Source: SFGate
“Owners of stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles may be entitled to money after the vehicle manufacturers failed to install common anti-theft technology, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. As part of a settlement with multiple state attorneys general, including Bonta, the makers of Kia and Hyundai vehicles will pay a settlement of about $9 million. In 2022 and 2023, a dramatic rise in stolen Hyundai and Kia vehicles were reported in the U.S., thanks in part to viral TikTok trends and easily bypassed security. In California, vehicle thefts came in just under 203,000 in 2023, with the Kia Optima, the Hyundai Sonata and Hyundai Elantra as the top three most stolen cars. The vehicles were manufactured with ‘easily bypassed ignition locks and without anti-theft devices called engine immobilizers’, according to a news release from Bonta. The engine immobilizers help keep cars from being hot-wired by preventing them from starting unless a car’s ‘smart’ key with the digital code is present.” (12/17/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/stolen-cars-california-owed-money-21247922.php