Chicago Lawsuit Targets Kia and Hyundai Over Vehicle Thefts

Mayor Brandon Johnson has officially announced that the city of Chicago is filing a civil lawsuit against major automakers Kia America, Inc., Kia Corporation, Hyundai Motor America, and Hyundai Motor Company.

The lawsuit alleges that these companies failed to integrate industry-standard engine immobilizers into a range of their vehicle models, directly contributing to a surge in thefts, reckless driving, property damage, and a disturbing array of violent crimes in the city.

The lawsuit underscores the contention that Kia and Hyundai neglected to include vital anti-theft technology in their U.S. vehicles sold between 2011 and 2022. The complaint asserts that Kia and Hyundai have equipped their vehicles with engine immobilizers in other countries.

Mayor Brandon Johnson emphasized that Kia and Hyundai’s failure to incorporate basic auto-theft prevention technology amounts to negligence, resulting in an alarming surge of auto-related crime within the city and beyond.

The exposure of this defect through social media videos sparked a disturbing trend. Vehicle thefts involving Kia and Hyundai models in Chicago skyrocketed from around 500 in the first half of 2022 to an astonishing 8,350 during the latter half of the year. These thefts continue to account for over half of all vehicle thefts in Chicago in 2023. Stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles have been implicated in various criminal activities, including reckless driving, armed robbery, and even homicide.

Despite the exposure of this issue and the outcry it has generated, Kia and Hyundai have failed to rectify their actions. They have declined the city’s request to incorporate sufficient steering wheel locks and have even taken advantage of the crisis by charging consumers for security kits.

The city’s legal action is grounded in allegations of consumer protection law violations, negligence, and the creation of a public nuisance. The objectives of the lawsuit are to recover the city’s incurred expenses in responding to the theft surge, provide restitution to affected vehicle owners, and compel the companies to address the security flaws in the affected vehicles.