NATIONWIDE — ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES HAS SECURED $9 MILLION in a settlement with vehicle manufacturers Hyundai and Kia for failing to install proper anti-theft technology on new cars, and for consequences leading to injuries and deaths.
Hyundai and Kia vehicles lacking this technology were vulnerable to breakins, leading to a spike in vehicle thefts across the country that destroyed cars and public property, threatened public safety, and resulted in injuries and deaths. The settlement requires Hyundai and Kia, which are separate companies under the Hyundai Motor Group, to pay up to $4.5 million to consumers whose cars were recently stolen or damaged, and to remit an additional $4.5 million in penalties to the states.
Kia and Hyundai must also adopt a range of measures to protect customers’ vehicles from theft. For example, they must provide zinc ignition cylinder sleeves at no cost to consumers through their local dealerships and continue to publicize the availability of all anti-theft measures for consumers for the next five years.
Because prevention technology was absent, car thefts involving these two manufacturers surged in communities throughout New York, doubling from 2021-2022.
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