Kia, Hyundai sued over alleged anti-crime feature failings

The City of Chicago in the United States launched a lawsuit against popular car manufacturers Kia and Hyundai after the manufacturers allegedly failed to install anti-crime technologies in their cars, according to media reports from August 26.

The suit alleges that the supposed failure on the part of the manufacturers had led to a "steep rise in vehicle thefts, reckless driving, property damage, and a wide array of related violent crimes," the city was cited as having said by ABC7 Chicago.

In 2023, there were a total of 19,062 car thefts in Chicago, according to an official document published by the Chicago Police Department, while in 2022 the number stood at 9,346. This is roughly a 104% increase in the number of thefts in the space of one year alone.

The decision to hold the manufacturers accountable was praised by some drivers who spoke to ABC7 Chicago.

Fontaina Spight told the source that he owned a Hyundai Elantra that had been stolen in January and now they struggled to look at the car.

"You have a strong sense of feeling violated, like someone has invaded your personal space and taken something that was not theirs," Spight's Fiancee said.

"We use that car to go to work, we use that car to take our granddaughters everywhere. And I had over $6,000 worth of drum equipment that they stole, so it cost me dearly," Spight said.

More information on the legal complaint

The complaint, which was submitted on Thursday to the Circuit Court of Cook County, said that between the years 2011 and 2022, cars sold in the US by the manufacturers did not include "vital anti-theft technology that is standardized in almost all other car manufacturers." The complaint also states that the technology is included in cars produced by the manufacturers for sales outside of the United States.

Kia and Hyundai were also accused of lying to consumers about safety features while knowing the cars were defective.

Kia issued a statement stating that "Kia has already notified all eligible owners and lessees of these vehicle models - over three million total - that they are able to receive the free security software upgrade that we have developed." 

"To date, nearly 650,000 vehicles nationwide have received the upgrade, which is designed to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a potential criminal attempt to steal a locked vehicle without the key...Lawsuits filed by municipalities against Kia are without merit. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that this issue does not constitute a safety defect."

Hyundai also claims to have developed a free upgrade for to owners of their cars purchased in the United States from 2011 until 2022.

Hyundai is "providing free steering wheel locks to law enforcement agencies for distribution to local residents who own or lease affected models." Hyundai said it "remains committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of its products, all of which are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements."