ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Mayor Tishuara O. Jones announced Monday the City of St. Louis has filed a federal lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai. The lawsuit results from the automaker’s failure to install industry-standard safety technology in millions of their vehicles:
"Since May of 2022, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) has received more than 4,500 reports of thefts of Kia or Hyundai vehicles. 61 percent of all vehicles stolen in St. Louis have been Kias and Hyundais, Kias and Hyundais make up 88 percent of all reported attempted vehicle thefts. This spike has contributed to the 128 percent increase in the number of reported stolen vehicles in the city between May 2022 and February 2023."
Chief Robert J. Tracy says the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has been working hard to arrest car thieves, but holding these criminals accountable has not been easy.
"The huge spike in Kias and Hyundai thefts make the job of police departments like ours much more difficult, siphoning resources that could be devoted to other law enforcement priorities," Tracy said.
"This lawsuit is an important step to make our streets safer for residents and visitors alike.”
The news release continued:
"In August, the City of St. Louis requested automakers address the public safety hazard their failure has created. Today’s lawsuit, filed by the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the City Counselor’s Office in partnership with law firm Dowd Bennett, is an example of working together to address root causes and hold bad actors accountable. The lawsuit is attached."
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