A coalition of elected leaders from across the country are placing blame on car manufacturers Kia and Hyundai for the recent uptick in vehicle thefts. The group’s members recently renewed calls for the federal government to force a recall.
On Wednesday, Seattle City Council member Tammy Morales (D) joined a virtual press conference with other members of the Councilmembers Against Car Thefts coalition to urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall for the automobile manufacturers’ 2011-2021 models, KIRO-TV reported.
Morales, citing Seattle police statistics, stated that the number of Kias reported stolen increased by 363% from 2021 to 2022, and Hyundai thefts increased by 503%.
“The resolution and the lawsuit are really about corporate responsibility, corporate accountability for not just the theft but for the extravagant resources cities across the country have spent,” Morales stated. “Mostly young people out stealing cars, driving when they may not know how to drive, putting them at risk, and then using them potentially for other crimes, it just sort of compounds.”
Philadelphia City Council member Kendra Brooks, the first Working Families Party member elected to the Philadelphia City Council, also joined the coalition, WPVI-TV reported.
“A stolen car can mean the difference between keeping a job and losing a job. And Philadelphia car theft is skyrocketing and Kia and Hyundais account for more than 60% of the problem. And working families should not be the ones bearing the burden for mistakes made by manufacturers of these cars,” Brooks said Wednesday.
Baltimore City Council member Zeke Cohen stated that the group represents cities “that are among the hardest hit by Kia and Hyundai thefts.”
“These companies have created a major nuisance by failing to install industry-standard theft-prevention technology in their vehicles. These thefts are overburdening local law enforcement. Cleaning up this mess cannot be left to city governments alone. We need federal oversight to solve the national nightmare created by these manufacturers,” Cohen remarked.
New York City Council member Tiffany Cabán (D) slammed the auto manufacturers for building “sub-standard merchandise” despite “rak[ing] in tens of billions in profits every year.”
In a joint statement, Minneapolis Council president Elliot Payne and councilmember Jeremiah Ellison said that the “drastic increase” in car thefts has had “detrimental impacts on our economy, health, and public safety.”
“Multi-trillion-dollar companies, such as Kia and Hyundai, need to be held to the highest standard of due diligence, protection, and service of their products. When corporations are irresponsible in their handling of merchandise and services and are not accountable to the people they serve, they are endangering the lives and future livelihoods of our loved ones, neighbors, and community members,” the statement read.
In April, California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) sent a letter to the NHTSA, urging it to issue a recall on the vehicles. He argued that the cars pose “an unreasonable risk to public safety” and fail to comply with federal standards. Seventeen other state attorneys general from across the country also signed Bonta’s letter.
Multiple cities are currently suing the car manufacturers, claiming that the companies “fail[ed] to equip their vehicles with industry-standard vehicle immobilization technology,” Blaze News previously reported.
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