Dec. 16 (UPI) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Tuesday a bipartisan settlement between 35 states and automakers Hyundai and Kia over selling millions of vehicles without standard anti-theft technology.
Hyundai and Kia’s alleged omission of standard security technology fueled a surge of car thefts, enabled further crime and caused deaths nationwide, including in Minnesota, Ellison’s office announced.
“Maintaining public safety means holding people who commit crimes accountable, but it also means holding corporations accountable when their greed helps criminals harm the people of Minnesota,” Ellison said in a statement.
A 2015 report found that just 26% of Kia and Hyundai cars sold in the U.S. had engine immobilizers, while other makers averaged 96%.
Under the settlement, Hyundai and Kia will give eligible owners free ignition cylinder protectors, add engine immobilizers to all future U.S. vehicles and provide up to $4.5 million in restitution for theft damages.
In addition, they will pay another $4.5 million to cover state investigation costs.
The settlement concludes Minnesota’s March 2023 investigation into Kia and Hyundai for knowingly omitting standard anti-theft tech from their manufactured cars.
Minnesota’s chief law enforcement official stated that Hyundai and Kia “unleashed a wave of auto thefts that cost Minnesotans their cars, their hard-earned money, and sometimes even their lives.”
“In short, they put their profits ahead of people’s safety,” he added.
The multi-state legal effort included Arizona, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement that Tuesday’s settlement revelation “should prevent these thefts from continuing and provides additional relief” to victimized consumers.
In 2022, Minneapolis saw Kia and Hyundai thefts linked to a slew of violent crimes and hundreds of crashes, in addition to New York and multiple states.
On Tuesday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the manufacturer’s “lack of urgency and their desire to save money inexcusably prolonged this crisis.”
“Now, the companies must take measures to protect their vehicles from theft,” New York Attorney General Letitia James posted on X.
Meanwhile, consumers who had or were scheduled for software updates but still experienced theft or attempted theft on or after April may file a claim for related expenses.