PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia City Councilmember Kendra Brooks has joined a national coalition of local lawmakers pushing for a recall of Kias and Hyundais to correct security flaws that allow them to be easily stolen.
Between 2011 and 2022, Kia and Hyundai failed to put engine immobilizers in certain models, making them attractive to thieves. Car theft is up in Philadelphia, and 60% of stolen cars are Kias and Hyundais.
Brooks said these thefts swamp 911 calls, divert police and harm residents.
“For working families, a stolen car can mean the difference between keeping a job and losing a job,” she said.
Brooks introduced a resolution in December asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to recall the cars. Now, she’s joining council members in other cities to lobby the agency.
One of them is Councilmember Zeke Cohen of Baltimore. Baltimore is one of a half-dozen cities that has filed suit against the car makers, but Cohen said federal intervention is needed.
Kia and Hyundai have said they are doing all they can for the problem — providing free software updates through dealerships and steering wheel locks through police departments — but Brooks said a recall would reach more car owners.
The NHTSA said it has repeatedly met with Hyundai and Kia to discuss the causes contributing to the theft vulnerability, review the scope of differing software and hardware in the affected models, and receive regular updates on the companies’ action plans, but it has stopped short of recalling the cars.