Kia, as well as its sister brand Hyundai, has seen all kinds of legal problems lately. A few years ago, the two were battling a pervasive spontaneous combustion problem, which seems to keep popping up in different models. But now the automakers are getting slammed by lawsuits thanks to plenty of cars sold without immobilizers. One of the latest is a family out of the Columbus, Ohio area.
Kias have been recalled for another security risk.
In what’s become far too common of an occurrence, 36-year-old Matthew Moshi died a few days after he was hit by a stolen Kia. Three teenagers were in that car, the driver was only 15 years old. That was back in November 2023 but now his wife has filed a lawsuit claiming under state law Kia failed to correct security design flaws, leading to her husband’s death.
Speaking with local station ABC6, family attorney Terry Hummel with Scott Schiff & Associates expressed the belief that Kia has fueled car theft by not including immobilizers in vehicles. “We think this is something that has gotten to the point where it’s out of control.”
Moshi’s widow is suing for at least $25,000, although Hummel said the family could receive even more money.
ABC6 said Kia didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The automaker has rolled out a software update aimed at stopping the TikTok-fueled trend of stealing certain models. However, we haven’t seen much of a dip in theft, so it’s questionable just how well it’s working.
We know suing Kia and Hyundai for theft has been a controversial topic. Some think it’s a great idea. Others feel it opens the floodgates to more questionable lawsuits against automakers and other companies.
Some have even asked why TikTok and other social media platforms which have allowed tutorials for how to steal Kias and Hyundais be disseminated haven’t been sued as well. It’s a fair question.
Image via ABC6
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