"Owners of stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles may be entitled to money after the vehicle manufacturers failed to install common anti-theft technology, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. As part of a settlement with multiple state attorneys general, including Bonta, the makers of Kia and Hyundai vehicles will pay a settlement of about $9 million. In 2022 and 2023, a dramatic rise in stolen Hyundai and Kia vehicles were reported in the U.S., thanks in part to viral TikTok trends and easily bypassed security."
"In California, vehicle thefts came in just under 203,000 in 2023, with the Kia Optima, the Hyundai Sonata and Hyundai Elantra as the top three most stolen cars. The vehicles were manufactured with "easily bypassed ignition locks and without anti-theft devices called engine immobilizers," according to a news release from Bonta. The engine immobilizers help keep cars from being hot-wired by preventing them from starting unless a car's "smart" key with the digital code is present."
Manufacturers of Kia and Hyundai vehicles agreed to a multistate settlement totaling about $9 million after many models lacked engine immobilizers and had easily bypassed ignition locks. States will receive $4.5 million to cover investigative costs and up to $4.5 million will go to owners of stolen vehicles, subject to court approval. A sharp rise in thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars occurred in 2022 and 2023 in the U.S., driven in part by viral TikTok trends and weak security. In California nearly 203,000 vehicle thefts were reported in 2023, with the Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata and Hyundai Elantra the top three most stolen models. Affected owners can submit claims at www.HKMultistateimmobilizersettlement.com while the settlement awaits court review.
Read at SFGATE
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