The city of St. Louis, Missouri is joining a number of other major U.S. cities that are suing Korean automakers Hyundai Motors and Kia Corp for failing to install anti-theft technology in millions of their vehicles.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Missouri follows similar actions taken by several other U.S. cities to address increasing Hyundai and Kia thefts that use a method popularized on TikTok and other social media channels. Other cities suing Kia and Hyundai include Cleveland, Ohio; San Diego, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Columbus, Ohio; and Seattle.

Immobilizers were standard on 96% of U.S vehicles by 2015 but were standard on only 26% of 2015 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute.

Big corporations like Kia and Hyundai must be held accountable for endangering our residents and putting profit over people.

Kia and Hyundai vehicles represent a large portion of stolen cars in U.S. cities, according to data from police and state officials. Many Hyundai and Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypassing the ignition.

In February, the Korean automakers (who are controlled by the same conglomerate) said they would offer software upgrades to 8.3 million U.S. vehicles to help curb thefts.

Things went from bad to worse when TikTok videos by a group calling themselves “Kia Boyz” went viral last year, showing the greater public how to steal Kia and Hyundai cars made without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. The TikTok trend has led to car thefts that have resulted in at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities in the Korean automakers’ vehicles.

Last month, a group of 22 U.S. state attorneys general criticized the automakers, saying they need do more to address problems with millions of U.S. vehicles that are prone to theft.

Kia said that lawsuits by U.S. cities over the thefts “are without merit.” It said it was “willing to work cooperatively with law enforcement agencies in St. Louis to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it.” It also claimed that its vehicles comply with U.S. theft protection regulations.

Hyundai said it has taken a number of actions “in response to increasing and persistent thefts targeting our vehicles without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices in the United States.”

The attorneys general urged the automakers to accelerate software upgrades and provide free alternative protective measures for owners whose cars cannot support the software upgrade.

Since May 2022, St. Louis police alone have received more than 4,500 reports of thefts of Kia or Hyundai vehicles. Sixty-one percent of vehicles stolen in St. Louis have been Kias and Hyundais.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison launched a civil investigation into Kia and Hyundai vehicles that lacked industry-standard, anti-theft technology. He said that last year, thefts of Kias and Hyundais in Minneapolis were tied to five homicides and 265 motor vehicle accidents.

All Hyundai vehicles produced since November 2021 are equipped with an engine immobilizer as standard equipment.

In addition to consumers being concerned about their vehicles getting stolen, they’re also at risk of being denied insurance coverage. State Farm and Progressive are refusing to insure Kia and Hyundai vehicles in certain states due to the rising rate of theft, and those that are willing to insure the affected models, will likely be charging customers a hefty premium.

If you’ve had your vehicle stolen or have had issues obtaining coverage, we’d like to hear about your experience.