Two major automakers will pay millions to vehicle owners after facing allegations that their cars were easy targets for theft.
Kia and Hyundai agreed to a $9 million settlement after attorneys general from 35 states, including California, accused the companies of selling vehicles that lacked industry-standard anti-theft protections.
Under the settlement, owners whose cars were totaled could receive up to $4,500. Those whose vehicles were severely damaged may receive half that amount, while owners who experienced a break-in without theft could receive $375.
The companies also agreed to offer a free retrofit that adds a metal sleeve around the ignition.
“And you know, it does come back to locking it, but at the end of the day, you got to understand, and they need to understand, that it’s more than just a car,” said AJ Rivie, a Visalia mechanic and Kia owner.
Rivie said his vehicle has remained safe, but he has watched it go through multiple recalls and remembers when social media made groups like the Kia Boys widely known.
In Visalia alone, 22 teens were arrested in 2023 for stealing Hyundais and Kias.
Last year, Kia and Hyundai models topped the list of most stolen vehicles after thieves learned they could drive them off using just a screwdriver and a USB charging cable — a method that spread quickly on TikTok.
One Tulare County man, who asked to remain anonymous, said he nearly had his car stolen outside his home.
“It was probably right between midnight and one. I heard the neighbor’s dog making more of a ruckus than he normally does, so it just kind of maybe got my attention and got up, went out to the window and looked out and saw somebody by my car messing with the door handle, went to the front door, opened it…” he said.
He managed to scare off the would-be thief, but said the experience stayed with him.
“To this day, I consider myself lucky,” he added. “Many people didn’t have that kind of luck… A lot of them got their car stolen and it was wrecked or totaled… When something like that happens to you, it’s just not the same to you anymore.”
Drivers are encouraged to lock their vehicles and avoid leaving valuables inside. Local mechanics also recommend contacting them with questions about possible recalls.
Kia shared a statement addressing the settlement:
“Today’s agreement is the latest in a series of steps that Kia has taken to support our customers who have been impacted by criminals using methods of theft popularized on social media to steal or attempt to steal certain vehicle models. Kia has worked tirelessly to find new, creative, and – most importantly – effective ways to make these vehicles more difficult for criminals to steal beyond their already existing theft protections. These include the development and introduction of a free software security upgrade that has been found to significantly reduce theft rates, the distribution of hundreds of thousands of steering wheel locks to our customers at no cost, and the rollout of a zinc-sleeve hardware modification that combats this social media-inspired theft method by reinforcing the ignition cylinder body and preventing its removal through the technique that was made popular online. The company has also established settlement funds providing direct support and compensation to eligible owners of impacted vehicles. Kia is eager to continue working with law enforcement officers and officials at federal, state, and local levels to combat criminal car theft, and the role social media has played in encouraging it, and we remain fully committed to upholding vehicle security.”
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