Hyundai / Kia Multistate Immobilizer Settlement

About this settlement

Hyundai Motor America and Kia America settled this one with a group of state attorneys general — it is separate from the consumer class action, which the claim form itself treats as a different source of payment. There is no class to join here: the administrator calls you an Eligible Consumer, and eligibility is decided by your VIN plus what happened to your car. Eligible Vehicles are 2011–2022 model-year Hyundai and Kia vehicles that were not factory-equipped with an engine immobilizer — the Elantra, Sonata, Tucson, Santa Fe, Kona, Accent, Venue, Veloster, Palisade and Genesis Coupe on the Hyundai side; the Forte, Optima, Rio, Sedona, Sorento, Soul, Sportage, Seltos and K5 on the Kia side. The settlement's VIN lookup is what actually decides it, and it answers in seconds. Two upgrades are free to every eligible owner regardless of any claim, at any authorized dealer: the anti-theft Software Upgrade, and a zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector — the 'zinc sleeve' — installed as hardware. What you can claim: up to $4,500 if a Qualifying Theft totalled your vehicle, up to $2,250 for a partial loss, and up to $375 in reasonable expenses if it was a Qualifying Theft Attempt — insurance deductibles, increased premiums, towing, transport, and personal property stolen or damaged. Each is a cap on out-of-pocket loss, not a payment everyone receives, and taking a Total or Partial Loss payment ends your eligibility for any later incident. The condition almost everyone misses: the theft or attempt must have happened on or after April 29, 2025, and at that moment you must already have had the Software Upgrade installed — or be able to document that an appointment to get it was booked. A theft during the 2022–2024 wave does not qualify here, and neither does a theft on a car that never had the upgrade. It must also predate your zinc sleeve installation, or March 31, 2027, whichever comes first. This claim needs documents: proof of ownership (a state DMV document, registration, title, bank note or insurance card naming the VIN), a police report or insurance records showing the theft, proof of the loss itself, and paperwork for any payment you already received from an insurer or from Hyundai or Kia as goodwill. A deficient claim is not rejected — you get 45 days in writing to cure it. Payment follows within 90 days of the final determination, as a prepaid Mastercard or a physical check. The deadline is March 31, 2027, but it is not the real clock: the fund is limited and the administrator disburses on a rolling basis until it is exhausted, after which no further claims are paid. Filing early is worth actual money here.

Who is eligible?

• You own or lease a 2011–2022 Hyundai or Kia that was not factory-equipped with an engine immobilizer — the settlement's VIN lookup confirms it in seconds.
• Your vehicle suffered a theft or an attempted theft on or after April 29, 2025.
• At the time it happened, the free anti-theft Software Upgrade was already installed — or you can document that an appointment to install it was booked.
• It happened before your free zinc sleeve was installed, and before March 31, 2027.
• You can produce proof of ownership and a police report or insurance records for the incident.