Kia, Hyundai Can’t Escape Insurers’ Claims Over Theft-Prone Cars

Kia and Hyundai can’t exit lawsuits by several hundred insurance companies that seek to recover more than $1 billion in claims paid to drivers whose cars were allegedly easy to steal or vandalize.

The insurers raised viable consumer protection, breach-of-warranty, negligence, and fraud claims against US units Kia America Inc. and Hyundai Motor America, the US District Court for the Central District of California said Wednesday.

Certain 2011–2022 Kia and Hyundai models have no engine immobilizer—an electronic security device that makes it harder to start a vehicle without the appropriate key, the insurers said. Social media posts demonstrating how ...