In Response To Thefts, Minnesota Leaders Call For Kia And Hyundai Vehicle Recalls

‍St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - Because they are too simple to steal, a number of Minnesota authorities are urging two automakers to recall and retrofit many of the vehicles they produced between 2015 and 2021.

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In a letter to the CEOs of Kia and Hyundai, state attorney general Keith Ellison, mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Jacob Frey and Melvin Carter, asked them to "immediately recall and outfit all Kia and Hyundai vehicles lacking industry-standard anti-theft technology," citing the "rapidly rising tide of vehicle thefts in the Twin Cities."

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The letter states that the number of Kia and Hyundai vehicle thefts in the city has increased by 836% over the last year as compared to the same period in 2014. It has been reported that the number has increased by 611% in St. Paul. There were 3293 Kia or Hyundai vehicles reported stolen in the Twin Cities in 2022, according to a news release published by the office of the Attorney General. Prior to the emergence of social media posts providing instructions on how to easily steal the vehicles, the number of auto thefts had only reached 384 in 2021, and some of the posts challenged viewers to record videos showing themselves committing the thefts themselves.

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“As Minnesota's chief legal officer, I am fully committed to this matter, and I acknowledge that the President feels the same way,” Attorney General Ellison said.

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There has been a serious impact on the safety of us all as a result of the actions of companies like these that have gone far beyond car theft. To be able to address this problem, the Attorney General's Office will continue to rely on the full range of tools available to him to help keep Minnesotans safe, including the use of all tools available under the law.

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As far as I can tell, none of the affected vehicles from either manufacturer have anti-theft devices that prevent their engines from being stolen. In order to start the engine of a vehicle fitted with this technology, the driver must have a key fob at hand in order to do so. The immobilizer was included as standard equipment in most other automakers' models several years ago, but not all of them. The Hyundai immobilizers became standard equipment in 2021 while Kia introduced them in its 2022 models as part of standard equipment.

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In addition to noting that the stolen vehicles can be linked to a variety of crimes in Minneapolis and St. Paul, the letter sent to Kia and Hyundai executives also provides evidence that the cars were stolen. It is estimated that more than a dozen murders, over a dozen shootings, more than three dozen robberies, as well as 265 vehicle accidents took place in the past year.