. The automobile should be free from any defects. If they are aware of any defects they have an obligation to correct them or they should not sell the vehicles in question. He feels these companies are employing new technology to increase sales, reap the rewards but they must ensure the technology is in perfect working order. The lawsuit goes on to claim that when there is a warranty in place, the car makers are “bound to stand by that warranty.”

The auto makers have failed consumers in all these areas, Stanley asserts. They have sold or leased vehicles that are highly susceptible to being hacked and are unsafe. These defendants have not ensure their automobile electronic systems are secure and safe. They can be hacked, be taken control of causing possible injury to drivers as well as “endanger the safety” of others on the roads.

Neither Toyota, Ford nor GM have commented on the suit as of yet. However they have stated that the 60 Minutes report was nothing but a tactic to install fear into consumers. However, there have been many valid reports how hackers can easily take control of your car. Even US Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass) released a report on this issue where he has concerns.

Stanley feels the defendants should not wait till something happens to fix this issue. They should be proactive and immediately address this defect to ensure automobile safety as well as the safety of their products. He cites a precedent in which Honda was forced to recall cars to fix a faulty airbag. Therefore these car makers should be forced to do the same to repair dangerous electronic systems.