Memphis May Sue Auto Manufacturers For Making Cars “Too Easy To Steal”

Image Credit: memphistn.gov

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

The Memphis City Council approved a resolution on Tuesday that could lead to the city filing lawsuits against car manufacturers Hyundai and Kia due to expenses associated with an “epidemic of vehicle thefts.” The resolution was part of a package of “extraordinary litigation” that the Council is considering.

According to the proposal, police data shows that more than 22,000 vehicles have been reported as stolen over the last two years. Hyundai and Kia vehicles are reportedly among the most targeted.

Both the Memphis Police Department and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office report that they have established new units strictly to handle vehicle thefts, forcing them to allocate additional resources to address the rise in crime.

“The City of Memphis and its police officers have spent significant time responding to thefts of Kias and Hyundais, which is grossly disproportionate to other vehicle theft reports in our city,” stated a city spokesperson.

The city accuses the two manufacturers of hiding and failing to address vulnerabilities in their vehicles.

Both Hyundai and Kia took responsibility for the issues and offered to provide free software updates as well as steering wheel locks to customers who had been affected. Kia noted that 1.27 million vehicles across the county had already been updated, including many in Memphis.

The city plans to hire a special attorney to handle these cases if the resolution moves forward. They would not be the first city to sue car manufacturers; the city of Nashville also previously filed suit against the Hyundai Motor Company.

In a statement regarding potential lawsuits, Kia said: “As we have said repeatedly, lawsuits filed by municipalities against Kia are without merit. Like all Kia vehicles, the specific models at issue in this case are subject to and comply fully with the requirements outlined in applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, including FMVSS 114 that governs theft protection measures. Additionally, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has publicly stated that it has not determined that this issue constitutes either a safety defect or non-compliance requiring a recall under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.”

The resolution also gives the city authorization to include “any other manufacturers of vehicles contributing to the epidemic of vehicle thefts” in future lawsuits.