MDL Sought for Claims Against Kia and Hyundai for Failure to Prevent Car Theft

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Plaintiffs that argue their Kia America Inc. and Hyundai Motor America vehicles failed to include immobilizer technology to prevent theft have asked the JPML to create an MDL docket for the growing number of claims against the auto manufacturers.

In the Aug. 31 petition, the plaintiffs asked the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to create the coordinated docket in the Central District of California.

“Unlike most vehicles, the Covered Vehicles are not equipped with an ‘immobilizer’ preventing them from being started unless a code is transmitted from the Vehicle’s specific smart key,” the petition explained. “This …