Kia and Hyundai faced a surge of criticism and lawsuits after millions of 2011–2022 vehicles were sold without engine immobilizers—an anti-theft feature widely treated as an industry standard. The vulnerability drew national attention in 2022 when a TikTok trend allegedly demonstrated how some models could be started and stolen in under a minute using basic tools, contributing to spikes in thefts and attempted thefts in multiple cities. In a multistate resolution involving 35 state attorneys general, the automakers agreed to a $9 million settlement that funds consumer restitution and states’ investigative costs, without admitting wrongdoing. The lawsuit and related actions were filed on the theory that selling cars lacking common anti-theft technology—and allegedly marketing them without clearly addressing that risk—left owners exposed to foreseeable theft, property damage, and related expenses (like deductibles, towing, rentals, and repairs). The settlement’s significance is practical: it pairs prevention with compensation, offering free software updates and a zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector, plus cash payments for qualifying thefts (up to $4,500 for a total loss, $2,250 for a partial loss, and up to $375 for attempted-theft expenses) for incidents occurring within the settlement’s defined window, with claims due by March 31, 2027. It also reflects how consumer-protection enforcement can supplement private class actions—this matter sits alongside larger recent Hyundai/Kia theft-related settlements reported in 2023 and 2024—while putting pressure on manufacturers and regulators to align baseline security features with evolving theft methods and with market expectations shaped by insurers, state consumer laws, and widely adopted anti-theft standards even when not mandated uniformly by a single federal rule.