Information About Claim Process for Stolen Kia and Hyundai Vehicles
On May 18, 2023, a preliminary settlement was reached in a class action lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai regarding a defective design that rendered certain Kia and Hyundai model vehicles—those with a key start to the ignition lock—easy to steal.
As part of the settlement, which is valued at over $200 million, owners of affected vehicles will be compensated for various types of out-of-pocket damages incurred. These covered damages will include damage to total loss of vehicles up to a certain dollar amount, insurance-related expenses, travel expenses not otherwise covered by insurance, damage to personal property, and other categories of fees and expenses incurred due to a vehicle being stolen. The settlement will also include a free software update available for eligible vehicles, which will prevent vehicles from starting without a corresponding key. For class members with vehicles ineligible for the update, the settlement will offer reimbursement for alternative aftermarket modifications that will ensure these vehicles are likewise less susceptible to theft.
While the settlement will cover a variety of remedies tailored to a class member’s unique circumstances, the terms of the settlement, including the types of claims and damages covered, are being finalized and are subject to Court approval. Once the final terms are presented to the Court, there will be an opportunity to object to the proposed settlement, should it appear the terms fall short of the remedies needed to sufficiently compensate class members for the harm wrought by Kia and Hyundai’s failure to incorporate basic safety features in various model vehicles for over a decade.
Once a final settlement is reached and approved by the Court, class members will be contacted and directed to the proper channels to claim compensation, including websites that will be devoted to providing class members information on the settlement of this action.
At this time, then, a process for submitting claims has not been completed. However, once a process is finalized, Barton Cerjak will provide instructions on how to submit a claim. If you would like to be added to our mailing list to receive instructions, please complete the following form: