Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison has filed a lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai for the lack of anti-theft technology in some cars.
“Kia and Hyundai chose to cut corners and cut costs at the expense of their customers and the public. As a result, our police force has had to tackle a huge rise in vehicle theft and related problems with already stretched resources,” said Davison. “Kia and Hyundai need to take responsibility for the public safety hazard that they created.”
In a statement, Davison said the lack of anti-theft technology has contributed to “an exponential increase of Kia and Hyundai car theft in Seattle and other regions.” In July 2022, the Seattle Police Department reported a 620% increase in reports of stolen Hyundais and Kias over the previous July.