ST LOUIS, Missouri : The latest in a series of US cities to take action, St. Louis, Missouri said this week it will sue Hyundai and Kia for not installing anti-theft technology in millions of vehicles.
Other US cities suing the two South Korean automakers include Cleveland, Ohio, San Diego, California, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Columbus, Ohio and Seattle, Washington.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Missouri, aims to address increasing Hyundai and Kia thefts, through a method shown on TikTok and other forms of social media.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Highway Loss Data Institute, immobilizer devices were standard on 96 percent of US vehicles by 2015, but were only installed on 26 percent of 2015 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said that big corporations like Kia and Hyundai must be held accountable for endangering our residents and putting profits over people.
According to data from police and state officials, Hyundai and Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypass the ignition.
TikTok videos showing how to steal Kia and Hyundai cars without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices.
A group of 22 US state attorneys-general said last week that automakers must do more to address the millions of US vehicles that are vulnerable to theft.
Kia said this week that the lawsuits by US cities over the thefts aren't merit, and its vehicles comply with US theft protection regulations. Since May 2022, St. Louis police have received more than 4,500 reports of thefts of Kia or Hyundai vehicles, accounting for 61 percent of stolen vehicles in St. Louis.