At 3 a.m. July 14, a police officer knocked on Sherry Mason's front door in Pleasant Ridge.
"Is your car supposed to be parked out front?" the officer asked her.
Mason was confused. She had parked her car outside her building that Thursday night, as she does every night. Unfortunately, early that Friday morning, her 2020 Kia Sorento was waiting for her at an impound lot.
The car was littered with trash, the steering column peeled off, and the dome lights removed. Mason said other things missing from the car were its manual and her friend's dog's ashes she was supposed to deliver the next day.
"I don't know why they would do that. It makes no sense. There was loose change and other things they didn't touch," Mason said.
Mason said the theft has made her life difficult for the past month, and she's not alone. Numerous people have reached out to her on social media sharing their experiences having their Kia or Hyundai vehicle stolen.
Mason is among those joining a lawsuit filed Friday against the automakers aiming to have them fix or replace these vehicles and compensate impacted car owners.
Cincinnati attorney Jeffrey Goldenberg with Goldenberg Schneider, LPA filed a class action lawsuit against the automakers in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, where the companies are based.
"Kia and Hyundai chose not to include what almost every other manufacturer includes in any model of their cars called an immobilizer device, and these vehicles can easily be started without a key," Goldenberg said. An immobilizer prevents the engine from starting unless the correct key is present. Goldenberg believes the automakers chose not to include an immobilizer device in these vehicles to cut costs.
California lawsuit seeks compensation, fixes for Kia and Hyundai cars
The lawsuit argues the plaintiffs overpaid for these vehicles because they were not aware they lacked engine immobilizers, making them more susceptible to thieves, and thus are owed financial compensation.
The lawsuit also seeks the carmakers to take responsibility and install appropriate equipment to make them less susceptible to theft.
According to the lawsuit, the impacted vehicles are Kia models from 2011-2021 and all Hyundai models from 2015-2021.
The firm said individuals can still join the class action lawsuit. Participation is not limited to only those who have had their cars stolen but any Kia and Hyundai owner whose vehicle is susceptible to the theft demonstrated in the viral videos. Several lawsuits have been filed in recent weeks, including in federal courts in Ohio.
In a statement to The Enquirer, Kia America said it is concerned about the increase in auto thefts of a subset of Kia vehicles.
"It is unfortunate that criminals are using social media to target vehicles without engine immobilizers in a coordinated effort. All of our vehicles meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. While no car can be made theft-proof, criminals are seeking vehicles solely equipped with a steel key and 'turn-to-start' ignition system. The majority of Kia vehicles in the United States are equipped with a key fob and 'push-button-to-start' system, making them more difficult to steal," the company said.
The automaker said all 2022 Kia models and trims have an immobilizer applied either at the beginning of the model year or as a running change.
Hyundai, Kia thefts happening nationwide
Mason's Sorento was found abandoned about two miles away from her Pleasant Ridge home. Officers explained that based on how her vehicle was stolen, it was probably part of a TikTok trend targeting Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Detective Joseph Ruwe with the Delhi Township Police Department said what happened to Mason is all too common locally and across the country.
Videos on social media show car thieves how to peel off the steering column of a Hyundai or Kia vehicle and use a USB cable to start the cars. When Mason's Kia was stolen, the thieves used a USB cable that was already inside her car.
Ruwe said that most of the thefts are being carried out by teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19, and they'll even steal multiple cars a night in some cases.
"They'll drive over in a stolen car, and then if they find another one, they'll park that one and then drive the new stolen car. Or if there are multiple people in the car, they'll take another, so each person has one," Ruwe said.
Mason's Kia was in the shop for about 30 days. The parts needed to fix it were on back order due to the frequency of these thefts. Her insurance is helping with expenses, but it cost her a $1,000 deductible.
She is still waiting for a new cover for her steering column, which may take weeks to get due to the high demand, so in the meantime, she'll have to drive with the wires hanging out.
"It's heartbreaking because it's just a game to them. It's a challenge to see how many cars they can steal in one night. So they had a game at my expense," Mason said. "And it's still not over. I'm terrified it's just going to get stolen again. It could get stolen tomorrow, and I have no way to protect it."
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