PARMA, Ohio — A lawsuit has been filed by the City of Parma against Kia and Hyundai after the number of car thefts in the city has continued to increase.
According to the lawsuit filed in the United States District Court Northern District of Ohio, the City of Parma saw a 416% surge in thefts of Hyundai vehicles and a 414% surge in thefts of Kia vehicles between 2021-22.
The city claims that the "skyrocketing rate of vehicle theft" has drastically impacted its police resources.
Throughout the first six months of 2023, 24 Hyundai and Kia vehicles have been stolen in Parma. Just in the first four months of 2023, Parma police officers have allegedly spent more time responding to calls for stolen Hyundai and Kia vehicles than they did in all of 2020.
The lawsuit also noted that vehicle theft is not the only thing affecting residents, but that there is a "grave threat" to public safety.
"Vehicle theft often goes hand in hand with high-speed pursuits and other forms of reckless driving, which in turn results in injuries and death. It results in increased violence, as many car owners are unlikely to part with their vehicles willingly. It consumes scarce law enforcement and emergency resources and deprives the public of safe streets and sidewalks."
The lawsuit is requesting a jury trial and to hold Kia and Hyundai liable for public nuisance and negligence.
The lawsuit comes as Hyundai and Kia failed to equip 2011-22 models with an anti-theft device called an immobilizer.
The city of Parma released the following statement after news of the lawsuit was released:
"Hyundai and Kia for years refused to install industry-standard safety technology in their cars, which has led to a more than 400% increase in thefts of these vehicles between 2021 and 2022. Parma’s police department and safety forces deserve credit for their efforts to address this surge in thefts and related crimes. But it is not fair for taxpayers to bear the costs of the problem Hyundai and Kia created. Through this suit, Parma aims to force Hyundai and Kia to fix this problem and recover its costs."
A full copy of the lawsuit can be read below:
Hyundai released the following statement to 3News:
"Hyundai is committed to the comprehensive actions we are undertaking to assist customers and communities affected by the persistent theft of certain vehicles not equipped with push-button ignitions and engine immobilizers. Our dealers across the country are maximizing the number of anti-theft software installations that can be performed on a daily basis, contributing to steadily increasing completion rates, which we report to NHTSA weekly. Hyundai will soon be piloting mobile service centers to further scale and speed installation of the software upgrade. We remain committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products, all of which are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements. Engine immobilizers are now standard on all Hyundai vehicles produced as of November 2021. For more information, please visit www.hyundaiantitheft.com"
3News also reached out to Kia and is waiting to hear back.
