Multiple State Lawmakers Call on Hyundai and Kia to Do Something About Thefts
2021 Hyundai Accent InteriorImage: Hyundai
As thefts of vulnerable vehicles continue to happen across the country, USA Today reports that lawmakers in multiple states are calling on Hyundai and Kia to do more to stop them.
Attorneys General from 23 states penned a letter to the Korean auto brands — specifically Hyundai’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel John Yoon, and Kia’s Chef Legal Officer Jason Erb. In the eight-page letter, lawmakers detail the shocking statistics regarding the thefts of Hyundai and Kia models across the country. Like the 836-percent increase in thefts of vulnerable models in Minneapolis in 2022 over the previous year. Or the 678-percent increase in thefts in Milwaukee, going from just 895 in 2020 to 6,970 in 2021.
While the sibling automakers have rolled out campaigns to help owners protect their cars (sometimes at a cost), and a NHTSA recall later offered a fix for free, lawmakers say those actions aren’t enough. In the letter, Hyundai specifically gets criticized for wanting to charge customers for the engine immobilizers. “[W]e understand that the recommended retail price of this kit is $170 (which does not include the cost of installation), and we are aware of no information that your companies have invested in delivering these kits to vehicle owners in need at reduced or no cost,” the letter says.
The letter also highlights the fact that vulnerable Hyundai and Kia models were sold in the U.S. without electronic immobilizers — but those same models in Canada and Europe had immobilizers as standard equipment. “Your companies made the choice not to include anti-theft immobilizers as standard equipment in many of your vehicle models sold in the United States during a period when every other manufacturer was doing so – and even though these vehicles come equipped with immobilizers when sold in Canada and Europe,” the letter states.
The letter concludes by urging the companies to act quickly as thefts rise. “We urge you to do everything in your power to accelerate the implementation of the software upgrade and to provide free alternative protective measures for all those owners whose cars cannot support the software upgrade,” the letter reads.
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Whatever the automaker is going to do, it needs to be done soon. While the recall campaign is still being performed — I just took my car in for the service about a week ago — owners still face the threat of thefts. And even if an affected owner’s car doesn’t get stolen, insurance rates are skyrocketing on vulnerable cars, and some insurance companies are declining coverage altogether.
