It's obvious that they are to blame for all the killings and crime caused by their products.

Now the Minnesota AG Keith Ellison is investigating Automakers for making cars that are too easy for young people to steal.

I hesitate to question what's next.

My scorn and loathing for him is unprintable.

__________________
Music/Sports/Beer fan

Can’t wait until the AG goes after the evil fast food places. He’ll have them eating out… OK, couldn’t resist that one. I’m with Rusty on Ellison.

__________________
50 Years of DSOTM

I don't know anything about MN politics or it's AG but easily stolen Kia's and Hyundai's are epidemic in the large cities. Kia's are the favorite. The manufacturers were totally asleep to the problem until the proverbial horses were long out of the barn. Standard practice is to steal two Kia's, use one to ram their way into a store by driving through the entrance, use the 2nd car for the getaway, then dump it.

__________________
Dennis
SWCA #2409, SWHF #353

You guys live a protected sheltered life. NY has been suing Hyundai/Kia for a long time as well as going after fast food companies and 7/11 because NOBODY needs a 32oz Big Gulp. Thank god the nanny state protects me.

The problem is the criminal stealing the car. That’s not the manufacturers problem. When NY attempted to sue Hyndai/Kia they told NY you have a crime problem. It’s not our problem. I agree

This whole "issue" is absolutely ridiculous IMO.

Suing a car manufacturing company for NOT making their cars more resistant to theft by criminals? Excusing criminals for their actions and instead blaming the product manufacturers for the behavior of the criminals?

SERIOUSLY? We're going to try to hold product manufacturers responsible - and penalize THEM - for NOT anticipating and preventing the actions of criminals? REALLY?!?

So how far are we going to go with this? At what point do we as a society stop excusing criminal behavior? When do we stop blaming the products and the victims, and start holding the CRIMINALS accountable?

__________________
Send lawyers, guns & money...

So THAT's how Florida learned to ban social media for those 16!

People like that need to be taken to the train station.

OK. So who is responsible for this CRIMINAL activity?

The criminals performing the criminal acts?

Or the auto manufacturers who couldn't/didn't predict/anticipate the actions of the criminals?

Think about it.

We need to start holding the CRIMINALS accountable for THEIR actions - instead of trying to blame everyone else for not PREVENTING criminals from doing what criminals do...

Does this make sense? Or am I totally off base here?!?

__________________
Send lawyers, guns & money...

You are spot on, however there is a large population of people who believe policing crime is inherently biased against certain demographics. They honestly believe that society is so biased that the criminals really aren't responsible for their actions.

While I recognize the socioeconomic side of the issue the criminals know right from wrong and choose the wrong path. Failure to hold them accountable only emboldens them.

I am trying to be delicate in how I convey this, I don't need any dings.

I bought my daughter a '20 Kia Sportage and I just got something in the mail about a class action lawsuit about the lack of an engine kill switch making them easier to steal. So that's what this is all about, I guess. I kinda thought it was a stupid thing for lawyers to make money on. I'm not wasting my time to have Kia install the anti-theft thing. I have insurance.

Maybe not. Some insurance companies are pulling the insurance on these cars in some cities.

__________________
Release the Kraken

Getting a little close to that "personal responsibility" thing that a whole slew of people not quite in our society think doesn't apply to them.

__________________
Release the Kraken

Liberals can never seem to place blame, where blame belongs. It goes against their "logic".

Plus they want to give many said criminals voting rights, remember!

It's the gun's fault... the car was too easy to steal, it's the maker's fault... the ship didn't steer itself when it hit the bridge the other day, sue the maker of the ship too!

There is no logic more backwards than this track of thinking.

I don't like nanny states and government sticking it's nose in everything.

__________________
Go ahead... make my day.

you know.. if those banks just didn't have all that money laying around.. they were asking for it...
victim blame should be illegal.. but we have enough laws already...

So if a home is burglarized and all its contents are taken, it is the homeowner's fault because he didn't have good enough locks and no burglar alarm system.

R. Lee Ermey had an opinion on this.

Google Full Metal Jacket - Unlocked Footlocker. Can't post it here - rules forbid it.

As I have said before. We are hip deep in stupid.

__________________
No baby we aint

EXACTLY! Blame the victim for being victimized by criminals!
Don't you DARE blame the criminals! They are disadvantaged, and that excuses anything they do to try to improve their lot in life. Even their criminal behavior.
They are just trying to establish social EQUITY.

__________________
Send lawyers, guns & money...

...as they are way too fattening and bad for you. I just refill my small diet soda 8 or 10 times at the fountain.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

We all know it's much easier to just go after a corporations money than it is to actually try and prosecute someone for criminal activity. That would take work and it isn't very profitable...

Car owner after catching car thief: Why'd you try to steal my car?

Car thief: What's the big deal? You got insurance!

Car owner: Do you have medical insurance?

I’d guess blaming auto manufactuers for drunk drivers…🙄

The Kia/Hyundai sold cars entirely equipped with engine immobilisers for non-US markets like europe and canada where regulations explicitly required them. The NYC suit noted that in 2015 96% of other cars sold in the US had this tech, compared to 26% of Kias/Hyundais. The argument is that by not using the industry-standard anti-theft protection, which they were using in all of their cars in other markets that explicitly required that tech, they were not meeting the anti theft provisions of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114. They also allegedly made claims about the effectiveness of their anti-theft systems that were known at the time to be untrue.

Going after car thieves is awesome, but responsibility only applies to them, not corporate decisions to knowingly leave their vehicles (often the single most expensive possession aside from a house a customer will purchase) vulnerable to theft. They had the tech. They knew the effectiveness. They knew that it was the industry standard for compliance with federal regulations. They chose to make cars sold in the US to a lower standard, not inform consumers about it, and leave consumers with expensive uninsurable theft magnets. It'd be awesome if we had some stronger proactive consumer protections on this stuff, but we don't, so this is how consumer protection issues wind up getting handled.

Chicago has sued Kia/Hyundai because their cars are too easy to steal and Glock because their pistols are too easily converted to full auto with a switch. Chicago also told the businesses being robbed in all the smash and grab's that it was their own fault for not having enough security. The same city did away with cash bail and prosecuting theft unless it was over $xxx amount.

__________________
Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

Brandon Johnson in Chicago would let Law enforcement do their jobs and allow truth in sentencing he would not have a crime issue.

Old news. There is one make, I don't remember which, that the insurance companies won't insure for theft because a glitch makes them easy to steal. I understand that. But THIS is absolute nonsense. I think I'd better stop now.

__________________
Forum consigliere

Oh My Goodness!!! Criminals have a right to make a living too!!

"It's all about the Benjamins, Baby."

__________________
"Don't Give Up the Ship"

My money is on someone suing the Federal Government for not regulating the river's flow of water.
After all it was a foreseeable event that a ship could lose power and that should have been provided for through proper water regulation.

That response from Hyundai/KIA seems a bit off the deep end since their cars are being stolen all over the world and not just in NYC. They way I see it, they are not being responsive to the needs of their customers (to not have their cars stolen), but I think the enforcement part will come from the insurance companies rather than the lawmakers. If it costs too much to insure their vehicles for being too easy to steal then that will impact sales and maybe they'll actually fix the problem!

When comparing your example to the Hyundai/KIA situation, it would be like building a house with a string tied across the door being used as a lock then wondering why everything inside was stolen. It only works when we have a completely crime-free society, and we all know that's never going to happen.

Yes, I believe that the manufacturer is somewhat to blame, especially if they refuse to make reasonable changes to reduce the problem. However, I also believe the owner shares some of that responsibility - as well as the insurance company - if they decide to buy/insure the car if they knew the problem exists and nothing was done about it.

Maybe next is suing auto makers because it's too easy for an impaired driver to get behind the wheel and drive off.

__________________
Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

A slippery slope, By that thinking firearm makers would be liable if they did not make them so only the legal owner could use them.

As has been said, If insurance companies won't insure them soon people won't buy them and the market will result in needed changes.

__________________
Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

I wish I could remember the movie. People are caught in a diner at a truck stop when trucks mysteriously come alive. The lead truck has this big clown mask covering the grill. The people are forced to gas up vehicles that are lined up down the highway. Mass chaos ensues as the trapped people try to fight back but some are killed.

I tell you it's climate change causing inanimate objects to misbehave.

Maximum Overdrive.

__________________
Music/Sports/Beer fan

I have this old idea that locks only stop honest people. Crooks are not honest.

Wine bottles that do not require a cork screw.
Would be my guess.

FWIW: There was a big "event" around here where Hyundai dealers provided fixes to cars with these defective ignition switches. Hyundai/KIA are also upgrading the software and fixing more cars. Think factory recall.

Neanderthal thinking Luddites don't need lawsuits, software updates and .gov to prevent feral humans from stealing our vehicles...we use keys.