Hyundai Kia Class Action Lawsuit

The word automobile means self-moving. In the 20^th century, the evolution of the automobile industry changed society forever. Today, there are millions of cars on the roadways. Since the evolution of the automobile industry, various companies have been manufacturing cars. New start-up companies release their vehicles on the market despite the heavy competition. Some companies have a brand reputation across generations. Among the vehicles, Hyundai and Kia are the two reputable car companies with substantial global followers. However, there are some issues related to Hyundai and Kia. In this blog, we will discuss the Hyundai Kia lawsuit in detail.

Hyundai Kia class action lawsuit

If you owe an old Hyundai or Kia, watch your mailbox. You are eligible for a $200 million class action settlement from Hyundai and Kia. The main reason for the wave of thefts was how-to videos on social media. TikTok has featured a demonstration of how to hotwire the cars quickly with the USB charging cable. After cracking open the steering column. Up to 9 million Kias and Hyundais from 2011 to 2022 were built without engine mobilizer standard-antitheft devices. The vehicle owners filed a Hyundai Kia class action lawsuit in August 2022. The nine-figure settlement was announced on May 28, 2023, but beneficiaries must wait for details until the agreement receives final approval from the federal court. The preliminary approval is expected in July. Though there is an array of complaints that includes

·        • ï»¿  Out-of-pocket loss

          •ï»¿   Vehicle damage

  • •ï»¿    •ï»¿  Loss and expenses

·        •  Rental and public transit

  •

The cities that filed the Hyundai Kia lawsuits are

••    • St. Louis

       • Missouri

       • Cleveland

       • Ohio

       • San Diego

       • California

       • Milwaukee

       • Wisconsin

       • Columbus

       • Baltimore

      • Seattle

 For the Hyundai lawsuit, Jason Erb, chief legal officer of Hyundai, said that we appreciate providing additional support to our owners impacted by increasing and persistent criminal activity targeting our vehicles.

Kia’s argument in the lawsuit

 In the Kia lawsuit, John Woo Kia’s chief legal officer said the agreement is the last step taken to help the customers whose vehicles have been targeted by criminals using the method of theft popularized on social media.

TikTok trends lead to theft problems.

According to media reports, law enforcement has had a recent spike in Kia and Hyundai thefts due to social media challenges posted on TikTok and YouTube to point out the cars that appear to have a security glitch. The viral TikTok video was published by the Milwaukee group, who call themselves “Kia Boys,” and teaches viewers how to break into and steal a Kia or Hyundai using only a screwdriver and a USB charging cable. In 2021, Milwaukee reported that more than 10,000 vehicles were stolen, up to 132 percent from the previous year's total. Roughly 66 percent of the thefts involved Kia or Hyundai models, and half of the suspects were 16 or younger adults. The police department across the country has reported a “staggering number of car thefts with the large number of Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

Both Hyundai and Kia acknowledged that their vehicles had been targeted with coordinated efforts on social media. However, they have not declared that they will fix the theft issues. Instead, companies have been distributing steering wheel locks to police departments and selling a security kit for the affected cars for $170 plus an installation fee.

How could a class action suit against Hyundai help?

The attorneys believe that the security vulnerability in Hyundai vehicles is unsafe and worthless because consumers are paying for them. The Hyundai class action lawsuit could help owners get some of the money they spent on their cars for vehicle damage and fix the problem related to security issues free of charge.

Kia class action lawsuit

The Kia class action lawsuit also claims for

·      •    Potential defect 

      •   Lack of an engine mobilizer        

w   which it failed to deliver to the customers. The lawyers acting on behalf of the claims believe that a national-wide class action lawsuit against the Kia. The class action lawsuit was filed against Kia. If you don’t know how to join the Kia theft class  action lawsuit? We will guide you. If you bought a defective Kia without an engine mobilizer, you are urged to contact a Kia car theft law firm to see if you are eligible to join the lawsuit against the Kia.

The Kia vehicles that are claimed in the lawsuit are

Kia optima(2011-2021)

Kia Sorento(2011-2021)

Kia soul(2021)

Hyundai compensation.

Consumers who owe Hyundai or Kia car models from 2011 to 2022 without engine immobilizers can claim a Hyundai settlement of 200 million dollars. The models of the Hyundai and Kia are.

Hyundai

• 2011-2022 accent

• 2011-2022 Elantra

• 2013-2020 Elantra GT

• 2013-2014 Elantra Cope

• 2011-2012 Elantra Touring

• 2011-2014 Genesis Cope

• 2018-2022 Kona

• 2020-2021 Palisade

•  2011-2022 Santa Fe

•  2013-2018 Santa Fe Sport

•  2019 Santa Fe XL

•  2011-2019 Sonata

•  2011-2022 Tucson

•  2012-2017, 2019-2021 Veloster

•  2020-2021 Venue

•  2011-2012 Veracruz

Kia

• 2011-2021 forte

• 2021-2022 K5

• 2011-2020 Optima

• 2011-2021 Rio

•  2011-2021 Sedona

• 2011-2022 Seltos

• 2011-2022 soul

• 2011-2022 Sorento

• 2011-2022 Sportage

 If you want to know further information about the Hyundai settlement, kindly visit the Hyundai settlement website.

Hyundai settlement website.

Owners and lessors of the class vehicles can expect to receive a notice no later than March 4, 2024. A notification will be sent via email. The press release will be posted on the website. During the notice period, the class members can make settlement claims through U.S. mail and the settlement website. The court will hold the final approval hearing on July 15, 2024. Settlement payments will be issued, and the court will grant final approval.

Conclusion.

The automobile industry has been evolving day by day. Companies like Hyundai, with a brand reputation of over 56 years, failed to provide engine mobilizers to ensure customers’ safety. Hyundai should try to adapt to the latest trends and consider getting customer feedback. The main reason for the Hyundai Kia theft was the engine mobilizer. Install the engine mobilizer with the proper software updates to prevent theft. Also, consumers should know the vehicle’s safety systems and choose wisely before buying. On the other hand, other automobile companies should give customers proper safety measures and functioning software for their cars.