Charm City has had enough.
Baltimore has joined a growing list of cities across the country in suing car makers Hyundai (HYMLF) and Kia over a crime wave inspired by a TikTok challenge.
The suits charge that the lack of anti-theft technology in some of their vehicles is behind the so-called "vehicular crime wave."
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Most Kia and Hyundai vehicles manufactured between 2015 and 2019 lack a standard electronic immobilizer which prevents thieves from bypassing a car’s ignition.
Making matters much worse is a TikTok trend that began in 2021 showing users how to hotwire the cars with just a screwdriver and a USB cable -- and challenging them to do it.
"These cost-cutting measures employed by Hyundai and Kia at the expense of public safety are unacceptable," Baltimore Mayor Brando Scott said in a statement. "They have left our residents vulnerable to crime and are significantly burdening our police resources."
Officials said 577 Kias and Hyundais have been stolen in Baltimore so far this year, a pace that will likely result in a year-end total that more than doubles 2022's tally.
Lawsuits 'Without Merit,' Car Maker Says
Kia said it has distributed more than 1,400 free steering wheel locks to Baltimore Police and has installed security upgrades in more than 230,000 affected cars across the country.
Car thefts have soared 95% this year, police said, with 41% of them being Kia vehicles and Hyundai vehicles.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
The Associated Press gathered data from seven U.S. cities and found that the number of Hyundai and Kia thefts is still growing despite the companies’ efforts to fix the glitch, which makes 8.3 million vehicles relatively easy targets for thieves.
From Minneapolis, Cleveland and St. Louis to New York, Seattle, Atlanta and Grand Rapids, Michigan, police have reported substantial year-over-year increases in Hyundai and Kia theft reports through April, AP said.
An eighth city, Denver, which was hit early by the theft outbreak, reported a 23% decline from 2022 levels but still endured a high number of thefts.
Kia has said the lawsuits are without merit, while Hyundai maintains that its vehicles meet federal safety requirements.
Links to Crashes and Deaths
Authorities have linked the trend to other crimes including at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities, Police in Buffalo, N.Y., said that they believed a crash that killed four teenagers in October may have been an attempt to complete the "Kia challenge."
Officials in Rochester, N.Y., recently announced plans to sue Kia and Hyundai, alleging that the lack of anti-theft technology in some cars sold by the two manufacturers are taxing city resources and putting public safety at risk, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.
Kia and Hyundai vehicles make up nearly 75% of 1,063 cars stolen across the city this year, Rochester Police Chief David Smith said, compared with 387 stolen vehicles a year ago.
New York City officials recently responded to the surge in TikTok inspired thefts by announcing that it will give out 500 free Apple (AAPL) AirTags to residents.
The city reported a 13% year over year increase in car thefts, logging nearly 4,500 through April 23.
“Viral social media videos from last year demonstrated how quickly and easily certain Kia and Hyundai models can be stolen,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading a coalition of 18 states in calling for a federal recall of Hyundai and Kia cars because they have been proven more vulnerable to theft.
