New Mexico AG Secures $9 Million Settlement With Hyundai, Kia

On December 24, 2025 New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that he had joined 34 other attorneys general in a $9 million settlement with Hyundai and Kia over allegations the companies sold some vehicles without widely accepted anti theft immobilizer technology. The settlement divides roughly half the funds for direct restitution to eligible customers and half for penalties to states while also imposing changes to future equipment and customer remedies.

Under the agreement up to $4.5 million will be available for direct payments to owners whose vehicles were stolen or damaged as a result of the alleged security shortcomings. The remaining $4.5 million will be paid to participating states. The manufacturers also agreed to equip vehicles sold in the United States with standard anti theft protections moving forward and to provide free ignition cylinder protectors for owners of models that cannot receive software updates.

Torrez’s office highlighted Albuquerque’s high ranking for auto theft according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau and noted that owners who received software updates but still experienced thefts on or after April 29 may be eligible to file restitution claims. Online claim portals and phone contact lines have been established for affected owners to submit claims and seek information.

For San Juan County residents the settlement matters in practical terms. Owners of subject Hyundai and Kia models should check their eligibility for restitution and whether their vehicles qualify for the free hardware protections. Local law enforcement and county officials may see modest relief if the broader adoption of immobilizer technology reduces opportunistic thefts over time. Insurers and municipal budgets that absorb costs related to vehicle theft could also be affected by changes in theft frequency and recovery rates.

The settlement underscores policy questions about manufacturer responsibility and regulatory standards for vehicle security. It reinforces that equipment choices by automakers have community level consequences and that state attorneys general can coordinate remediation across jurisdictions. County residents seeking to determine eligibility should use the online portals or phone contacts set up under the agreement and monitor communications from dealerships and the manufacturers for vehicle specific instructions.