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Update:
- A federal judge in California ruled officials from New York, Ohio and Wisconsin can appeal his ruling against Kia and Hyundai’s motion to dismiss negligence claims related to vehicle thefts.
- U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna denied a motion to stay the case while the 9th District hears those appeals.
- “Beyond their assertion that a stay would ‘save all parties the expense of litigating GE plaintiffs’ claims without the benefit of appellate input,’ defendants do not make a strong enough argument that a stay is warranted pending appeal,” Judge Selna writes in his opinion.
- The multidistrict litigation includes 17 cities and municipalities that claim Hyundai and Kia car thefts take scarce resources from local law enforcement and first responders.
Update:
- Lawsuits from Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee; and Seattle joined a sprawling multidistrict litigation (MDL) claiming Hyundai and Kia failed to install anti-theft devices in their vehicles.
- The complaints were consolidated into an MDL overseen by a federal judge in California.
- Hyundai and Kia are accused of failing to install engine immobilizers into their vehicles, leaving them vulnerable to theft.
- The cities argue a subsequent rash of vehicle thefts, exacerbated by a TikTok trend showing how to steal the vehicles, forces them to siphon resources from local law enforcement and first responders to address the issue.
- The MDL also includes around 60 consumer lawsuits and complaints from insurers.
Hyundai, Kia car thefts lawsuit overview:
- Who: The city of Cleveland filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America and Kia America Inc.
- Why: Cleveland claims Hyundai and Kia have put public safety at risk by allegedly failing to properly protect their vehicles from being stolen without a key present.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
(March 20, 2023)
The city of Cleveland has filed a lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America and Kia America for allegedly failing to ”keep up with the times” by not ensuring the ignitions on their vehicles could not be started without a key present.
Cleveland claims Hyundai and Kia’s alleged failure to properly protect their vehicles’ from theft has led to a “vehicular crime wave” spurred by viral TikTok and news videos showing how easily the Hyundai and Kia vehicles can be stolen.
Hyundai and Kia, meanwhile, made a business decision to forego equipping their vehicles with “common anti-theft technology” in order to reduce their costs and “boost profits,” the Hyundai and Kia lawsuit alleges.
“Hyundai and Kia are nearly unique among automobile manufacturers in failing to install vehicle immobilizers in most of their cars,” the Hyundai and Kia lawsuit states.
Cleveland argues that the rash of vehicle thefts has had a “significant impact” on a number of agencies in its city, including law enforcement operations, emergency services, and public safety.
Kia, Hyundai vehicle thefts problematic for understaffed Cleveland police department, says suit
The vehicular theft issue has also caused problems particularly for the city of Cleveland due to its police department already being under “considerable staffing stress,” the Hyundai and Kia lawsuit alleges.
The city claims the issue with vehicular thefts could be avoided if Hyundai and Kia decided to equip their vehicles with immobilizers, while arguing that the automakers install them in vehicles sold in Canada and Europe since regulations there “expressly require them.”
“It is only in the United States that Hyundai and Kia have decided to trade public safety for profits,” the Hyundai and Kia lawsuit states.
Cleveland claims Hyundai and Kia are guilty of negligence, common law qualified public nuisance, and common law absolute public nuisance.
The city is demanding a jury trial and requesting injunctive relief and an order that the alleged conduct constitutes a public nuisance, along with an award of actual and compensatory damages.
Several class action lawsuits were filed against Hyundai and Kia last year by consumers arguing the automakers failed to equip certain vehicles with engine immobilizers that would help prevent theft.
Have you had your Hyundia or Kia vehicle stolen? Let us know in the comments!
The city of Cleveland is represented by Dean Kawamoto, Gretchen Freeman Cappio, Derek W. Loeser, Ryan McDevitt, Alison S. Gaffney, Felicia J. Craick, Zachary Gussin, and Kylie N. Fisher of Keller Rohrback L.L.P.
The Hyundai, Kia car thefts lawsuit is City of Cleveland v. Hyundai Motor America, et al., Case No. 2:23-cv-01713, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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55 thoughts onHyundai, Kia can ask court to consider whether cities can sue over car thefts
I am at wits end. We bought a 2017 sonata less than 8 months ago. We purchase the car and it had 80,100 miles and it had 82,750 when I tried to get it fix from wither lot with no help and now it has 88,495 miles on it. We bought it 6/27/22 and had it towed on 9/5/22 and they fix the motor starter, we told the mechanic where we got the car that I have had to use 8 quarts of oil since we had the car and that my oil light has never came on. They sent us to hyandaui since it was under there warranty and they sent us back to mt Moriah auto sales. No one wonted to fix it. I was told it had a recall and then I was told that it had less than 100,000 miles so it would have to go back to Hyundai and they sent us back once again to Mt Moriah were we purchased the car. We left there after the second time of being told it was the other persons fault and two months go by and it just quits so we have to have it towed again to mt moriah. We told them that the motor is still burning as much if not more oil that it was and they told me it had to go to hyandaui and we had to pay to send it there and now on 5/23/23 it finally went to Hyundai and i was told it would be 9 months before i can get car back. They will not give me a loaner. My insurance only pays for a rental car if i have a claim for an accident. I can’t pay 2200 a month for a rental car and not sure how long i can continue to go in at 3 am to work and wait until 8 am to clock in. They said that it will be 8/27/23 before they can do a diagnostic test and then It will take 2 months before Hyundai will either approve or decline the motor and of approved it will take another 16 weeks for a motor to come in once they approve it. I have never ever been through this. How can this be possible. They have 57 Sonatas on their lot that per Matthew (General Manager) is in line before our 2017 sonatas to get the engine replaced like ours.. I did everthing right. We even paid 1400 for ext warranty and nothing seems to matter. How can i pay for a car and rent a car and pay for insurance on a car that I don’t even have or haven’t had in over a month? I do not even make that a month at work to cover a rental car. I have called and called and no one is helping me or they dont care. What should i do? When you are dealing with people that do not care you are in a big mess. I have called everyone and everybody I could think of. People do good to have one car now days and for my family we have just the one.
I would like to be added to be contacted regarding this lawsuit.
I would like to join the lawsuit. My car was stolen off a Hyundai dealership lot. I would like to be contacted and explain more
my hyundai was stolen last night in front of my house . I am so pissed about this because they knew about and failed as a company to send out notices to inform people that purchase . i would like to join the lawsuit as well i live in california , i have not slept at all . I feel like i had some of my personal freedom taken from me .
My 2016 Kia soul was stolen April 28th 2023 in the wee hours of the morning. I was scheduled to go to Houston for a photo school for a modeling agency. Not only did i miss my appointment…..the whole event itself made me feel violated. I took pictures of the steering column all torn out. I have since installed a camera on my patio and park directly under it every night i come in from work. Makes no sense how the internet is schooling people on how to become crooks. A shame.
Mine was stolen on Monday. Who do I talk to about this?
Our Hyundai has not yet been stolen but falls into the class that is on the settlement. Please email details to file class action claim.
Mine has not been stolen either and I just recently gave it away but it was in the affected vehicles.
Our 2022 Kia Niro vehicle was moved off of a side road to a nearby lot without notice or reason by a company in Philadelphia last year.
My vehicle was stolen and had damage to it when I got it back
I would like to be added to the suit. My Hyundai Tucson was stolen with a USB cord in October of 2022. Hyundai did not pay for a rental car while my car was fixed and has done nothing to fix the problem. My car was also recalled last year and I was left with no car for 6 months and was not given a rental.