Re:Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts
by alexb_ on Friday May 12, 2023 @10:47AM
(#35917102)
Then they still wouldn't be at fault. It's not their fault that the society Baltimore has crafted is so low trust that you can't leave your car outside for a second without it getting stolen.
Re:Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts
by HDThoreaun on Friday May 12, 2023 @02:46PM
(#35920459)
It's their fault they made a defective product though. When people buy a car the expectation is that you can't steal it in under 10 seconds with no tools.
Re:Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts
by prottog on Friday May 12, 2023 @03:23PM
(#35921005)
Like others said, in that case the customer who bought the product has standing to sue, not the city of Baltimore.
Re:Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts
by Ekaros on Saturday May 13, 2023 @05:51AM
(#35926962)
These cars are in full compliance of regulations. It is not manufactures fault that the country they sell cars in is so massively incompetent that they do not set proper standards.
Re:Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts
by singron on Friday May 12, 2023 @10:57AM
(#35917231)
The customer has clear cause. Fitness for purpose, warranty, etc. The municipality probably doesn't. If anything, they should try to coordinate a class action lawsuit among consumers.
Re:Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts
by sithadmin on Friday May 12, 2023 @10:58AM
(#35917248)
While that would definitely be a problem, that's the end-user's/customer's problem. It would be appropriate for a Hyundai/Kia buyer to sue Hyundai/Kia for damages experienced because of such a thing. It doesn't make sense for a municipality to sue here - they're not a party with a stake in the ostensibly defective product.
Re:Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts
by alistairSH on Friday May 12, 2023 @03:24PM
(#35921013)
But the city is expending resources (police, mostly) so there is damage.
Re:Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts
by erichocean on Friday May 12, 2023 @04:35PM
(#35921995)
Yes, and the city taxes its residents to pay for the police—the same residents who bought the cars requiring more police involvement.
It's a self-correcting problem, no lawsuit required.
The city could even have a special tax on "cars without immobilizers" that Kia owners paid, to cover their costs. Again: no lawsuit required.
Re:Baltimore sues Hyundai, Kia over spike in car thefts
by turkeysandwich on Friday May 12, 2023 @08:03PM
(#35924032)
The city is expected to police all crime regardless. The car manufacturer might (or might not) have some duty to the customer in this area, but certainly not the city for contributing to a crime increase.
You might as well say that a company that produces an exceptionally desirable product, one that perhaps entices thieves, would be responsible for a crime increase.
Clearly there has to be some degree to which a customer can assume that a product they buy meets the standard functionality associated with that product.