Milwaukee Paving Way For Legal Action Amid Kia And Hyundai Thefts

WISCONSIN — After Milwaukee saw a nearly 800 percent increase in Kia and Hyundai vehicle thefts in 2021 over the year prior, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul on Monday called for the companies to implement greater protections.

After Monday's letter, the Milwaukee Common Council approved a measure that would authorize the city's attorney to retain further counsel to pursue any possible remedies to the damage in Milwaukee caused by Kia and Hyundai thefts. The resolution — sponsored by Ald. Jose Perez, Ald. Mark Chambers Jr and Ald. Russel Stamper — "paves the way for the city to join an increasing number of cities that are taking legal action against Kia and Hyundai," a release said.

“Every aldermanic district and every neighborhood in the City of Milwaukee has been touched by the rash of vehicle thefts, and we have seen the terror and hardship that having a vehicle stolen can bring. We are hopeful that this action can lead to some compensation and justice for our city, and we thank our colleagues for their strong support of this legislation," reads a joint statement from Ald. Coggs and Rainey.

Kaul was joined by 22 other attorneys general from across the country in sending a letter to both car manufacturers calling for the improved protections. A news release from Kaul said the crisis of thefts has happened because the companies failed to install anti-theft immobilizers. The thefts have spread across the country and many are connected with other crimes, the release said.

“Kia and Hyundai need to step up to address the scourge of theft of vehicles they manufactured without anti-theft immobilizers,” said Kaul in the release. “These companies must act swiftly to reduce further harm from the high rates of theft of Kias and Hyundais.”

The numbers for just Milwaukee are staggering. Around 895 of the vehicles were stolen in the city in 2020, but just a year later, that jumped up to nearly 7,000 Kia and Hyundai vehicles stolen in 2021, the release noted. By 2022 that amounted to six Kia and Hyundai cars being stolen every day. Other cities were not exempt either. The release noted that Minneapolis, Minnesota, has seen an 836 percent increase in thefts in 2022.

Amid the thefts, the attorneys general asserted that the companies did not include immobilizers as a standard feature on several models sold in the United States, although the same models sold in Canada and Europe were equipped with immobilizers.

Both companies announced a software update campaign for some of the models affected although the attorneys general said the plan is "long overdue and still not enough." The letter called for the companies to accelerate implementing software and finding other protections for owners who may not be eligible for the software.

You can read the attorneys general' letter online through the Wisconsin Department of Justice.