Louisville sues Kia, Hyundai for surge in car thefts, public safety threat

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Hyundai Motors Corp.

Louisville will join major cities across the country in suing Kia and Hyundai over the ease with which their cars can be stolen, Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Thursday.

The two companies' delay in using anti-theft technology has led to a local crime wave, the mayor said, accusing the companies of "placing profits over safety."

“Hyundai and Kia have cut corners, shifting part of the cost of their business onto Louisville and its citizens," Greenberg said. "This is contributing to our city’s public safety issues and, simply put, it is unacceptable.

“We filed this lawsuit on behalf of Metro Government, our police department, and the people of Louisville who have dealt with these preventable crimes for far too long.”

The announcement comes after The Courier Journal reported this week that the city has seen a massive increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts, part of a national trend that law enforcement has blamed on a viral social media video showing how easy it is to steal the vehicles without a key.

In Louisville, nearly 20 vehicles are reported stolen each day, and half of those are either a Kia or Hyundai.

The city recorded a 732% increase in reported Hyundai thefts between January and July, compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the mayor's office. Reported thefts of Kias skyrocketed 697% in the same period, it says.

Besides draining the resources of law enforcement and emergency response providers, the thefts pose a significant threat to the city's overall public safety, according to Greenberg's office. An auto theft is often accompanied by other crimes, such as reckless driving, which can result in injuries and even death.

In January 2023, an 18-year-old was killed in a hit-and-run crash involving a stolen white Hyundai, according to the mayor's office.

In another incident this year, a stolen Kia crashed into a daycare in west Louisville, though "thankfully, no one was injured," according to the mayor's office.

“Car thefts are a ‘keystone crime,’ meaning a crime which can facilitate other offenses, including burglary, robbery and homicide,” LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said. “We’ve made great strides in Louisville to reduce violent crime, but car thefts and attempts to steal cars have noticeably increased, a trend seen nationally as well. This lawsuit is an important step in fixing this outlier to improve public safety.”

At a news conference announcing the lawsuit Thursday, Greenberg said car thefts also place the owner's valuables found inside at risk, including wallets, jewelry and even firearms.

"One of the ways guns get onto our streets is being stolen from inside cars," he said.

Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell said the city is suing to “force Hyundai and Kia to do what is right — fix the cars and address the effects of the crime wave.”

"The actions of Hyundai and Kia have created a criminal's playground in the streets of Louisville and other communities across the country," O’Connell added.

To assist in the federal lawsuit, Louisville will employ Keller Rohrback L.L.P., a law firm headquartered in Seattle. The outside firm currently represents over a dozen cities ‒ including Seattle, Cleveland, Cincinnati, San Diego, Milwaukee, New York City and Indianapolis ‒ that say they're experiencing a crime wave of stolen vehicles as a result of the ease and frequency of Kia and Hyundai thefts.

The city will also use Louisville-based Poppe Law Firm as further outside counsel in the lawsuit.

Greenberg said the law firms are taking this case at no initial cost to taxpayers and would only receive payment if the lawsuit results in distributed funds.

The city is seeking both monetary and injunctive relief, though it's too early in the process to place a particular dollar amount, O'Connell said.

The potential injunctive relief could be a multitude of things, including vehicle recalls or "orders to immediately install, in every car that comes off the line, this immobilizer or safe technology," O'Connell added.

Why are Kia, Hyundai car thefts being stolen in Louisville?

As of Sept. 1, more than 4,600 vehicles had been reported stolen in Louisville this year, and 53% of those were Kias or Hyundais, according to LMPD data. Ford and Chevrolet automobiles were the third- and fourth-most stolen, at 9% and 7%, respectively.

The difference between the vehicles is the use of engine immobilizers. While many of their competitors quickly adopted the anti-theft mechanism, Kia Motors Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. did not. Vice News reported only 26% of their cars included them in 2015, compared to 96% among other manufacturers. (While Kia and Hyundai are separate entities, Hyundai Motor Co. is Kia's parent.)

Also read: Workers at Louisville's Ford Truck Plant walk the picket line, joining UAW strike

The lack of anti-theft technology was soon discovered and shared. Under the hashtag “Kia Boyz,” TikTok users posted videos showing how to steal the vehicles with only a screwdriver and a USB cord in a matter of seconds.

The vehicles being targeted are Kia models from 2011-21 and Hyundai models from 2015-21.

Hyundai, Kia response to car thefts

Claims made in a lawsuit represent only one side of a case, and Kia and Hyundai have previously told USA TODAY they don’t comment on pending litigation. But they have acknowledged the increase in thefts.

Kia said “criminals are seeking vehicles solely equipped with a steel key and 'turn-to-start' ignition system.”

“All 2022 Kia models and trims have an immobilizer applied either at the beginning of the model year or as a running change,” the company said.

Hyundai said criminals are targeting its vehicles without engine immobilizers, which became standard on cars produced after Nov. 1, 2021.

In a statement to The Courier Journal, Hyundai senior group manager Ira Gabriel said the company is offering anti-theft software installations across the country at dealerships to certain vehicles without push-button ignitions and engine immobilizers.

This software upgrade modifies Hyundai vehicles with “turn-key-to-start” ignition systems, Gabriel said. Once the software is installed, locking the doors with a key fob will set the factory alarm and activate an “ignition kill” feature, preventing the engine from starting via the theft method popularized by social media. Customers must use the key fob to unlock their vehicles to deactivate this feature.

Hyundai has upgraded close to one million vehicles to date and Gabriel said the company is not aware of any confirmed failures of the software.

According to Gabriel, the software installation takes less than 30 minutes and can be completed for free at a Hyundai dealership. The car owner can also get a free steering wheel lock for additional anti-theft technology.

To speed up completed software installations, Hyundai has launched mobile service centers for car owners to take their vehicles. These mobile centers have been in Washington, D.C. and St. Louis County, MO, with future plans for other places throughout the year.

"We remain committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products, all of which are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements," Gabriel said.

For information, visit www.hyundaiantitheft.com.

Reach reporter Rachel Smith at rksmith@courierjournal.com or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kia, Hyundai car thefts: Louisville lawsuit says surge led to crime wave