Attorneys general urge recall of high-theft Hyundai and Kia vehicles

(TND) — Attorneys general from 17 states and the District of Columbia are calling on the federal government to recall Hyundai and Kia vehicles they say are particularly vulnerable to theft.

Many of the same attorneys general previously sent a letter to the carmakers urging them to do more for affected customers.

This new letter, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, says Hyundai and Kia have failed to adequately address the issue.

“The bottom line is, Kia’s and Hyundai’s failure to install standard safety features on many of their vehicles have put vehicle owners and the public at risk,” Bonta said in a news release.

Some Hyundai and Kia models have been targeted by thieves who appear to be exploiting their lack of anti-theft immobilizers – a device that prevents the engine from starting if the matching, properly coded key fob isn't detected.

Immobilizers were standard on 96% of other manufacturers’ vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2015, but Hyundai and Kia, both from Hyundai Motor Group, didn’t make them standard until about six years later.

The attorneys general say these vehicles can be hot-wired and stolen in a matter of minutes. They also say the vehicles’ starting systems are not in compliance with federal standards.

A Hyundai official said Friday that these vehicles are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements.

“Hyundai Motor America is committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products,” reads part of an email from Hyundai Senior Group Manager Ira Gabriel.

He noted the steps the company has taken to help customers of the affected vehicles, which include 2011-22 models:

• Engine immobilizers were made standard on all vehicles produced as of November 2021.

• A free software upgrade to prevent the popularized method of theft was rolled out two months ahead of schedule.

• Hyundai partnered with AAA to ensure drivers are covered if they’re having difficulty getting insurance.

• And they’re reimbursing affected customers for their purchase of steering wheel locks.

The attorneys general says Hyundai has acknowledged that about 15% of the affected vehicles can’t accommodate the software updates, and they say the steering wheel locks don’t address the underlying ignition system flaw that makes the vehicles so vulnerable to theft.

The apparent ease of thefts for these vehicles went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms.

And that’s led to a sharp rise in thefts of these cars and SUVs, the state attorneys general say.

In Los Angeles, thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles shot up about 85% last year, accounting for almost three-quarters of the entire increase in stolen cars in the city.

Kia and Hyundai auto thefts increased by 893% in Minneapolis.

And 10% of all registered Kia vehicles and 7% of all registered Hyundai vehicles in Chicago were stolen last year.

“Viral videos show youth how to hotwire these cars in a matter of seconds, encouraging reckless driving and criminal activity that has resulted in injuries and deaths,” Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said in a news release. “I’ve called on Hyundai and Kia to fix this, quickly, and without nickel and diming their customers. They’ve failed and we can’t wait any longer. It’s time for the federal government to step in and force a recall.”

The letter from the attorneys general calls on the NHTSA to work with Hyundai and Kia to implement a recall as soon as possible.

The letter was signed by the attorneys general of California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, D.C., Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

The National Desk asked each office to address the role that criminal enforcement plays in slowing these thefts. Specifically, we asked if there should be harsher penalties for car thieves.

Most of the representatives who responded didn’t directly answer that question.

But the spokesman for Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said that Weiser supports tougher penalties for car thieves and supports state legislation that makes all car thefts a felony regardless of the value of the stolen car.

And Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said via an emailed statement, “Our local law enforcement is doing everything they can to curb these thefts and arrest those responsible while alerting the public through safety messaging.”

Minnesota’s attorney general also has an ongoing civil investigation into whether Hyundai and Kia violated Minnesota’s consumer protection and public nuisance laws.

The attorneys general jointly say police departments have had to dedicate time and resources to increased patrols, handing out steering wheel locks and issuing public alerts about the rise in thefts.

These stolen cars are used in other crimes, including dangerous joyriding incidents, and have been involved in at least eight deadly crashes nationwide, they say.

The carmakers have had “more than enough time to fix this problem voluntarily,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a news release. “It’s now time for the federal government to step in and mandate recall of these vehicles.”