Name: Kia, Hyundai to pay states $9M over ignition theft investigations
Uploaded: 2025-12-17T20:07:25.495Z
Duration: 2 min 43 s
Description: The automakers are also required to install new hardware to the ignition system of affected vehicles, free of charge, to protect them against theft.

The automakers are also required to install new hardware to the ignition system of affected vehicles, free of charge, to protect them against theft.

Cleveland

Kia and Hyundai have reached a $9 million settlement with Ohio and dozens of other states following investigations into widespread thefts of their vehicles. The settlement requires the automakers to offer free installation of zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protectors to owners of eligible vehicles produced between 2011 and 2022, after viral social media videos exposed vulnerabilities.

Owners will be notified by the companies and given one year to obtain the free repair. Dealerships will also place decals on repaired vehicles to deter theft. The automakers state this is part of ongoing efforts to address the theft issue, and the repairs are expected to cost the companies over $500 million, with no cost to consumers.

Kia, Hyundai to pay states $9M over ignition theft investigations

The first time, it was like $2,300 worth of damage. Broke the windows out two times. Kia and Hyundai owners listen up. Another major settlement in the ongoing fight to force the automakers to better protect their vehicles against theft. With settlements, the settlement in Ohio, dozens of other states also are forcing the companies to offer a free repair with proper anti-theft technology to all eligible vehicles. News 5's John Koscik joins us live this morning. John, this is something Northeast Ohioans know a lot about. Yeah, seriously, Mike Rutesa, think about it. How many times have you seen Mike Holden live on a morning live shot where he's at the scene of a car crash or police chase involving one of these stolen vehicles? I mean, Cleveland has seen a tremendous spike in the theft of the Hyundais and Kias about four or five years ago. But some communities, like Minneapolis, saw a better than 800% spike between 2021 and 2022. And that's really when this whole thing began, when those TikTok videos began to surface, showing how easy it was to steal these vehicles with a screwdriver and USB cable. Now, by late 2022, half of all car thefts in Cleveland were either Kias or Hyundais. This new settlement will require the automakers to install zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protectors to better protect against car theft. Owners of the eligible vehicles produced between 2011 and 2022, about $9 million sold in that time, will be notified by Kia and Hyundai. Now, once they're notified, they're going to have a year to get the free fix. It's Crisis Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led the lawsuit, says it started in the boardroom when the automakers chose to install engine immobilizers on cars sold in Mexico and Canada, but not widely in the US, creating the crisis. This hardware fix could cost Kia and Hyundai north of $500 million, proving that if you had just done it right the first time, you wouldn't be in this situation. But it won't cost the consumers anything. Now I'd be able to sleep a little easier at night. And so will many other car owners. Kia and Hyundai say this is one of the many steps they've taken in recent years to address the problem. And once again, the automakers will start notifying impacted vehicle owners early next year, and they will then have one year, once they get the notification, to get the fix. One of the other things I found interesting in this deal, required by the auto dealerships once they do these repairs, is they're required to put decals on the driver and passenger side windows, letting people know, would-be fees know, this car is protected. And hopefully that's a good deterrent there, John. Thanks for bringing us the update this morning. We appreciate it. Yes, John. Thank you.

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