Shorewood Resident On Class Action Suit Against Hyundai, Kia

SHOREWOOD, WI — A class-action suit filed in Milwaukee County Court in June against the American subsidiaries of Kia and Hyundai motors was moved up to Wisconsin's Eastern U.S. District Court.

Cars from the two automakers have been the bulk of those stolen in Shorewood this year. The lawsuit, which Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported was filed by two women, one of them from Shorewood, claim's the cars are made with subpar security measures. Barton Legal S.C. is the legal representation in the class-action lawsuit.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's report, Stephanie Marvin of Shorewood was one of the initial plaintiffs in the case.

Specific details of the case have largely been redacted from complaints as the lawsuit was filed under seal. A news release from the class-action suit's attorney, however, says that "Thieves figured out what an entire team of Hyundai and Kia engineers seemingly missed: the companies’ vehicles are designed and manufactured with subpar security measures, thereby making them incredibly easy to steal."

As of this summer, car thefts in Shorewood were happening at higher rates than before, especially for Kia and Hyundai. Certain models of the cars have security flaws, causing them to be stolen at increased rates when compared to other car makes, the Shorewood Police Department said.

In fact, nearly every car that has been stolen in Shorewood this year leading up to June was a Kia or Hyundai, police said.