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 asking for an immediate recall of hundreds of thousands of vehicles in the United States.
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. 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.
For example, thefts of the cars in Los Angeles jumped by about 85 percent in 2022, according to the attorney general's office. "What we discovered was social media influences setting a challenge giving people the information on how to easily steal these vehicles," said Louis, who joined Bonta at the tow yard media briefing.
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.
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