Attorney General Andy Beshear has announced his office has transferred $625,000 to the state’s General Fund from a multistate settlement with automakers Hyundai and Kia for violating Kentucky’s Consumer Protection Act.
The settlement alleges that the automakers violated state law when they misrepresented the mileage and fuel economy ratings to consumers on model year 2011, 2012 and 2013 vehicles.
As part of a separate nationwide class action lawsuit, Hyundai and Kia have already offered restitution totaling $1.1 million to more than 6,300 Kentucky consumers to settle allegations the companies inflated the fuel economy data for their vehicles.
“The automakers violated our state laws established to protect consumers who have been offered restitution in the class action lawsuit,” Beshear said. “Today we transferred to the state’s General Fund the companies’ civil penalties that will be used by lawmakers for their priorities for Kentucky.”
This is Beshear’s second fund transfer to the state this week.
Beshear announced earlier this week that his office transferred nearly $2.8 million in the state’s General Fund from his office’s settlement with Volkswagen for willfully violating Kentucky’s Consumer Protection Act by rigging software in its diesel-engine automobiles.
Under the terms of the Volkswagen settlement with Beshear’s office, nearly 3,200 diesel-engine owners in Kentucky who choose a buyback option will receive payments of between $5,100 and $10,000 in addition to the value of their vehicle as of Sept. 2015, when the emission scandal became public. Vehicle owners who do not choose the buyback option will receive a vehicle modification to reduce emissions.
The combined civil penalties by Volkswagen, Kia and Hyundai returned to the state by Beshear’s office this week total $3.4 million.
(story provided by Kentucky's Attorney General's Office)
