ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Attorney General Letitia James says her office has secured a $9 million settlement with the makers of Hyundai and Kia over failing to install proper anti-theft technology.
Thirty-four other state attorneys general also joined in. Under the settlement, Hyundai and Kia must pay up to $4.5 million to consumers whose cars were recently stolen or damaged. The companies must also pay an additional $4.5 million in penalties to the states and protect future cars from theft.
As News10NBC has covered extensively, leaders in Rochester and across the country have raised alarms about Hyundai and Kia thefts. Models built between 2011 and 2022 are vulnerable to theft because their ignition switches can be easily bypassed with a USB cable. Videos circulating on TikTok have shown people how to steal these cars.
Back in 2023, the City of Rochester sued the makers of Hyundai and Kia, following the lead of dozens of other cities. In the first half of 2023, Monroe County saw more than 1,400 stolen Kias and Hyundais, according to the AG’s office. Later that year, Kia America Inc. and Hyundai Motor America, Inc. agreed to resolve a class action lawsuit with owners of certain models without push-button ignitions and immobilizers. The settlement totaled $200 million and News10NBC has spoken with car theft victims who got refunded on their deductibles.
New York State is expected to get over $220,000 from the settlement. In addition, car owners who previously installed an anti-theft software update but experienced a theft or attempted theft after April 29 of this year are eligible to file a claim for restitution. You can learn more here.
Car thefts in Rochester have declined since hitting their peak in 2023, according to the RPD Open Data Portal. Car thefts in 2023 totaled 3943, over 250% higher than the year before. In 2025, with the year almost over, there have been 1405 reported car thefts in Rochester. Explore the data here.
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