Baltimore, Maryland, has joined the list of American cities blaming auto manufacturers for the recent surge in car thefts.
The city filed a lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai on May 11, alleging that their vehicles are too easy for criminals to break into. The lawsuit claims that the automakers' decision not to equip their cars with "industry-standard vehicle immobilization technology" is responsible for the city's 95 percent increase in car thefts over the past year. According to officials, Kias and Hyundais make up 40 percent of all vehicles stolen in Baltimore in 2022.
Mayor Brandon Scott stated, "These cost-cutting measures employed by Hyundai and Kia at the expense of public safety are unacceptable." He added that the automakers had left Baltimore residents vulnerable to crime and significantly burdened police resources.
Police Commissioner Michael Harrison echoed the mayor's sentiments, saying that officials "must demand more from these manufacturers in addressing this increase in vehicle thefts." He called the lawsuit "a first step in holding these manufacturers accountable and establishing necessary safeguards to improve the quality of life for our residents."
Kia responded to the lawsuit by noting that it had followed all government regulations on theft protection measures and blamed criminals for spreading information about breaking into their vehicles online.
The automaker stated that it was rolling out a free, enhanced security software upgrade to restrict the unauthorized operation of vehicle ignition systems and provide steering wheel locks for impacted owners at no cost.
Other cities, including Cleveland, Milwaukee, Seattle, and St. Louis, have sued the automakers. However, both Kia and Hyundai dismissed the lawsuits as being "without merit" and reiterated that they were aware of the problem and acting accordingly. Hyundai stressed that it had complied with all regulations and echoed Kia's sentiments regarding how criminals spread knowledge online.
In February, the automakers pushed out free software updates for millions of vehicles to stop the spike in thefts, which was attributed to a TikTok challenge. Missing anti-theft protections in the vehicles were revealed on the platform through a video that showed users how to hot-wire Kia and Hyundai cars with a USB cord and a screwdriver.
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