Hyundai and Kia will offer a free hardware fix for all affected vehicles
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that Pennsylvania, along with 34 other Attorneys General, has reached a settlement with automobile manufacturers Hyundai and Kia over sales of millions of vehicles nationwide that lacked industry-standard anti-theft technology.
The lack of protections resulted in numerous car thefts and joy-riding incidents across the United States that continue to threaten public safety.
Under the settlement, Hyundai and Kia have agreed to meet industry standards in manufacturing going forward, and offer free servicing of existing vehicles lacking protections. The companies also agreed to pay up to $4.5 million, nationwide, to impacted consumers who experienced incidents of theft and resulting damages.
“This settlement is a big step towards offering peace of mind to Pennsylvanians who should not have to worry about losing their vehicles when they are locked up,” Attorney General Sunday said. “I encourage all impacted Hyundai and Kia owners in Pennsylvania to make appointments for the free services to reinforce their vehicles.”
Eligible consumers will have one year from the date of notice from the companies to make an appointment to have the zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector installed at their local Hyundai or Kia authorized dealerships. Attorney General Sunday urges consumers to schedule the installation of the zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector as soon as possible.
The settlement requires Hyundai and Kia to:
- Equip all future vehicles sold in the United States with industry-standard engine immobilizer anti-theft technology;
- Offer free zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protectors to owners or lessees of eligible vehicles, including vehicles that previously were only eligible for the companies’ software updates;
- Provide up to $4.5 million in restitution to eligible consumers whose cars are damaged by thieves; and
- Pay $4.5 million to the states to cover the costs of the investigation.
Hyundai and Kia chose not to include anti-theft engine-immobilizer technology in millions of their vehicles sold throughout the United States, including in Pennsylvania. An engine immobilizer prevents thieves from starting a vehicle’s engine without the vehicle’s “smart” key, which stores the vehicle’s electronic security code.
Car thieves came up with a quick and simple way to access these vehicles’ ignition cylinders and start these cars without a key, and the companies were slow to respond to protect consumers.
In addition, consumers who previously installed the software updated on their vehicles (or were scheduled to do so) but nonetheless experienced a theft or attempted theft of their vehicle on or after April 29, 2025, are eligible to file a claim for restitution for certain theft and attempted-theft related expenses. For more information about eligibility and how to submit a claim for compensation from Hyundai or Kia, please visit the following website:
www.HKMultistateimmobilizersettlement.com
Attorney General Sunday joins in the settlement the Attorneys General of Connecticut, Minnesota, and New Hampshire (co-leaders), along with California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Nevada, and Washington. Attorney General Dave Sunday joined the final settlement, along with the Attorneys General from Arizona, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
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