More than 20 US states urge Korean automakers to do more to address theft-prone vehicles

WASHINGTON : More than 20 U.S. state attorneys general on Monday urged Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp to do more to address millions of U.S. vehicles that are prone to theft.

Last month, the Korean automakers said they would offer software upgrades to 8.3 million U.S. vehicles to help curb increasing car thefts using a method popularized on TikTok and other social media channels.

The states said the automakers had failed to take adequate steps to address the alarming rate of theft and urged them to accelerate the implementation of the software upgrade and provide free alternative protective measures for owners whose cars cannot support the software upgrade.