California AG Bonta calls for recall of Hyundai, Kia vehicles over missing anti-theft devices
BERKELEY -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta called on the federal government Thursday to issue a recall of Hyundai and Kia vehicles due to their lack of anti-theft features.
At a news conference in a Berkeley tow yard, Bonta said he and 17 other attorneys general across the country sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asking for an immediate recall of hundreds of thousands of vehicles in the United States.
"Hyundai and Kia have given us no choice but to be here today to ask the federal government to step in and require a recall, either ordered by NHTSA or agreed to voluntarily by the companies," Bonta said.
Bonta said the recall would affect vehicles made between 2011 and 2022 that lack engine immobilization devices and that feature ignition switches that are easily bypassed by thieves.
He said the missing anti-theft features come standard in vehicles from other manufacturers and that even Hyundai and Kia included them in vehicles sold in Canada and Europe, but not in the United States.
"The bottom line is Hyundai and Kia made choices that have led to numerous thefts that have harmed not only owners whose cars have been stolen but leaving others in a state of constant risk and causing significant harm to the public," he said.
Bonta also said that a number of insurance companies are declining to issue policies for the vehicles.
While the auto manufacturers have taken some voluntary steps to initiate security software updates or provide steering wheel locking devices, Bonta said the response is insufficient and that the software is unavailable to approximately 600,000 Hyundais and an unknown number of Kias.
"It's a Band-Aid that puts the onus on drivers and ignores the underlying ignition system flaw," he said of the steering wheel locking devices.
A surge in thefts of the cars is being reported by law enforcement agencies across the country and is partly blamed on social media posts that demonstrate the ease at which they can be hot-wired.
For example, thefts of the cars in Los Angeles jumped by about 85 percent in 2022, according to the attorney general's office.
Also, the vehicles are currently the most popular targets for thieves in Berkeley, where they accounted for just 1 percent to 2 percent of all thefts in 2019 but jumped to 38 percent in 2023, according to Berkley Police Department statistics.
"This alarming increase led our strategic analysis team to take a look at what was driving these thefts and how that was spreading among our community," said Berkeley Police Chief Jennifer Louis.
"What we discovered was social media influences setting a challenge (and) giving people the information on how to easily steal these vehicles," said Louis, who joined Bonta at the tow yard media briefing.
The uptick in thievery is largely attributed to a 2021 viral TikTok post from an account dubbed the "Kia Boyz," which posted videos showing how to abscond with the cars in as little as 20 seconds using only a USB cable and a screwdriver.
In response to Bonta's recall push, Hyundai officials said the vehicles are compliant with federal anti-theft requirements and that they've taken several steps to help car owners.
The company said it's made engine immobilizers standard on all vehicles produced as of November 2021, rolled out the free software upgrade two months ahead of schedule, partnered with AAA insurers to offer insurance in most states for eligible Hyundai owners, and started a program to reimburse owners for the purchase of steering wheel locks.
"We are communicating with NHTSA on our many actions to assist our customers," company officials said in an email statement Thursday.
A Kia spokesperson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Thursday's request for an immediate recall follows a letter Bonta and nearly two dozen other attorneys general sent to Kia and Hyundai in March.
In that letter, Bonta and his colleagues said the companies' efforts to enact anti-theft fixes were overdue and insufficient.
In asking for a nationwide recall, Bonta is joined by attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and Washington, D.C.
Hyundai owners can visit hyundaiantitheft.com or call (888) 498-0390 for information about their options.
