MINNEAPOLIS — An explosion of Kia and Hyundai vehicle thefts that began nationwide in 2022, got even worse in Minneapolis in 2023.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, after Kia and Hyundai theft jumped by more than 800% between 2021 and 2022, 2023 saw them nearly double again.
Kia and Hyundai Thefts per year:
2021: 250
2022: 2,356
2023: 4,506
In response, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday, "calling for federal action from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to initiate a national recall of defective Kia and Hyundai models made vulnerable to theft due to vehicles lacking industry-standard engine immobilizers and anti-theft devices which were not installed by the automakers."
But theft victims aren't exactly counting on it changing anything.
"I think for me, personally, it feels like far too long past," said Shawn Tousant, who stopped driving his Hyundai late last year.
Though Tousant would like to see action taken by the automakers, he says he's lost confidence after seeing similar recall efforts go nowhere, despite high-profile attempts by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and leaders in other states.
In the meantime, he says owning a Hyundai in Minneapolis became untenable.
"I just couldn't bear with it any more and ended up having to surrender my vehicle because I couldn't afford the insurance," said Shawn Tousant, who lives in Minneapolis. "After my vehicle was stolen the first time I had probably three other claims where it was attempted — window busted — but I had my steering wheel lock on there, so they didn't get anywhere. I got so sick of it, I just quit fixing those and just started putting plexiglass in it."
In addition to recall efforts, local leaders have attempted to pass anti-theft legislation and threatened litigation aimed at holding automakers accountable for the security flaws that contributed to the spike in thefts.
Kia and Hyundai first responded by offering a limited number of steering wheel locks for police departments to distribute to owners. In 2023, they also rolled out free software security updates aimed at fixing a key issue exposed in the TikTok videos.
"For stopping some thefts it might help but people who are breaking into cars, are still going to break into the car," said Nathan Banker, knows that frustration first hand, his Kia was broken into three times between 2022-2023. "I was in rental cars for months at a time, each time it happened. The third time it was actually gone completely."
At that point, Banker's faith in a solution was gone, too.
"I have three kids. I needed to have something that's reliable," Banker said. "I was like, 'I can't keep doing this.' I had to sell. I had to go back in debt again, I had just paid off the Kia."
He says he hopes a recent class action lawsuit will go somewhere, but he says a recall now is hard to fathom.
"This would have been helpful maybe a year ago," Banker said. "But you know, a lot of us have moved on."
Melissa Winship wishes she could move on.
"Absolutely, I would get rid of this car as soon as I humanly, possibly, could," she said, speaking about the Hyundai that she first had stolen nearly a year and a half ago. "This car has been broken into multiple times, even after I got the security update. I went in to try and do trade-ins and stuff like that, but based on how much I still owe on my loans and how much my car is currently worth, I'd be underwater, and so I'm just kind of stuck with it at the moment."
Winship says she has signed on to a class-action lawsuit that is currently working through the courts nationally, and while she's not confident in the resolution in Minneapolis, she's says it's better than doing nothing.
"I don't have a ton of faith, but I would be sad if they gave up and we all were just stuck," Winship said. "Fingers crossed I guess."
In response to the Minneapolis City Council resolution passed on Thursday, Kia sent the following statement to KARE11.
“Kia is committed to working with law enforcement officials across the country as part of our efforts to prevent criminals from using methods of theft popularized on social media to break the law and steal or attempt to steal certain vehicle models.
It’s important to note that all Kia models manufactured since late 2021 are equipped with engine immobilizers. For vehicles manufactured prior to that date, we’re continuing to strongly encourage eligible customers to receive the software upgrade that we developed and rolled out last year that is designed to restrict the operation of the vehicle’s ignition system should a potential criminal attempt to steal a locked vehicle without the key. To date, more than 1.01 million Kia vehicles nationwide have received the upgrade and we continue to spread awareness about its availability by establishing a dedicated website with detailed information, hosting off-site events in multiple cities (including Minneapolis) to make it easier for eligible customers to receive the upgrade, and partnering with Carfax to inform owners that their vehicle is eligible for the upgrade.
"We also recently developed and introduced a new hardware modification that is designed for the vehicles that are not eligible for the software upgrade that works to combat theft by reinforcing the ignition cylinder body and preventing its removal through the method of theft promoted in videos that have spread across social media encouraging criminal activity.
We continue to provide steering wheel locks to owners of impacted vehicles that are not eligible for the software upgrade at no cost to them. These free steering wheel locks further enhance a vehicle’s security and can serve as a theft-deterrent for potential car thieves. Kia customers can obtain free, Kia-provided locks through their local law enforcement or they can request a steering wheel lock from Kia directly through dedicated website. To date, we have distributed more than 325,000 locks and we will continue to provide them as needed.
As we have said previously, lawsuits filed by municipalities against Kia are without merit and should be dismissed. Like all Kia vehicles, the specific models at issue in this case are subject to and comply fully with the requirements outlined in applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, including FMVSS 114 that governs theft protection measures. Additionally, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has publicly stated that it has not determined at this time that this issue constitutes either a safety defect or non-compliance requiring a recall under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Kia will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and local officials across the country to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it, and we remain fully committed to supporting our customers.”
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