Kia and Hyundai Might Get Sued Again Due to the Kia Boys

The number of Kias and Hyundai stolen due to the lack of an immobilizer has skyrocketed in the last few years, as anyone could learn how to start the engine using videos posted on social media.

The frustration and disappointment in the customer base reached insane levels while authorities have been kept busy by reports of stolen cars. Statistics show that Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Optima were the most stolen cars in the United States in 2023, with over 120K cars reported to the police.

Now, it's all becoming an even bigger problem for the carmakers.

This wouldn’t be the first time Kia and Hyundai are sent to court for the blunder, but it's another case proving that authorities have had enough of this problem. The city of Birmingham is now considering starting legal action against the two carmakers after the number of cars stolen in the city has skyrocketed.

In 2022, before the Kia Challenge became a thing, police received complaints of 45 stolen Hyundais. After the TikTok trend went viral, the number increased five times to 236 Hyundais.

The Birmingham City Council recently approved a plan to "investigate and prosecute any and all potential claims against" the two carmakers due to the so-called defective design in some cars. The city could take the role of a class representative, so the lawsuit could get class-action status and involve other parties, including possibly Kia and Hyundai customers.

The city has already tried to make the vulnerable Kia and Hyundai cars more difficult to steal by giving away steering wheel locks. Anyone with a car lacking an immobilizer was eligible for a free steering wheel lock, as authorities believed such hardware could become a deterrent for car thieves, preventing them from breaking vehicle windows.

Birmingham authorities now believe that the legal action could help them reclaim the costs of the program.

Hyundai and Kia have already released anti-theft patches that prevent thieves from starting the engine of vehicles with immobilizers. The two carmakers insisted that the software update works and that nobody can start the engine of a car without the original key. However, the number of stolen Kias and Hyundais remains at worrying levels, in spite of the software update that anyone can install with a quick visit at the nearest dealership.

Authorities in the United States continue to recommend that car owners install additional anti-theft hardware in their vehicles, including steering wheel locks, alarm systems, and tracking devices that would help officers recover the cars if they get stolen.