Multiple cities, including Cleveland, Seattle, and St. Louis, are suing Kia and Hyundai over a rise in auto thefts.
The cities claim the automakers didn’t install anti-theft technology to
cut costs, making the vehicles easier to steal and their cities less
safe.
- In the lawsuits, the cities argue
that the vehicles don’t have immobilizers, which prevent the car from
starting if the driver doesn’t have the right key.
- Auto thieves have focused on cars with keyed ignition systems rather than push-to-start buttons.
- Thefts spiked after videos on social media showing how to do it with a screwdriver and USB plug went viral.
- Many of the thieves are teens or even younger.
- The cities claim that the increased thefts have led to property damage and increased use of police resources.
- NHTSA estimates that as of February, there had been eight deaths and 14 crashes related to the thefts.
- The
issue affects roughly 4.5 million Kias built between 2011 and 2021 and
about 3.8 million Hyundais built between 2016 and 2021.
- Kia said the lawsuits have no merit, and Hyundai noted its vehicles meet federal safety requirements.
