New York City "Vehicle Theft Is Too Easy" Lawsuit
Criticism from Local Media on Serial Lawsuits in US Cities
"If You Gain Weight Eating Cake, Is It the Bakery's Fault?"
As some cities in the United States file lawsuits against Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors over vehicle theft incidents, major foreign media reported on the 6th (local time) that New York City has also joined the litigation.
In a lawsuit filed at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, New York City claimed that "Hyundai and Kia committed public nuisance and negligence under U.S. law by selling vehicles that are easy to steal," seeking unspecified compensation and punitive damages.
Previously, cities such as San Diego, Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Seattle had filed similar lawsuits.
In the complaint, New York City pointed out that Hyundai and Kia did not install the anti-theft device 'immobilizer' on most vehicles from 2011 to 2022, arguing that "this opened the floodgates to theft, criminal activities, reckless driving, and public harm."
On social media platforms including TikTok, videos encouraging theft by showing how to steal vehicles without anti-theft devices have spread, promoting the so-called 'theft challenge.'
According to New York City, reports of Hyundai and Kia vehicle thefts doubled last year. From January to April this year, 977 cases were reported, a sharp increase compared to 148 cases during the same period last year.
New York City explained that theft reports for BMW, Ford, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Toyota vehicles have decreased this year.
"Is it the bakery's fault if you gain weight eating cake?"... Criticism arises in the U.S. over the lawsuit
There are also criticisms from local media that it is inappropriate for U.S. cities to file lawsuits against Hyundai and Kia.
Bernard Goldberg, a former CBS journalist, wrote in an article for the congressional media outlet The Hill on the 2nd (local time), "Would you blame the company that made the sweet and delicious cake if you gain weight?"
He pointed out, "Progressive cities run by the Democratic Party thought it was easier to take a tough stance against car companies than to strengthen crackdowns on car thieves, which might seem harsh under anti-crime policies."
He questioned, "Would you sue a pharmacy chain for displaying items on shelves accessible to looters?" and asked, "Is looting the fault of the looters, or the fault of the pharmacy operators who made it too easy to loot?"
He also cited the cake example, arguing that according to the logic of some cities suing Hyundai and others, it could be claimed that if snacks were not tasty, the obesity problem in the U.S. would not exist.
He added, "If you cannot refuse to eat cookies and cakes, or if stealing from stores is too easy, let me know," and said, "You might be able to get millions of dollars in settlements through class-action lawsuits."
Hyundai Motor Company takes measures to upgrade anti-theft software
Vehicles displayed outside the Hyundai Motor dealership in Littleton, Colorado [Image source=AP Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Company stated in a press release that it standardized immobilizers on all vehicles as of November 2021 and took measures such as software upgrades to reduce theft risks. Kia Motors did not immediately comment.
Earlier in February this year, Hyundai and Kia announced plans to provide software upgrades for 8.3 million U.S. vehicles without immobilizers.
Last month, they reached a $200 million (approximately 260 billion KRW) settlement in a class-action lawsuit by vehicle theft victims. This covers about 9 million U.S. vehicle owners and includes handling of theft losses worth approximately $145 million.
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