NEW ORLEANS — If your Kia or Hyundai was recently stolen, you may be owed some cash. This impacts well over one-thousand drivers in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes alone.
Hyundai and Kia have settled a class action lawsuit valued at more than $200-million dollars for customers who suffered out-of-pocket costs after their vehicles were stolen.
About nine million vehicles of these models with key turn-to-start ignitions were discovered to be vulnerable to easy theft in just 90 seconds, without a key.
Eight-hundred-fifty Kias and Hyundais were stolen in Orleans Parish in 2022. At least 99 were stolen last year in Jefferson Parish, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. And in 2023, those numbers have continued to climb.
The attorneys for the class maintain that Kia and Hyundai knew about this problem and left vehicles vulnerable to cut costs.
They now say Hyundai and Kia owners can expect three things:
- Up to $145-million dollars for out-of-pocket losses. These include car rentals or transportation not covered by insurance, taxes and fees for replacement vehicles, or any fines incurred while their vehicle was stolen.
- A free software upgrade provided by the manufacturer. Although, as we told you this week, there’s already been a case of a car with the update being stolen from New Orleans.
- Up to a $300-dollar reimbursement for other anti-theft technology or steering wheel locks if that car can’t receive the software upgrade.
Hyundai Motor North America’s Chief Legal Officer, Jason Erb, wrote in a press release,
“We appreciate the opportunity to provide additional support for our owners who have been impacted by increasing and persistent criminal activity targeting our vehicles.”
The window to join the settlement is closing and you may need documentation, but you can click here to fill out your information with the attorneys representing the class.
Kia and Hyundai say a judge will review the proposed settlement in July.