18 state AGs press Biden administration for recall on theft-prone Hyundai, Kia cars

A coalition of state attorneys general sent a letter to the Department of Transportation on Thursday pressing the Biden administration to initiate a recall of Hyundai and Kia car models that lack anti-theft controls. 

In the letter, the group wrote that the effort launched by the automobile companies to combat the ongoing problem isn’t enough and urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to pull Kia and Hyundai vehicles manufactured between 2011 and 2022 from the market.

“Hyundai and Kia announced that they will initiate voluntary service campaigns to offer software updates for certain vehicles with this starting-system vulnerability,” the coalition wrote in their letter. “Unfortunately, however, this is an insufficient response to the problem and does not adequately remedy the safety concerns facing vehicle owners and the public.”

The coalition also noted that it will take months for the car companies to issue the necessary software updates, adding that the voluntary service campaign “lacks the notice and other regulatory requirements of a noncompliance or safety recall process and thus is unlikely to remedy as many vehicles as necessary in a timely manner.”

The letter was signed by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, the state of Washington, and Washington, D.C.

The group explained that the voluntary campaign wouldn’t cover all of the vehicles that were susceptible to theft using only “rudimentary’ tools, and thus is not a “sufficient” or “corrective” response.

“The vehicles thus violate federal safety standards regarding starting systems and constitute a serious safety-related defect,” the group continued. “A recall with its accompanying regulatory requirements is needed to address the safety threat of these vehicles.”

“We therefore urge NHTSA to work with Hyundai and Kia to implement a recall as soon as possible to prevent additional injuries, fatalities, and related harm to vehicle owners and the public,” the letter concluded.

Their request comes as the nation has seen a spike in auto thefts related to Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the recent year.

A Kia spokesperson told the Hill that the company remains focused on addressing the issues raised by the attorneys general.

“We are committed to working with them and law enforcement agencies across their respective states to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it,” they wrote in a statement.

The recent string of crimes also gave birth to a social media challenge urging participants to steal cars using screwdrivers and a USB cable, posting these challenges online under the hashtag “#KiaBoyz,” according to ABC News.