Kia and Hyundai Easy to Steal Vehicles Class Action

On social media, says the complaint for this class action, the “Kia Challenge” dares people to break into Kia cars and use a USB cable to start and steal them. The complaint alleges that the fault lies with Kia America, Inc. and Hyundai Motor America, for making certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles without immobilizers that would keep them from being started without a smart key. The complaint alleges that the vehicles are exceptionally easy to steal.

The Nationwide Class for this action is all persons and entities who bought or leased a class vehicle, that is, a 2011-2022 Kia or 2015-2022 Hyundai. Illinois and Ohio Classes have also been defined, for persons or entities who bought or leased a class vehicle in those states, respectively.

Most vehicles nowadays are made with immobilizers, the complaint alleges, that “prevent[] them from being started unless a code is transmitted from the Vehicle’s specific smart key.” But the complaint claims that the Kia and Hyundai vehicles at issue are made with traditional “insert-and-turn” key ignition systems that make them easy to steal. All a person needs to do, the complaint claims, is to break into the car, open the steering column, and start the engine with a USB charging cable or similar metal item.

The process is so simple that the complaint alleges it is shown with detailed instructions in videos on YouTube and TikTok.

The complaint tells the stories of the five plaintiffs for this action, all of whom had their vehicles stolen. According to the complaint, most of the vehicles suffered varying amounts of damage, including the ripping off of the steering wheel cladding and smashed windows, with one vehicle being crashed into a tree. Because of the widespread theft of these vehicles, the complaint alleges that parts shortages have delayed repairs.

In some countries, immobilizers are required to be installed in new vehicles. The complaint alleges, “Kia and Hyundai sell virtually identical vehicles to the Class Vehicles in countries with immobilizer requirements, but have largely failed to equip Vehicles sold in the United States with the same immobilizer technology…” The complaint claims that this is “likely” to have been “a cost-saving measure to improve their profitability.”

The complaint quotes the federal government as saying that “stolen cars constitute a major hazard to life and limb on the highways” and that “cars operated by unauthorized persons are far more likely to cause unreasonable risk of accident, personal injury, and death than those which are driven by authorized individuals.”

Another problem, the complaint alleges, is that some insurance companies are refusing to cover the class vehicles or are raising their rates for insuring them.

Finally, the complaint alleges that the class vehicles do not comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, which requires that when the key is removed, the engine cannot be activated and prevents the steering or forward motion of the vehicle.

Article Type: Lawsuit
Topic: Automobile
Tags: Defective Automobile, Ignition or Starter System, Immobilizer