Kia and Hyundai are accused in a federal lawsuit filed on Monday by the city of St. Louis of neglecting to install industry-standard anti-theft technology, which led to thousands of vehicle thefts in the Missouri city. In addition to penalties, the action demands damages in excess of $ 75,000. St. Louis joins a number of other communities, including Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego, Columbus, Ohio, and Seattle, that have brought comparable legal actions. Since a TikTok social media challenge highlighted the lack of an immobiliser in the cars and demonstrated to viewers how to hot-wire cars using a USB connection and a screwdriver, Kias and Hyundais have come under fire.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the thefts have resulted in at least 14 crashes and eight fatalities across the US. “Defendants’ careless disregard for the safety of the public has created a public nuisance in the City of St. Louis, resulting in an explosion of auto-related crime that is injuring citizens, taxing St. Louis’s resources, and jeopardizing the public health, safety, and peace of all who live, work, and visit St. Louis,” the lawsuit states.

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Kia said in a statement that the lawsuits by St. Louis and other cities are “without merit”. “Kia has been and continues to be 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,” the company said.

Hyundai Motor America “is committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products,” the company said in a statement. St. Louis police have received more than 4,500 reports of thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles over the past 10 months, and three-fifths of all vehicle thefts in that span have involved Kias or Hyundais, the city said.

The lawsuit cited several incidents involving stolen Kias and Hyundais. In August, occupants of a stolen Kia Optima and a stolen Hyundai Sonata were involved in a shootout near downtown in which a 17-year-old was shot. In September, a bicyclist was struck and killed by a speeding Kia that had been stolen.

Last month, both automakers rolled out software updates aimed at stemming the raft of thefts. The updates are free for millions of vehicles that are missing a key anti-theft device. The software updates the theft alarm software logic to extend the length of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute and requires the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the vehicle on.

About 3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias are eligible for the software update, the NHTSA said.

In addition to the software update, Kia said it is shipping more than 27,000 free steering wheel locks to over 140 law enforcement agencies, including nearly 1,500 to police in the St. Louis area, “and we will continue to provide additional free locks as needed”.

Hyundai said engine immobilizers became standard on all vehicles in November 2021. The company said it also provides free steering wheel locks to law enforcement agencies to distribute to those who own or lease affected models and reimburses customers who bought steering wheel locks.

With ANI Inputs