New York sues Hyundai and Kia for making stealable vehicles

New York sues Hyundai and Kia for making stealable vehicles

New York City sued Hyundai and Kia on Tuesday, accusing the South Korean automakers of negligence and public nuisance by selling vehicles too easy to steal.

In a complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, New York blamed automakers’ failure from 2011 to 2022 to install anti-theft devices called immobilizers in most of their cars, making them “almost unique” among automakers.

The county said the problem “opened the door for vehicle theft, crime spree, reckless driving and public harm,” exacerbated by TikTok videos showing cars lacking push-button ignitions and immobilizers being stolen.

The city said the number of stolen Hyundais and Kias had doubled in the past year, followed by an “explosion of virtual thefts” in the first four months of 2023, with 977 reported thefts, up from 148 in the same period of 2022.

Conversely, thefts of BMW, Ford, Honda, Mercedes, Nissan and Toyota vehicles decreased this year.

The claim seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Hyundai said in a statement it made immobilizers standard on all vehicles in November 2021 and took steps, including a software update, to reduce the threat of theft.

Kia also cited anti-theft efforts and said it is working with the NYPD to fight auto theft. The company also called the city’s lawsuit “meritless.”

In February, automakers said they would offer software updates for up to 8.3 million U.S. vehicles that don’t have immobilizers.

Last month, Hyundai and Kia settled over $200 million in a class action lawsuit against consumers over the thefts.

The case affected nearly 9 million U.S. vehicle owners and included up to $145 million to cover losses from stolen vehicles, the owners’ attorneys said.

Source: Terra

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