Does making cars that are easy to steal constitute a public nuisance for which a city should be awarded damages?

That’s what Baltimore and more than a dozen other cities across the United States are arguing in lawsuits against Hyundai and Kia, which for years made vehicles that did not have engine immobilizers, a relatively inexpensive and industry-standard part that prevents a car from starting without the key. A viral TikTok challenge has helped fuel a nationwide explosion in thefts of some models made between 2010 and 2021 because people can steal them with as little as a screwdriver and a USB cable.

“These cost-cutting measures employed by Hyundai and Kia at the expense of public safety are unacceptable,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement. “They have left our residents vulnerable to crime and are significantly burdening our police resources.”

The lawsuit is an example of how governments are working with private law firms to seek damages from companies using a claim of public nuisance, a vague legal doctrine that dates back centuries. There has been a resurgence of these cases in recent decades with litigation against tobacco makers, the fossil fuel industry and opioid manufacturers.

And though it can be difficult to prevail in court, some of these lawsuits against product manufacturers have led to multibillion-dollar settlements.

The story continues at The Baltimore Banner: Baltimore sued over a spike in car thefts. Can the city make Kia and Hyundai pay?

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