South Korean motoring giants Kia and Hyundai are having a rough time in the US. The car manufacturers got sued in NewYorkCity over the bizarre 'Kia Boyz' challenge and for making their cars too easy to steal, sometimes, by just using a USB cable
South Korean motoring giants Kia and Hyundai are having a rough time in the US. The car manufacturers got sued in NewYorkCity over the bizarre 'Kia Boyz' challenge and for making their cars too easy to steal, sometimes, by just using a USB cable
On Tuesday, New York City filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Corp, alleging that the South Korean automakers were negligent and created a public nuisance by selling vehicles that could be easily stolen.
This action by New York City follows similar lawsuits by other major cities, including Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego, and Seattle.
In the complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, New York City criticized Hyundai and Kia for failing to install anti-theft devices known as immobilizers on most of their vehicles between 2011 and 2022.
According to the city, this omission made their cars “almost unique” among other automobile manufacturers. The absence of immobilizers, coupled with TikTok videos demonstrating how to steal cars without push-button ignitions and immobilizers, has contributed to a surge in vehicle thefts, crime sprees, reckless driving, and public harm, as stated by New York City in the lawsuit
The city noted that the number of reported thefts of Hyundais and Kias doubled last year and saw a significant increase in the first four months of 2023, with 977 reported thefts compared to 148 during the same period in 2022.
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In contrast, thefts of BMW, Ford, Honda, Mercedes, Nissan, and Toyota vehicles have decreased this year.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from the automakers. Hyundai responded to the allegations by stating that it had made immobilizers standard on all vehicles since November 2021 and had taken additional measures, such as software upgrades, to reduce the risk of thefts.
Kia also mentioned its efforts to prevent thefts and expressed its collaboration with New York City law enforcement to combat car thefts, dismissing the lawsuit as baseless.
In February, Hyundai and Kia announced that they would offer software upgrades for up to 8.3 million U.S. vehicles that lacked immobilizers.
Last month, the automakers reached a $200 million settlement for a consumer class action related to the thefts. The settlement, covering approximately 9 million U.S. vehicle owners, included up to $145 million to compensate for losses due to stolen vehicles, according to lawyers representing the owners.
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