New Hyundai cars are displayed on the sales lot at San Leandro Hyundai on May 30, 2023, in San Leandro, California. A surge in Kia and Hyundai thefts began last year after viral videos appeared on social media sites showing how to exploit the lack of antitheft computer chips in the cars. Kia and Hyundai cars continue to be stolen more than three months after the auto manufacturers deployed software fixes to help curb the thefts.
As a result of a flaw that rendered particular vehicle models vulnerable to theft, New York City has joined a number of other cities in suing Hyundai and Kia. These other towns have also been plagued by a social media-fueled surge of auto thefts.
Video guides that went viral on TikTok and other platforms explain how to jumpstart vehicles using a screwdriver and a USB connection.
The problem is that, according to AP News, certain US-bound Hyundai and Kia vehicles lacked engine immobilizers, a device that has been standard on most automobiles since the 1990s and ensures that the engine cannot be started unless the key is in the ignition.
Failure to Deploy Keyless Ignition Devices in Cars Leads to Lawsuit
The lawsuit, which was filed late Tuesday, June 6, in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, claims that Hyundai Motor America and Kia America Inc. lagged behind the competition by failing to implement keyless ignition systems in their vehicles.
"Hyundai's and Kia's business decisions to reduce costs, and thereby boost profits, by foregoing common anti-theft technology have resulted in an epidemic of thefts," the complaint claims.
The city alleges that car thefts are putting a burden on police resources and affecting public safety and emergency services.
According to the New York City police department, via AP News, 287 Kia cars were stolen in the city in 2022, compared to 119 in 2021. There were around 415 Hyundai cars reported stolen in 2022, up from 232 the year before.
But the situation has not improved. Thus far this year, 977 Hyundai and Kia automobiles have been reported stolen. In the same months a year ago, there were just 148 thefts of this kind.
New York, the most populated city in the US, has joined cities like Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego, and Seattle in pursuing legal action against the automakers in the wake of a spate of automobile thefts.
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Hyundai Says It Guarantees Product Quality
Hyundai claims it is dedicated to maintaining the reliability and authenticity of its products.
"A subset of Hyundai vehicles on the road in the US today ... are not equipped with push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. It is important to clarify that an engine immobilizer is an anti-theft device, and these vehicles are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements," the automaker explained in a press release.
As of the November 2021 production date, all Hyundai automobiles have engine immobilizers as standard equipment. The business said that it is communicating with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the steps it is taking to support its clients.
Kia, on the other hand, did not provide any remarks.
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