Bonta among 23 attorneys general blasting Kia, Hyundai over lack of anti-theft devices
OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined more than 20 attorneys general criticizing Hyundai and Kia for not installing anti-theft technology in their vehicles, following a spike in thefts.
In a letter Monday, Bonta was among 23 attorneys general urging the two automakers to take immediate action to address the thefts. The attorneys said Hyundai and Kia did not install engine immobilizers in many of its vehicles sold in the U.S. between 2011 and 2022.
Engine immobilizers, which prevent a vehicle from being "hot-wired", were installed on most other vehicles manufactured during that time, including the same Hyundai and Kia models sold in Canada and Europe, according to the coalition of attorneys.
"Hyundai and Kia made a decision to forgo a standard safety feature that would help protect owners' investments, and now their customers are paying the price," Bonta said in a statement Monday. "It's time for Hyundai and Kia to take responsibility for their poor decision which is hurting American families and putting public safety at risk. They must remedy this decision, now."
According to Bonta, the vehicles have been stolen at higher rates since 2021. Thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles have reportedly accelerated following a social media challenge that went viral on TikTok. The thefts have led to numerous crashes and at least eight fatalities nationwide.
The Bay Area is not immune to the rise in thefts. Berkeley Police said that Hyundais and Kias have made up 38% of vehicle thefts in the city since December of last year.
Bonta's office said while Hyundai and Kia has offered a free software upgrade, the fix won't be in until at least June and some models can't receive the upgrade at all.
In its letter, the coalition urged Hyundai and Kia to accelerate the implementation of the software upgrade for affected vehicles and for "free alternative protection measures" for vehicles that cannot support the software upgrade.
