Hyundai, Kia sued by 6 US cities after increase in car thefts due to viral TikTok trend!

The city of St. Louis, Missouri, has announced that it joins the list of major US cities that are suing Korean car manufacturers Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp for failing to install anti-theft technology in millions of vehicles produced and sold by them. The list of cities that are suing the two companies also includes Cleveland, Ohio; San Diego, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Columbus, Ohio; and Seattle.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Missouri is because of the increasing Hyundai and Kia car thefts that use a method popularized on TikTok and other social media channels. As per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) Highway Loss Data Institute, immobilizing anti-theft devices were standard on 96 per cent of all US vehicles by 2015, but were standard on only 26 per cent of 2015 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

According to data from police and Missouri state officials, Kia and Hyundai cars represent a large share of stolen cars in a host of cities in United States. Many Hyundai and Kia cars do not have electronic immobilizers to prevent break-ins and bypassing the engine, which makes them a common target for thieves. "Big corporations like Kia and Hyundai must be held accountable for endangering our residents and putting profit over people,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones.

Last month, both Hyundai and Kia had announced that they will offer theft deterrent software for millions of their vehicles that lack an immobilizer and will provide it free of charge to vehicle owners. As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the viral TikTok social media challenge has spread nationwide, and has resulted in at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities.