The president of the Milwaukee Common Council said alderpersons are close to authorizing the City Attorney to take legal action against two carmakers, Kia and Hyundai, whose products have been stolen by the thousands in the city.
Ald. Jose Perez said Kia and Hyundai failed for years to have anti-theft devices installed in some of their cars, causing many local owners of those brands to suffer when their vehicle was taken needlessly.
City officials say in 2021 alone, nearly 7,000 Kia and Hyundai were reported stolen in Milwaukee. Car thefts have declined over the last15months, but remain substantial.
Perez says the city's lawyer should look at every possible way to help vehicle owners and taxpayers.
"Anything that would make our constituents as whole as possible and recoup any services and resources spent on stolen cars related to Kia, Hyundai, for the fact they've been that easy to steal," Perez said Monday.
His words came at a Milwaukee news conference called by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, who led 22 other state Attorneys General in sending a letter to Kia and Hyundai calling for swifter action to help those whose cars were stolen or heavily damaged during a break-in.
Kaul said the two carmakers recently announcing free installation of theft-deterring software in some models leaves too many unknowns.
"We need to know timelines on that. We need to know how soon people are going to be able to get that software. We need to know Kia and Hyundai's plan for people who are not able to get that software. We need to make sure people who can't access that software are able to get steering wheel locking devices free of charge. We also need to know what Kia and Hyundai are doing to help the communities that have been impacted by these thefts," Kaul told reporters.
In a statement to WUWM, Kia said it's committed to working with officials to ensure vehicle security. The company said it's already contacted more than one million Kia owners to let them know about the software upgrade and advise them to schedule an appointment at a Kia dealer. Kia said it's also distributed 23,000 steering wheel locks to law enforcement agencies for them to give to impacted owners. Hundreds of the locks have been given directly to drivers.
Still, Milwaukee resident Tammy Bartley, whose Kia was broken into this year near her job, said the two automakers must do more to prevent huge disruptions in people's lives.
"Imagine how you would feel if you go to work, school, etc., and hope that you still have a car when you come outside. This is not a way for anyone to live, especially in Milwaukee," Bartley said.
Almost all other car manufacturers include the theft deterrents that some Kia and Hyundai models lack.
