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Alderman Khalif Rainey and Alderman Milele Coggs wrote to the two automakers on Wednesday, saying their cars were too easy to steal.
KIA and Hyundai are directly responsible, in my opinion, for the drain on the police and other city resources that have been sadly directed to deal with the wave of vehicle thefts and the havoc these thefts have brought to our society. city, Rainey said. It is time for these companies to fix the problem they created.
Rainey and Coggs say in their letter that thieves can steal a Kia or Hyundai with something as simple as a USB cable. Milwaukee Police said neither of the cars needed the remote control to be driven.
Milwaukee Police say auto thefts in the city are up 189% from around the same time last year. Rainey told Kia and Hyundai that their cars account for two-thirds of all cars stolen in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Police said a 16-year-old who was driving a stolen Kia SUV crashed head-on into a car on Tuesday night, killing himself and sending five people to hospital.
Alderman Coggs accuses the car manufacturers.
Videos on social media exposing car thieves or those who stalk them make what our city is going through seem unreal. KIA and Hyundai owners have been under siege, and too many of our neighborhoods, streets and sidewalks have been filled with the reckless behavior of those who drive these stolen vehicles, Coggs said.
Kia and Hyundai have both issued statements saying they are investigating the escalation in thefts.
Kia is aware of the increase in vehicle thefts from certain Kia vehicles in Milwaukee. We are completing our investigation into the matter, James Bell, Kia’s head of US public relations, said in a statement. All Kia vehicles for sale in the United States meet or exceed all federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Hyundais Michael Stewart said much the same thing.
Hyundai Motor America is aware of a recent increase in the thefts of certain Hyundai vehicles in Milwaukee, Stewart said in his statement. We are close to finalizing our investigation and will continue to work with local law enforcement on how best to resolve the issue.
Coggs said companies need to do more than just investigate.
As the makers of these vehicles, they owe it to their customers to solve the problems that help make these makes of vehicles easier to steal, she said.
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