The City of Chicago has filed a civil lawsuit against Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. for failing to include technology in some models that caused car thefts to double so far this year.
Issuing a statement that cited “a steep rise in vehicle thefts, reckless driving, property damage and a wide array of related violent crimes,” newly elected Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said that “a citywide and nationwide crime spree around automobile theft has been unfolding right before our eyes.”
More than 19,000 cars have been stolen in the city so far this year, double the number from the same period in 2022 and three times more than in 2019.
Thieves have been targeting select Hyundai and Kia vehicles that lack push-button ignitions and immobilizing devices since 2021 when a TikTok challenge showed people how to steal them with nothing but a screwdriver and a USB cable. About 9 million vehicles are susceptible. Affected model years range from 2011 to 2022. Engine immobilizers have been standard on all Hyundai vehicles since November 2021.
Chicago isn’t the only city to see such an enormous increase in auto thefts. Seven U.S. cities have seen at least a doubling of car thefts so far this year, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. Motor vehicle thefts in Rochester, N.Y., and Cincinnati were up 355% and 162% respectively through the first six months of 2023 compared with 2022.
In major cities nationwide, motor vehicle thefts were up 33.5% through the first six months of 2023 compared with 2022, the council reported in its midyear analysis, noting that motor vehicle thefts first began increasing at COVID’s onset. Since 2019, they have more than doubled.
Earlier this year, Hyundai and Kia began offering free anti-theft software upgrades to owners of the affected vehicles. Last month, Hyundai launched its first mobile service center in Washington, D.C., to install anti-theft software. It plans to roll out the mobile service centers to other markets through the end of the year, according to a company spokesperson.
Nationwide, 21% of eligible vehicles have been upgraded so far.
“Hyundai is committed to the comprehensive actions we are undertaking to assist customers and communities affected by the persistent theft of certain vehicles not equipped with push-button ignitions and engine immobilizers,” Hyundai said in a statement. “Our dealers across the country are maximizing the number of anti-theft software installations that can be performed on a daily basis, contributing to steadily increasing completion rates, which we report to NHTSA weekly.”
In May, Hyundai and Kia agreed to pay $200 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement with owners who have had their cars stolen or damaged because of the viral challenge.
