Kia, Hyundai owners could see payout as part of $145 million settlement

Owner of stolen Kia says he was denied update

FOX 11's own Trevor Campbell says his car was stolen in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES - KIA and Hyundai owners are expected to receive notices next week for their claim as part of a $145 million settlement.

The settlement is the result of a lawsuit that claimed their vehicles were made more susceptible to theft.

A TikTok trend ignited what became a massive surge in Kia and Hyundai thefts across the country. The trend involves teens or young adults easily stealing the vehicles, sometimes with nothing more than a USB phone charger.

"We’ve seen Kias and Hyundais being operated with Kia and Hyundai keys," said Sgt. Jerry Montenegro. "Just a regular house key I’ve seen."

According to Sgt. Montenegro, they’ve noticed a dramatic rise in Kia and Hyundai thefts.

"From 2021 to 2022, they went up almost 175 percent Kias and Hyundais being stolen," said Montenegro. "From 2021 to 2023, it’s up about 200 percent. When we do recover these Kias and Hyundais they’re missing their catalytic converters."

Trevor Campbell, a fellow FOX 11 colleague, recently had his 2013 Kia Rio stolen from outside his Los Angeles home.

"It’s tough because I don’t want to be part of a news story, but I felt like this really isn’t fair to the consumers," said Campbell.

Campbell received a letter from Kia last May saying his car was eligible for a software anti-theft upgrade. However, when Campbell took his vehicle to a Kia dealer in downtown L.A., they claimed the upgrade didn’t apply to his car.

"In the back of my mind, I knew my car was going to get stolen," said Campbell.

Last week, Campbell’s Kia Rio was in fact stolen. Authorities located it the next day east of downtown.

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The car had busted windows, had been keyed, and was missing the catalytic converter.

"The catalytic converter got taken out of it, back windows smashed, ignition totally destroyed," said Campbell. "I can’t be the only person with this issue."

A spokesperson from Kia says they’re looking into Campbell’s specific case. In addition, they provided the written statement below.

"Kia is committed to working with law enforcement officials across the country as part of our efforts to prevent criminals from using methods of theft popularized on social media to break the law and steal or attempt to steal certain vehicle models.

It’s important to note that all Kia models manufactured since late 2021 are equipped with engine immobilizers. For vehicles manufactured prior to that date, we’re continuing to strongly encourage eligible customers to receive the software upgrade that we developed and rolled out last year that is designed to restrict the operation of the vehicle’s ignition system should a potential criminal attempt to steal a locked vehicle without the key. To date, more than 1.03 million Kia vehicles nationwide have received the upgrade and we continue to spread awareness about its availability by establishing a dedicated website with detailed information, hosting off-site events in multiple cities (including Minneapolis) to make it easier for eligible customers to receive the upgrade, and partnering with Carfax to inform owners that their vehicle is eligible for the upgrade.

We also developed and introduced a new hardware modification that is designed for the vehicles that are not eligible for the software upgrade that works to combat theft by reinforcing the ignition cylinder body and preventing its removal through the method of theft promoted in videos that have spread across social media encouraging criminal activity. Owners of these specific vehicles were contacted in December of 2023 with notice to make appointment at their local dealer for this free-of-charge upgrade.

We continue to provide steering wheel locks to owners of impacted vehicles that are not eligible for the software upgrade at no cost to them. These free steering wheel locks further enhance a vehicle’s security and can serve as a theft-deterrent for potential car thieves. Kia customers can obtain free, Kia-provided locks through their local law enforcement or they can request a steering wheel lock from Kia directly through dedicated website. To date, we have distributed more than 325,000 locks and we will continue to provide them as needed.

As we have said previously, lawsuits filed by municipalities against Kia are without merit and should be dismissed. Like all Kia vehicles, the specific models at issue in this case are subject to and comply fully with the requirements outlined in applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, including FMVSS 114 that governs theft protection measures.

Additionally, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has publicly stated that it has not determined at this time that this issue constitutes either a safety defect or non-compliance requiring a recall under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Kia will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and local officials across the country to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it, and we remain fully committed to supporting our customers."