- New York Metropolis joins a rising checklist of cities and states taking authorized motion towards Kia and Hyundai.
- A collection of viral TikToks have impressed a wave of thefts of sure fashions.
- A variety of Kias and Hyundais are weak to theft as they do not have an engine immobilizer.
New York Metropolis has joined a rising checklist of cities and states to take authorized motion towards Hyundai and Kia.
The lawsuit is over rising charges of stolen Kias and Hyundais, which have been fueled by a collection of TikToks on displaying how simple sure fashions of the autos are to steal. The folks in a number of movies typically recognized themselves as a part of a gaggle known as the “Kia Boys” that have been taking credit score for stealing the vehicles and galvanizing others to do the identical.
Town accused Kia and Hyundai of negligence by not putting in engine immobilizers, an antitheft machine that stops a automotive from beginning until it acknowledges its particular key within the automotive, in lots of Hyundai autos from 2015 by way of 2021, and Kias made between 2011 and 2021 in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Different cities together with Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego, Columbus, St. Louis, and Seattle filed related lawsuits earlier this yr, and greater than a dozen state attorneys normal known as for hundreds of thousands of the vehicles to be recalled in April, Insider beforehand reported. State Farm and Progressive have beforehand stated that they’d cease issuing new auto insurance coverage insurance policies to sure Hyundai and Kia fashions due to the elevated danger of theft.
The lawsuit alleges the automakers have prompted a “spiraling epidemic” of automotive thefts, and in addition claims the elevated charges of theft has created a “public nuisance” by impacting the security and peace of New York residents. About 26% of 2015 mannequin yr Kias and Hyundais had immobilizers, whereas some 96% of autos from all different producers in the identical yr had immobilizers, the go well with states.
“Kia continues to take motion to assist our prospects by making it harder for criminals to make use of strategies of theft just lately popularized on social media to steal sure car fashions,” a Kia spokesperson stated in a press release to Insider. The spokesperson additionally referred Insider to its web site the place Kia homeowners can examine if their car wants the software program replace, and stated the lawsuits that cities have filed towards the automaker are “with out benefit” as a result of the vehicles adjust to federal antitheft legal guidelines.
The go well with alleges that whereas the autos do adjust to US legal guidelines, Kias and Hyundais bought in Canada and the European Union have immobilizers as a result of the legal guidelines require them in different international locations.
“Hyundai Motor America is dedicated to making sure the standard and integrity of our merchandise,” a Hyundai spokesperson advised Insider, including {that a} “subset” of its vehicles at present on the street within the US do not have the immobilizers.
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A rising development of automotive theft
The development appears to have began in Milwaukee by June 2021,the go well with argues, citing information experiences that thefts of the autos elevated by some 2,500% from the yr prior. That is about 16 vehicles reported stolen per day by June 2021.
In New York Metropolis, the go well with cited, Kia thefts elevated about 241% between 2021 and 2022. Hyundai thefts equally elevated by 179%.
The thefts have not slowed, the go well with claims. Citing knowledge from the New York Police Division, the go well with claims that within the first 4 months of 2023, the manufacturers mixed to make up an estimated 977 stolen autos in New York Metropolis, about 660% greater than the identical time final yr, when 148 of them have been reported stolen.
Hyundais and Kias have been the second and fourth mostly stolen automotive manufacturers within the metropolis from January by way of April, respectively, up from the seventh and eleventh commonest final yr, the go well with claims.
The sharp enhance is very notable when in comparison with different carmakers, because the go well with claims that thefts of Hondas, Fords, Toyotas, BMWs, Nissans, and Mercedes have all decreased within the first 4 months of 2023 in comparison with the identical time final yr.
The go well with additionally alleges there is a hyperlink between the rising development of thefts and a number of accidents by which the individuals who stole the automotive or different passengers and drivers have been critically injured or killed.
Hyundai and Kia settled a lawsuit from automotive homeowners final month, agreeing to pay out at the least $200 million to hundreds of thousands of people who had their automotive stolen or owned one of many weak fashions. The lawsuit is one other step NYC has taken to cut back the variety of thefts. Earlier this yr, the mayor’s workplace began giving out tons of of Apple AirTags to trace vehicles if they’re stolen.
The businesses have additionally taken their very own measures to cut back thefts, from giving automotive homeowners and police departments hundreds of steering wheel locks to stop a automotive from being stolen to software program updates for hundreds of thousands of weak vehicles. A Hyundai spokesperson stated a software program replace was rolled out to just about 4 million weak autos, and a Kia spokesperson stated at the least 3 million Kia homeowners have been notified that their autos want an replace.
