Cars too easy to steal: New York City sues Hyundai and Kia

Has there been any savings on theft protection? Kia production in Slovakia

Photo: AFP

The city of New York has sued Hyundai and Kia. It accuses South Korean automakers of negligence and causing public nuisance by selling vehicles that are too easy to steal. The most populous city in the U.S. joined several other major cities that Hyundai and Kia have already sued over the thefts, including Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego and Seattle.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan, New York accuses automakers of failing to equip most of their vehicles with immobilizers from 2011 to 2022. This is almost unique among car manufacturers.

Theft Instructions on TikTok

New York said this had "opened the floodgates for vehicle thefts, mass shootings, reckless driving and public harm." TikTok videos that show how to steal cars without a start button and immobilizer apparently also play a role in this.

The city said the number of reported stolen Hyundais and Kias doubled last year, followed by a "veritable explosion of thefts" in the first four months of 2023. During the period, 977 thefts were reported, up from 148 in the same period in 2022, an increase of more than six times. Thefts from BMW, Ford, Honda, Mercedes, Nissan and Toyota, on the other hand, have decreased. Chicago had already reported an 2022 percent year-on-year increase in thefts from both brands in August 800, according to media reports.

The lawsuit filed by the City of New York is now seeking unspecified damages and punitive damages. Hyundai said in a statement that since November 2021, all vehicles have been equipped with immobilizers as standard and that the company has reduced the risk of theft with a software upgrade and other measures. In February, Hyundai and Kia said they would offer software upgrades for up to 8.3 million U.S. vehicles that don't have an immobilizer.

Kia also referred to its anti-theft efforts in a statement, saying it was working with New York City law enforcement to combat car theft. The company described the city's lawsuit as "unfounded."

Settlement in class action lawsuit

Last month, Hyundai and Kia settled a $200 million settlement in a separate class-action lawsuit over the thefts. This case involved about 9 million vehicle owners in the U.S. and involved up to $145 million to cover losses for stolen vehicles, according to the owners' lawyers.

The U.S. dispute has no effect on Hyundai and Kia models sold in Germany. In this country, electronic immobilizers have been required by law for new cars since the end of the 90s.

mamk/Reuters