St. Louis Threatens To Sue Kia, Hyundai Because Cars Too Easy To Steal: Letter

ST. LOUIS, MO — St. Louis officials are threatening legal action against Hyundai and Kia on the grounds that their vehicles are too easy to steal, according to a letter recently sent to the car companies.

“Kia and Hyundai's defective vehicles have caused a public safety crisis in the City, endangering the health, safety, and peace of all those who live, work or visit the City,” City Counselor Sheena Hamilton said in the letter, published in full online by KTVI. “Your companies bear the responsibility to mitigate the public nuisance your negligence has created for the City and its residents.”

Hyundai and Kia have not installed engine immobilizers in many of their vehicles, which St. Louis officials argue has caused “an epidemic of car thefts throughout the nation.” In July, St. Louis averaged 21 Kia and Hyundai thefts per day, according to the letter, which said there were 356 thefts or attempted thefts of the vehicles Aug. 1-13, with about 75 percent of all vehicle thefts during that time being Kias or Hyundais.

Also in August, a stolen Kia Optima and a stolen Hyundai Sonata were involved in a mid-day shootout near a busy intersection, according to the letter, which said a 17-year-old was shot during the incident and a bullet entered an occupied apartment.

“… the City demands that Kia and Hyundai mitigate the defective conditions providing thieves — including teenagers as young as thirteen — the instrumentalities by which they are destroying property, endangering City drivers and themselves, and, in some cases, committing violent felonies,” said the letter, which carbon copied the mayor, public safety director and associate city counselor.

The thefts tax public resources and are a burden to police, according to the letter, which threatened “all legal remedies,” including a lawsuit, if Kia and Hyundai “fail to make satisfactory progress” in correcting the issue.

Pro Locksmith described immobilizers as “an anti-theft system located in the (engine control module) that prevents your vehicle’s engine from running unless the correct transponder key is present.”

In an email to Patch, a Hyundai spokesman said the company was preparing a formal response to the letter but that its vehicles comply with safety regulations, noting immobilizers have been standard on all Hyundais since November 2021.

“Notwithstanding this, we have been working cooperatively with the St. Louis Police Department and the police departments in other communities to provide our assistance in responding to these thefts,” Ira Gabriel, senior group manager of corporate marketing and public relations, said in the email.

Hyundai provided St. Louis police with steering wheel locks to distribute to affected customers, and a security kit will be available in October for owners of 2016-2021 Hyundais to purchase from Hyundai and Compustar, according to Hyundai. Owners with questions can call Hyundai at 800-633-5151.

Kia did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.