Hyundai and Kia owners whose eligible vehicle was stolen or targeted on or after April 29, 2025 may qualify to claim up to $4,500 from the Hyundai and Kia multistate immobilizer settlement reached with state attorneys general. The restitution fund is limited and is paid on a rolling basis until it runs out, so there is no benefit to waiting.
Current Status
Claims are open. This is a settlement between Hyundai, Kia and a coalition of state attorneys general, not a class action, so 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 on a rolling basis until it is exhausted. Once the money runs out, no further claims are paid. That makes this different from most settlements covered on OCA: filing early matters more than filing before a date.
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.
What Changed Recently?
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.
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Who Qualifies?
Three conditions have to line up for a restitution claim.
First, 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.
Second, 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.
Third, 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 models and model years:
| 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 |
| Model | Model Year |
|---|---|
| Forte | 2014 – 2021 |
| K5 | 2021 – 2022 |
| Optima | 2011 – 2020 |
| Rio | 2012 – 2021 |
| Sedona | 2011 – 2021 |
| Seltos | 2021 – 2022 |
| Sorento | 2011 – 2022 |
| Soul | 2020 – 2022 |
| Sportage | 2011 – 2022 |
How Much Can You Get?
The amounts are ceilings, not flat payments:
- Up to $4,500 if the qualifying theft resulted in a total loss.
- Up to $2,250 if the qualifying theft resulted in a partial loss.
- Up to $375 for reasonable expenses related to a qualifying theft attempt.
What you actually receive depends on the loss or the expenses you can substantiate. The restitution pool is capped at $4.5 million across all consumers, and it is paid out until exhausted, so the practical ceiling on any individual claim is also a function of how much is left when your claim is processed.
The Free Zinc Sleeve Is Separate
A zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector — the zinc sleeve — can be installed at no cost at any authorized Hyundai or Kia dealership. It is a hardware part that makes it harder for a thief to get at the ignition assembly, and it is available whether or not you ever file a restitution claim.
It is not the same thing as the free anti-theft Software Upgrade, which is a separate remedy that also helps prevent theft. The two work together, and the restitution program treats them differently: the Software Upgrade is what you needed to have had installed (or scheduled) to be eligible, while the zinc sleeve installation date is what closes your eligibility window.
How to File a Claim
Claims are filed at the official settlement website, HKMultistateImmobilizerSettlement.com. The site walks through eligibility and collects the information needed to establish the vehicle, the Software Upgrade or scheduled appointment, and the qualifying theft or theft attempt and the resulting loss or expenses.
Gather your documentation before you start: records identifying the vehicle, evidence of the theft or attempted theft, and the receipts or insurance paperwork substantiating what you are claiming. Because the fund pays until it is exhausted, an incomplete claim that has to be corrected later is a real risk rather than a paperwork annoyance.
How This Differs From the $145M Class Action
OCA covers an earlier and much larger $145 million Hyundai and Kia anti-theft class action settlement, and the two are easy to confuse. They are different in every respect that matters.
That case was a consumer class action, and its claim deadline was April 28, 2025. This program is an attorney general settlement, and it covers qualifying thefts and theft attempts occurring on or after April 29, 2025 — the day after the earlier settlement's claim window closed. The two are consecutive rather than overlapping, so a theft that fell inside the old settlement's window is not covered here, and a theft since then is not covered there.
If your vehicle was stolen before April 29, 2025, the earlier settlement was the route, and its claim period has closed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for the Hyundai and Kia multistate immobilizer settlement?
You may qualify if your vehicle is an eligible Hyundai or Kia model that was not factory-equipped with an engine immobilizer, the vehicle had the free anti-theft Software Upgrade installed or you had an appointment scheduled for it at the time of the incident, and the qualifying theft or theft attempt happened on or after April 29, 2025 and before the earlier of the date your vehicle received the free zinc sleeve installation or March 31, 2027.
How much can I get from the Hyundai and Kia theft settlement?
You may receive up to $4,500 for a total loss, up to $2,250 for a partial loss, or up to $375 for reasonable expenses related to a qualifying theft attempt. These are maximums rather than fixed payments, and the actual amount depends on the loss or expenses you document.
Is there a deadline to file a Hyundai or Kia theft claim?
There is no fixed calendar claim deadline, but the restitution fund is limited and is disbursed on a rolling basis until it is exhausted. Once the funds run out, no further claims are paid. The qualifying theft or theft attempt itself must have occurred before the earlier of your zinc sleeve installation date or March 31, 2027.
What is the zinc sleeve and how do I get one?
A zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector, or zinc sleeve, is a hardware part that makes it harder for a thief to reach the ignition assembly. It can be installed at no cost at any authorized Hyundai or Kia dealership. It is separate from the free anti-theft Software Upgrade, which is a different remedy that also helps prevent theft.
Is this the same as the $145 million Hyundai and Kia theft class action settlement?
No. That was a separate consumer class action settlement whose claim deadline was April 28, 2025. This is a settlement between Hyundai, Kia and a coalition of state attorneys general, and it covers qualifying thefts and theft attempts occurring on or after April 29, 2025 — the day after the earlier settlement's claim window closed.
My car was stolen but I never got the software upgrade. Can I still claim?
No. Eligibility requires that at the time of the qualifying theft or theft attempt your vehicle either had the Software Upgrade installed or you had an appointment scheduled to have it installed. An eligible model alone is not enough.
