Probe firms, punish thieves to slow car theft

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is right to launch an investigation into the Hyundai and Kia car companies over their failure to equip some vehicles with anti-theft devices. At a news conference this week, Ellison stood with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry to outline the devastating impact thefts of those firms' cars have had on the Twin Cities.

The AG's civil investigation will examine whether the two car companies are violating Minnesota's consumer protection and public nuisance laws. (Hyundai is Kia's parent company, but the two automakers operate independently.)

The probe makes sense. But it's important to keep in mind that cars don't steal themselves. Auto theft is a crime. First and foremost, those who commit that crime must be held accountable — even if they are younger thieves.

Some Kia and Hyundai models are being stolen by the thousands because many of the 2010-2021 models can be hot-wired and driven away in minutes using only a USB cable and a screwdriver. The vehicles lack anti-theft technology most other cars have. They "might as well have a giant bumper sticker that says 'steal me' on them," Ellison said.

The attorney general's office can compel the auto companies to provide evidence about why and how decisions were made to leave the anti-theft software off certain Kia and Hyundai models. That information would help the state decide whether to file suit on consumers' behalf, join other class-action suits or demand recalls. The investigation also could strengthen the cases of individual Minnesotans who have already filed legal action against the companies to recoup their losses, like residents of at least a dozen other states.

Even worse than the initial car thefts are the crashes, other crimes, deaths and injuries that have followed involving the stolen vehicles. In Minneapolis, for example, authorities report that the thefts have been tied to five homicides, 13 shootings and 256 motor vehicle accidents. In December a 14-year-old died after being injured in a one-car crash in Minneapolis; a month later, a teenager driving a stolen Kia died after being shot and crashing the car.

Authorities note that many of the thieves are younger juveniles — some as young as 11. Youthful offenders have been encouraged to steal the cars on the TikTok social media platform with videos of young people challenging each other to commit the crimes. There have even been posts with instructions on how to steal the vehicles.

The costs and inconvenience to victims is spreading. Now that the problem with the cars is becoming well known, some owners worry they won't be able to sell the vehicles. And some insurance companies have already notified customers with those models that they will either boost rates for those vehicles or stop insuring them altogether.

Other ripple effects on our communities include, as Mayor Frey told an editorial writer, the fact that the soaring number of thefts has consumed many police resources that could have been deployed elsewhere.

For their part, Kia and Hyundai executives say they are responding by making free wheel locks and upgraded software available in phases. In March 3 letters to the mayors and Ellison, they wrote that they share concerns about the thefts, but that there is "no defect" in the vehicles and that the cars comply with federal vehicle safety standards.