Hyundai/Kia Immobilizer Theft Settlement: Payout Guide

At a glance

Status

Re-verifying

Defendant

Hyundai Motor America / Kia America

Settlement fund

$4,500,000

Claim deadline

March 31, 2027

No-proof cash option

No

Max documented payout

$4,500

Administrator

Angeion

Official site

www.hkmultistateimmobilizersettlement.com

Court

Multistate AG settlement (36 states + DC)

Last verified September 9, 2026

Key dates

Milestone	Date	What it means
Claim deadline	March 31, 2027	Last day to file for a payment
Opt-out (exclusion) deadline	None listed	Last day to leave the settlement and keep the right to sue
Objection deadline	None listed	Last day to object to the terms
Final approval hearing	None listed	When the judge decides whether to approve the settlement
Expected payout	Not yet scheduled	Payments are not sent until after final approval and any appeals

Where to file

Hyundai/Kia Multistate Immobilizer Vehicle Theft Settlement is administered by Angeion. The only place to file is the official settlement website:

Verify on the official site

www.hkmultistateimmobilizersettlement.com

Filing is free. No legitimate settlement charges a fee to file a claim.

You cannot file on RecordingLaw.com. We are an independent publisher, not the settlement administrator, and we are not affiliated with any court, agency, or defendant.

What happened

Hyundai Motor America and Kia America sold certain 2011 to 2022 model year vehicles without a factory-installed engine immobilizer, the standard anti-theft component that stops a car from starting without the correct key or fob. Without it, some models could be started with little more than a screwdriver and a USB cable, a method that spread widely on social media and drove a documented spike in thefts of these specific vehicles in cities across the country.

A coalition of 36 states and the District of Columbia investigated and reached a $9 million settlement with Hyundai and Kia, announced December 16, 2025. As of July 2026, that settlement is the basis for the consumer claim process described on this page.

An attorneys general settlement with an unusual direct claim

Most attorneys general settlements do not give individual consumers anything to file. The state gets a payment to cover investigation costs, the company agrees to change its practices, and that is the end of it for an ordinary reader. This one is different, and that difference is the reason it appears on this tracker at all.

Of the $9 million total, $4.5 million goes to the participating states to cover their costs. The other $4.5 million is set aside as direct restitution for consumers whose vehicles were stolen or targeted. If you have seen other AG settlements and correctly concluded there was nothing to file, do not carry that assumption here. This one has an actual claim form, tied to an actual dollar figure, for people who meet the criteria below.

Not the same as the other Hyundai/Kia cases

This settlement is easy to confuse with two other Hyundai/Kia matters, and mixing them up can lead you to the wrong claim form or the wrong expectations.

First, this is not the larger, separate private class action lawsuit over the same immobilizer defect that some readers may have already heard about or received a notice for. That is a different case with its own terms, and this page does not describe its facts.

Second, this is not the Hyundai/Kia airbag control unit (ACU) settlement, which RecordingLaw.com covers on a separate page. The ACU matter concerns a different defect and a different settlement entirely. If you received notice about airbag control units, you are looking at that case, not this one.

Who is in the class

The consumer restitution fund is for owners and lessees of certain 2011 to 2022 Hyundai and Kia vehicles that did not come with a factory-installed engine immobilizer, where the vehicle was the target of a theft or an attempted theft on or after April 29, 2025, but before the earlier of (1) the free zinc sleeve installation on your vehicle or (2) March 31, 2027.

That zinc sleeve condition matters. The settlement also requires Hyundai and Kia to offer a free zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector (the "zinc sleeve"), installed at an authorized Hyundai or Kia dealership. Once the zinc sleeve has been installed on your vehicle, a theft or attempted theft that happens after that installation is not covered by this fund.

There is a third condition that is easy to overlook: at the time of the qualifying theft or theft attempt, your vehicle needed to either already have the free Software Upgrade installed or have an appointment scheduled for it. According to the official settlement site, a vehicle with neither the upgrade nor a scheduled appointment at the time of the incident does not meet the eligibility terms, even if the date and model otherwise qualify.

That April 29, 2025 date is the detail most likely to disappoint someone reading this page. If your Hyundai or Kia was stolen or broken into before April 29, 2025, even if it is the exact same vehicle and defect this settlement addresses, that earlier incident does not fall inside this fund's coverage window. The settlement also applies only in the 36 participating states and the District of Columbia; a reader in a non-participating state may not be covered. The current list of participating states is posted on the official settlement website, not reproduced here, since it can be confirmed directly at the source.

How much you can realistically expect

Payouts are tiered by the severity of what happened to your vehicle, and every tier requires documentation. There is no flat, no-proof payment here.

A documented total loss may be reimbursed up to $4,500. A documented partial loss, meaning the vehicle was damaged but not destroyed, may be reimbursed up to $2,250. A documented attempted theft, where the vehicle was targeted but not ultimately taken, may be reimbursed up to $375. These are ceilings tied to actual, provable losses, not flat payments, and the final amount you receive is subject to how the fund is administered and how many valid claims come in.

The rolling-fund mechanic, and why it matters more than any fixed date

The official claim form states that the deadline to submit a claim is March 31, 2027. The same date is also the latest point at which a qualifying theft or theft attempt can occur. Do not treat a date that far out as low pressure.

The $4.5 million consumer fund is paid out on a rolling basis as valid claims are approved, until the money is gone. That is a different mechanic from the pro-rata common funds most settlements use, where every valid claimant eventually gets paid from the same pool regardless of when they filed. Here, a claim filed and approved early draws from the same limited pool as a claim filed later, and the fund can be exhausted well before any filing deadline arrives. This is not a countdown or a sales tactic, it is simply how a first-approved, first-paid rolling fund works, and a reader deciding when to file should weigh it honestly.

What proof you need

Because every tier is documentation-based, gather records tied to the incident before you file: a police report for the theft or attempted theft, repair estimates or invoices if the vehicle was damaged, and any documentation of a total loss determination from your insurer if the vehicle was not recovered or was declared a total loss. The official claim form will specify exactly what is required and accepted.

How to file

Claims are submitted through the settlement's official website, administered by Angeion. The site explains eligibility and the documentation each tier requires. Filing directly with the official administrator is free.

Why there is no case number or hearing date on this page

A reader used to class-action settlement pages may notice this one is missing several things: a case number, an exclusion deadline, an objection deadline, and a final approval hearing date. That is expected, not an oversight. This is a settlement between state attorneys general and the companies, not a court-certified class action, so there is no certified class to opt out of or object to, and no fairness hearing where a judge approves the deal on a class's behalf. The states negotiated the terms directly.

If you were not affected, or missed the window

If your incident happened before April 29, 2025, or your state did not participate, this fund is not available to you, and no other legitimate source will change that. If you own a vehicle in the affected range, check with a Hyundai or Kia dealer about the free anti-theft Software Upgrade and the free zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector this settlement requires the companies to offer. According to the Washington Attorney General's announcement, consumers have one year from the date of the notice to make an appointment to have the protector installed at an authorized dealership.

More broadly, anyone whose vehicle has been broken into or stolen should watch for identity theft if personal documents, garage door codes, or registration paperwork were inside the car. A free credit freeze at all three major credit bureaus and monitoring your accounts are reasonable precautions regardless of whether you file a claim here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as the big Hyundai/Kia theft class action?

No. This is a separate, 36-state-plus-DC attorneys general settlement announced December 16, 2025. A larger, separate private class action lawsuit over the same immobilizer defect also exists, but this page describes only the attorneys general settlement and its own $4.5 million consumer fund.

Is this the same as the Hyundai/Kia airbag control unit settlement?

No. The airbag control unit (ACU) matter is a different defect and a different settlement, covered separately on RecordingLaw.com. If your notice mentions airbag control units, you are looking at that case, not this one.

What vehicles does this settlement cover?

Certain 2011 to 2022 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles that did not come with a factory-installed engine immobilizer. As of July 2026, the exact list of covered models and trims is confirmed on the official settlement website. To be paid, your specific vehicle also needed to have had the free Software Upgrade installed or an appointment scheduled for it at the time of the qualifying theft or theft attempt.

My car was stolen in 2024. Does it qualify?

Only a theft or attempted theft occurring on or after April 29, 2025 falls within this settlement's restitution fund. An earlier incident involving the same defect is not covered by this particular fund, even for the same vehicle. The incident also had to happen before the free zinc sleeve was installed on your vehicle (and before March 31, 2027), and the vehicle also needed to have had the free Software Upgrade installed or an appointment scheduled for it at the time of the theft.

How much money will I actually get?

It depends on documented loss and proof, not a flat payment. Estimated ceilings are up to $4,500 for a total loss, up to $2,250 for a partial loss, and up to $375 for an attempted theft, and amounts may be adjusted based on how the fund is administered and how many valid claims are approved.

Do I need proof to file a claim?

Yes. Every payout tier in this settlement requires documentation, such as a police report and repair or loss records. There is no no-proof or automatic payment option in this settlement.

Is March 31, 2027 a filing deadline, or should I file sooner?

Yes. The official claim form states that the deadline to submit a claim is March 31, 2027. Separately, the $4.5 million consumer fund is paid on a rolling basis until it runs out, so filing earlier does not guarantee payment, but waiting risks the fund being exhausted before the filing deadline.

Why isn't there a case number or a court hearing for this settlement?

Because this is a multistate attorneys general settlement, not a court-certified class action. There is no certified class, so there is no opt-out deadline, no objection deadline, and no judicial fairness hearing the way there would be in a typical class-action settlement.

What if I live in a state that isn't one of the 36 participating states?

This restitution fund applies to the 36 participating states and the District of Columbia. The current list of participating states is posted on the official settlement website; a reader outside that list may not be eligible under this particular settlement.