NEW YORK — New York Metropolis on Tuesday sued Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Corp, accusing the South Korean automakers of negligence and making a public nuisance by promoting autos which can be too simple to steal.
Probably the most populous U.S. metropolis joined a number of different main cities which have sued Hyundai and Kia over the thefts, together with Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego and Seattle.
In a criticism filed in Manhattan federal courtroom, New York faulted the automakers’ failure from 2011 to 2022 to put in anti-theft units referred to as immobilizers on most of their automobiles, making them “practically distinctive” amongst vehicle producers.
New York mentioned this has “opened the floodgates to car theft, crime sprees, reckless driving, and public hurt,” exacerbated by TikTok movies exhibiting learn how to steal automobiles that lack push-button ignitions and immobilizers.
The town mentioned the variety of reported stolen Hyundais and Kias doubled final 12 months, adopted by a “digital explosion of thefts” within the first 4 months of 2023 with 977 reported thefts, up from 148 in the identical interval in 2022.
In distinction, the town mentioned thefts of BMW, Ford, Honda, Mercedes, Nissan and Toyota autos have fallen this 12 months.
The criticism seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Hyundai mentioned in an announcement that it made immobilizers commonplace on all autos in November 2021, and has taken steps together with a software program improve to scale back the specter of thefts.
Kia in an announcement additionally cited its anti-theft efforts, and mentioned it’s working with New York Metropolis legislation enforcement to fight automobile thefts. It additionally referred to as the town’s lawsuit “with out benefit.”
In February, Hyundai and Kia mentioned they might supply software program upgrades for as many as 8.3 million U.S. autos that lack the immobilizers.
Final month, Hyundai and Kia reached a $200 million settlement of a shopper class motion over the thefts.
That case coated about 9 million U.S. car house owners, and included as a lot as $145 million to cowl losses for stolen autos, attorneys for the house owners mentioned.
The case is Metropolis of New York v Hyundai Motor America et al, U.S. District Court docket, Southern District of New York, No. 23-04772.
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