Hyundai and Kia have agreed with a coalition of state attorneys general to provide restitution to owners whose vehicles were stolen or targeted because they were sold without an engine immobilizer. Eligible owners can claim up to $4,500. This is not a class action and there is no fixed deadline — it is a limited fund paid on a rolling basis until it is exhausted, so filing early matters more than filing before a date. No court has found either company liable.
Official resources:
- Official program website — HK Multistate Immobilizer Settlement — the restitution claim form, the eligible-vehicle list and the zinc sleeve information.
Table of Contents
- What is this settlement about?
- Who qualifies?
- Eligible vehicles
- How much can you get?
- The free zinc sleeve is separate
- How to file a claim
- How this differs from the $145M class action
What is this settlement about?
In December 2025, a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general announced a settlement with Hyundai and Kia over their sale of vehicles that were not equipped with industry-standard engine immobilizers. Minnesota led the coalition alongside Connecticut and New Hampshire, joined by attorneys general across a large group of states.
An engine immobilizer stops a vehicle’s engine from starting without the smart key that carries its electronic security code. The states alleged that Hyundai and Kia left the technology out of millions of vehicles sold in the United States, and that the omission drove a wave of thefts using methods popularized on social media.
Under the settlement, the companies agreed to equip future vehicles sold in the United States with immobilizers, to offer free zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protectors to owners and lessees of eligible vehicles, to provide up to $4.5 million in restitution to eligible consumers whose vehicles were damaged by thieves, and to pay $4.5 million to the states. The agreement resolves the states’ allegations; no court has found either company liable.
Because this is a settlement between the companies and state attorneys general rather than a class action, there is no class to join, no court approval hearing to wait on and no fixed calendar claim deadline. What there is instead is a limited restitution fund disbursed until it runs out.
Who qualifies?
Three conditions have to line up for a restitution claim:
- The vehicle has to be eligible — a Hyundai or Kia model that was not factory-equipped with an immobilizer, from the model years listed below.
- At the time of the qualifying theft or theft attempt, the vehicle either had the free anti-theft software upgrade installed, or you had an appointment scheduled to have it installed.
- The qualifying theft or theft attempt occurred on or after April 29, 2025, but before the earlier of the date your vehicle received the free zinc sleeve installation or March 31, 2027.
That second condition is the one that disqualifies most people who assume they are covered. The program is designed to compensate owners who took the anti-theft step and were victimized anyway — not every owner of an affected model.
Eligible vehicles
Eligible vehicles are those that were not factory-equipped with an immobilizer, in these Hyundai models and model years:
| Hyundai model | Model year |
|---|---|
| Accent | 2018 – 2022 |
| Elantra | 2011 – 2022 |
| Elantra GT | 2013 – 2020 |
| Genesis Coupe | 2013 – 2014 |
| Kona | 2018 – 2022 |
| Palisade | 2020 – 2021 |
| Santa Fe | 2013 – 2022 |
| Santa Fe Sport | 2013 – 2018 |
| Santa Fe XL | 2019 |
| Sonata | 2011 – 2019 |
| Tucson | 2011 – 2022 |
| Veloster | 2012 – 2017 |
| Venue | 2019 – 2021 |
The Kia model list follows the same structure and is published in full on the official program materials and in the OpenClassActions.com breakdown linked in Sources below. Check your specific model year rather than assuming from the model name, because the immobilizer was added at different points across the range.
How much can you get?
| Category | Maximum restitution |
|---|---|
| Total loss | Up to $4,500 |
| Partial loss | Up to $2,250 |
| Qualifying theft attempt | Up to $375 |
These are maximums, not guaranteed amounts, and the restitution pool is capped at $4.5 million across all claimants. Once the money runs out, no further claims are paid. That makes this different from most settlements: there is no benefit to waiting.
The free zinc sleeve is separate
Separately from any cash claim, owners of eligible vehicles can have a zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector installed free at any authorized Hyundai or Kia dealership. That remedy is available regardless of whether your vehicle was ever targeted, and taking it does not require a restitution claim.
Note the interaction with eligibility, though: a qualifying theft or attempt has to have occurred before the date your vehicle received the zinc sleeve. The sleeve is the fix; the restitution covers losses that happened despite the software upgrade and before the hardware fix was in place.
How to file a claim
Claims run through the program set up under the multistate settlement rather than through a court-appointed settlement administrator. You will need to show the vehicle is an eligible model and model year, that the free anti-theft software upgrade had been installed or an appointment was scheduled at the time of the incident, and documentation of the qualifying theft or theft attempt within the covered window.
Because the fund is limited and paid on a rolling basis, gather the police report, the insurance documentation and the dealer record of the software upgrade before you start rather than after.
How this differs from the $145M class action
This is not the same matter as the separate Hyundai and Kia vehicle-theft class action settlement that arose from the social media theft trend. That case is a court-supervised class action with its own class definition, its own claim process and its own deadlines.
This multistate agreement is an enforcement settlement between the companies and state attorneys general. Being covered by one does not determine whether you are covered by the other, and the eligibility rules are different — most importantly, this program requires the software upgrade to have been installed or scheduled at the time of the incident.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a deadline to file?
Not a calendar one. The restitution fund is limited to $4.5 million and is disbursed on a rolling basis until it is exhausted, so filing early is what matters. Separately, a qualifying theft or attempt has to have occurred before the earlier of your zinc sleeve installation or March 31, 2027.
My car was stolen but I never got the software upgrade. Do I qualify?
No. At the time of the qualifying theft or theft attempt, the vehicle either had to have the free anti-theft software upgrade installed or you had to have an appointment scheduled to have it installed. That condition is what disqualifies most people who assume they are covered.
Is this the same as the class action settlement?
No. This is an enforcement settlement between Hyundai, Kia and a coalition of state attorneys general, not a class action. There is no class to join and no court approval hearing. The separate vehicle-theft class action has its own class definition, claim process and deadlines.
What is the zinc sleeve and do I have to pay for it?
It is a zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector, installed free at any authorized Hyundai or Kia dealership for owners and lessees of eligible vehicles. It is available whether or not your vehicle was ever targeted.
How much can I actually get?
Up to $4,500 for a total loss, up to $2,250 for a partial loss and up to $375 for a qualifying theft attempt. Those are maximums rather than guaranteed amounts, and the pool is capped at $4.5 million across all claimants.
Sources
- Hyundai & Kia Theft Settlement: Up to $4,500 for Stolen Cars on OpenClassActions.com — the full breakdown, including the complete Kia eligible-vehicle table and the comparison with the $145M class action.
- Multistate attorney general settlement with Hyundai and Kia, announced December 2025, led by Minnesota with Connecticut and New Hampshire.
- Hyundai and Kia anti-theft software upgrade program materials and the free zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector announcement.
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