![]() ![]() By failing to ensure their vehicles had adequate theft protection and security, Hyundai and Kia have essentially rendered vehicle owners vulnerable to the simplest of crimes. We believe Hyundai and Kia chose to sell the affected vehicles without immobilizers to cut costs. Because cars taken on joy rides often experience further damage, the owner’s total cost to repair their vehicle often exceed $10,000. The incidents have turned dangerous, with suspects and bystanders being seriously injured or killed following unsafe driving and crashes related to the thefts. ![]() ![]() Viral videos of the “Kia Challenge” show teens and young adults going for joy rides and in some cases, even abandoning or crashing the cars. Recent reports in Milwaukee, WI state that auto theft has increased more than 200% year-over-year, with Hyundai and Kia vehicles comprising two-thirds of those stolen. News outlets have reported a sharp increase in vehicle thefts specifically affecting Hyundai and Kia models since 2020. The European Union has required immobilizers as a standard feature for all new vehicles since 1998, yet Hyundai and Kia have chosen to omit immobilizers in millions of vehicles in the U.S., despite deploying them in vehicles sold in countries with immobilizer requirements. In fact, the “Kia Challenge,” widely shared on social media platforms, dares people to break in and then use a USB cord to start the cars.īy failing to install immobilizers in the affected vehicles – commonly equipped devices in modern cars – Hyundai and Kia knowingly left these affected vehicles prone to being stolen. Viral videos on TikTok and YouTube give step-by-step instructions on how to steal the affected vehicles without a key, and reports of stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles have skyrocketed across the country. Hyundai and Kia chose to manufacture and sell the affected vehicles without an immobilizer, a device which prevents most vehicles from being started unless a code is transmitted from the vehicle’s smart key. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |