On Wednesday, Hyundai Motor Co. and its subsidiary Kia Corp. requested a U.S. court to deny class action lawsuits that were filed in 17 cities concerning a series of car thefts of their vehicles.
In the documents submitted to the court, Hyundai and Kia claimed they should not be held liable for thefts caused by the unprecedented criminal activity on social media, which was dubbed as the “Kia Challenge”.
The cities involved in the lawsuits include New York, San Diego, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Columbia and Seattle.
The carmakers also argued that the state governments are responsible for the thefts, citing their lack of budget and inadequate policing to stop car theft and reckless joyriding.
Hyundai and Kia announced in February that they would provide software upgrades to 8.3 million vehicles sold in the U.S. that were not fitted with anti-theft devices.
All vehicles produced since November 2021 are equipped with an engine immobilizer as standard, the companies said.
In May, the carmakers agreed to a $200 million settlement in a class action lawsuit filed by U.S. consumers for failing to install anti-theft technology in the affected vehicles.
This file photo taken Oct. 24, 2022, shows Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp.'s headquarters in Yangjae, southern Seoul. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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