Owners of Kia and Hyundai cars filed a class-action lawsuit Wednesday in federal court in Santa Ana alleging that the Orange County-based companies failed to install technology to thwart car thieves, leaving the vehicles vulnerable to a rash of thefts spurred by a video that went viral on social media.
The federal lawsuit was filed by Stephanie McQuarrie of Florida, Kaitlynn Marchione of Nevada, and Omar Becerra of Los Angeles County, who claimed their vehicles were stolen following a video on TikTok that they say exposed a vulnerability in the vehicles making them easier to steal. Kia has headquarters in Irvine and Hyundai is based in the United States out of Fountain Valley.
“This matter rises out of a blatant breach of public trust and a determination to put corporate profits over public safety,” the lawsuit alleges. “In an effort to maximize their return, defendants Kia America Inc. and Hyundai Motor America actively withheld vital security systems from countless vehicles for years. This has led to a severe defect that has already both endangered the public and drastically decreased the value of vehicles.”
