Oakland Kia and Hyundai owners eligible for car theft lawsuit settlement
The automakers sold allegedly faulty, easily stolen vehicles. A new settlement requires them to provide security upgrades and compensate owners. A preliminary class action settlement is giving relief to car owners in Oakland, California, who were targeted by car thieves due to a tech vulnerability that made them easy to steal. Kia and Hyundai have agreed to give out free anti-theft software updates or pay for installation of anti-ft devices, potentially eligible for up to several thousand dollars in compensation. The settlement also applies to people who leased these vehicles. The affected vehicles are certain Kia/Hyundai cars made between 2011 and 2022 that were not equipped with an “engine immobilizer,” a device that prevents a car from being started without the car’s key. This vulnerability likely contributed to a spike in vehicle thefts in many cities. The agreement hasn't been finalised yet, but an appeal could delay compensation payments.
Opublikowany : miesiąc temu za pomocą Eli Wolfe w Auto
There were 14,826 reported vehicle thefts in Oakland last year—the highest number in at least 15 years. Many of these were Kia or Hyundai models, which became popular targets for thieves during the pandemic because of a tech vulnerability that made them easy to steal.
Now, a preliminary class action settlement is giving some relief to car owners harmed by this industry failure. Kia and Hyundai have agreed to give out free anti-theft software updates or pay for installation of anti-theft devices. And if your car was stolen or broken into, you may be eligible for up to several thousand dollars in compensation. The settlement also applies to people who leased these vehicles.
The settlement was obtained by several private law firms that sued Kia and Hyundai on the behalf of car owners. Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker and Mayor Sheng Thao are encouraging Oakland Kia and Hyundai owners to get the compensation they’re entitled to in this settlement that may be valued at up to $200 million, according to a recent press release.
The affected vehicles are certain Kia and Hyundai cars made between 2011 and 2022 that were not equipped with an “engine immobilizer,” a device that prevents a car from being started without the car’s key. Thieves discovered that it was relatively simple to steal Kias and Hyundais using a screwdriver and a USB cord.
Awareness of this flaw spread through social media, where some criminals shared videos of themselves stealing vehicles. Last year, California Attorney General Rob Bonta held a press conference in Berkeley to urge auto regulators to initiate a recall of Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
This tech vulnerability likely contributed to the spike in vehicle thefts many cities experienced last year. In Berkeley, police estimated that 38% of vehicle thefts between December 2022 and March 2023 were Kia and Hyundai cars that weren’t equipped with engine immobilizers.
Last September, The Oaklandside asked OPD for data on how many vehicle thefts reported in Oakland involved Kia or Hyundai vehicles. The police department promised to provide us this information by October, however, we have not received any information or update from OPD.
Websites for the settlement describe in detail the specific models that are part of this settlement agreement. All car owners are entitled to receive a software update with anti-theft protections now and can do so by contacting their local dealership.
The settlement hasn’t been finalized yet, and an appeal could hold up compensation payments to class members. If you own or owned a Kia or Hyundai vehicle from this period, you should receive notice from Angeion Group, a company the judge overseeing the car theft lawsuit appointed to administer the settlement. You can also submit a claim to the administrator through one of the settlement websites.
Tematy: Crime, Lawsuits, Theft, Trafficking (Stolen Goods)