In re: Kia Hyundai Vehicle Theft Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation

Your rights are affected regardless of whether or not you act. Please read carefully.

UPDATE: The Court granted Final Approval of this settlement on October 1, 2024, several appeals were filed. At this time the settlement has not become effective and settlement payments cannot be made until the appeals are resolved.

The deadline to file a claim is April 28, 2025. We are currently notifying claimants of their initial claim determination, which allows up to 45 days to cure any deficiencies. If your claim form has been successfully processed and you have not received an Initial Claim Determination Notice, you may use the login credentials provided on your confirmation email to access the status of your claim.

If you need additional assistance or have question please contact the Theft Settlement Center at Info@HyundaiTheftSettlement.com, or by calling 1-833-982-3330.    

Once the appeals are resolved and if the settlement becomes effective, you will receive a Final Claim Determination Notice along with instructions on how to appeal any final claim determination. Please make sure your e-mail account has Info@HyundaiTheftSettlement.com and/or Info@KiaTheftSettlement.com included on the list of authorized senders so that our emails to you are not erroneously routed to your junk, or spam folders.

This website informs you of a proposed Settlement of a consumer class action lawsuit in California federal court called In re: Kia Hyundai Vehicle Theft Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, No. 8:22-ML-3052 JVS(KESx) (C.D. Cal.).

The lawsuit alleges that certain of the above-listed 2011-2022 model year Hyundai vehicles that were not equipped with an engine immobilizer (called the “Class Vehicles”) contain design flaws, including the failure to equip the Class Vehicles with an anti-theft device called an engine immobilizer, that make them susceptible to theft and damage.

No party has been found liable for any claims alleged in the lawsuit. The Plaintiffs and Defendants (Hyundai Motor America, Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai American Technical Center, Inc. also doing business as Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center (together “Hyundai”), Kia America, Inc., and Kia Corporation (together, “Kia”)), have instead reached a voluntary settlement (referred as “the Settlement” or “the proposed Settlement”) to avoid lengthy litigation and provide relief to people who owned or leased Class Vehicles, referred to as “Class Members.” Class Members may be entitled to compensation if they submit valid and timely Claims.

Under the proposed Settlement, and subject to satisfying certain proof requirements, Defendants will provide financial and other benefits to Class Members, including compensation for damages arising from the theft or attempted theft of a Class Vehicle.

To qualify for benefits under the Settlement you must have purchased or leased a Class Vehicle in the United States (including Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam).

The benefits under the Settlement are:

• A free Software Upgrade for certain eligible Class Vehicles that will prevent the vehicles locked with a key or key fob from starting without the key being present using a method of theft popularized on TikTok and other social media channels. Class Members who purchased or leased these Class Vehicles are also eligible for reimbursement up to $50 per Class Vehicle for the purchase of a steering wheel lock or equivalent device if the purchase was made at least thirty days before the Software Upgrade was made available for the Class Vehicle (also referred to as a “Qualifying Purchase”). Class Vehicles currently located in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam are not eligible to receive the Software Upgrade. Within the fifty states and the District of Columbia, the following Class Vehicles are eligible to receive the Software Upgrade. 

To check whether your vehicle is a Class Vehicle click here, please have your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) available. To verify whether your vehicle is eligible for the Software Upgrade and, schedule an appointment for the software installation, visit Hyundai's website. 

• For Class Members who purchased or leased Class Vehicles that are not eligible for the Software Upgrade, reimbursement up to $300 per Class Vehicle for purchase and/or installation of a steering wheel lock, glass breakage alarm or similar anti-theft system, or another aftermarket modification designed to deter or prevent theft. Class Members that already received a steering wheel lock from Hyundai (for example, through a dealer or through a law enforcement department) are eligible for reimbursement up to $250 per Class Vehicle for purchase and installation of a glass breakage alarm or similar anti-theft system, or another aftermarket modification designed to deter or prevent theft. All Class Vehicles in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam are eligible to receive this benefit because they are not eligible for the Software Upgrade.
• Within the fifty states and the District of Columbia, the below-listed Class Vehicles are not eligible to receive the Software Upgrade and, therefore, are eligible to receive this benefit.

If a Class Vehicle that was originally on this list becomes eligible to receive the Software Upgrade, the purchase of a steering wheel lock, or purchase and installation of a glass breakage alarm or similar anti-theft system, or another aftermarket modification designed to deter or prevent theft will not be eligible for reimbursement under this benefit as of thirty days after the postmarked date of the mail notice notifying the Class Member of such eligibility.
 

• For all Class Members, a Common Fund of at least $80,000,000 and up to $145,000,000 for the payment of all approved Class Member Claims. From this Common Fund, Class Members may make Claims for certain out-of-pocket and uncompensated losses resulting from a Class Vehicle that received the Software Upgrade and/or experienced a Qualifying Theft or Qualifying Theft Attempt. “Qualifying Theft” refers to the theft of a Class Vehicle through forcible entry and breach of the ignition system.  “Qualifying Theft Attempt” refers to an attempted theft of a Class Vehicle through forcible entry and either an attempted dismantling of the steering column or an attempted breach of the ignition system. Such eligible losses include:
  • Reimbursement up to 60% of the Black Book Value for the total loss (defined below) of a Class Vehicle resulting from a Qualifying Theft or Qualifying Theft Attempt;
  • Reimbursement up to the greater of $3,375 or 33% of the Black Book Value, for damage to a Class Vehicle resulting from each Qualifying Theft or Qualifying Theft Attempt and/or for the value of personal property stolen or damaged during a Qualifying Theft or Qualifying Theft Attempt;
  • Reimbursement up to $375 for insurance deductibles paid and increased insurance premiums for insurance policies that include theft coverage resulting from a Qualifying Theft or Qualifying Theft Attempt;
  • Reimbursement up to $250 for other expenses resulting from a Qualifying Theft or Qualifying Theft Attempt, including: transportation expenses; towing expenses; expenses associated with speeding tickets, red light tickets, or other penalties or fines incurred from the Qualifying Theft or Qualifying Theft Attempt;
  • Reimbursement up to $250 total for lost income and childcare expenses (combined) resulting from the time spent obtaining the Software Upgrade. 
  • Reimbursement of OEM-issued key fobs purchased at the direction of a Hyundai dealership because these were necessary to implement the Software Upgrade, subject to a cap of $350 per key fob, with a limit of up to two key fobs per Class Vehicle.