Frequently Asked Questions

According to Kia’s records, you bought or leased a Class Vehicle in the United States. The Court has ordered a notice be sent to you because you have a right to know about a proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit and about your options in that lawsuit before the Court decides whether to approve the Settlement. If the Court approves the Settlement, and after objections and appeals are resolved, Kia will provide payments and other benefits agreed to in the Settlement to the Class Members. The Notice and Settlement Website explain the lawsuit, the Settlement, your legal rights, what benefits are available, who is eligible for them, and how to get them.

To view a copy of the Notice, click here. Kia highly recommends that you read the Notice in its entirety.

The people who filed this Action are called "Plaintiffs", and the company they sued, Kia America, Inc. (“Kia”), is called the "Defendant". The Plaintiffs allege that Class Vehicles suffer from a defect that can cause the automatic window regulators with drums/gears to separate or break, resulting in an inoperative window regulator and the malfunction of the power window system. Kia denies these claims.

The Settlement includes certain 2016-2017 model year Kia Optima and all 2017 Kia Sportage vehicles, as identified by a defined Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) list (“Class Vehicles”). 

Repairs that qualify as Window Regulator Repairs are those that reflect the replacement of one or more of the following part numbers on a repair order:

In a class action lawsuit, one or more persons called the “Class Representatives” (in this case David Griesemer, Laura Ann Harris, Juliann Maguire, and JL Joshua Smith) sue on behalf of themselves and other people who have similar claims. All of the people together are called a “Class” or “Class Members.” One court resolves the issues for everyone in the Class, except for those who exclude themselves from the Class. The court in charge of this case is the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and the case is known as Le Beau, et al. v. Kia America, Inc., et al., No. 8:22-cv-01545-FWS-JDE. District Judge Fred W. Slaughter is presiding over this Action. 

The Class Representatives and Defendant agreed to this Settlement to avoid the cost and risk of further litigation, including a potential trial, and so that the Class Members can get payments in exchange for releasing Kia from liability. The Settlement does not mean that Kia broke any laws or did anything wrong, and the Court did not decide which side was right. 

This Settlement has been preliminarily approved by the Court, which authorized the issuance of Notice and this Settlement Website. The Class Representatives and the lawyers representing them (called “Class Counsel”) believe that the Settlement is in the best interests of all Class Members and is fair, reasonable, and adequate. 

This Settlement Website summarizes the essential terms of the Settlement. The Settlement Agreement along with all exhibits and addenda sets forth in greater detail the rights and obligations of the parties and are available on the Documents page of this website. If there is any conflict between this Settlement Website and the Settlement Agreement, the Settlement Agreement governs. 

Judge Slaughter decided that for the purposes of this proposed Settlement, everyone who fits this description is covered by the Settlement: All residents of the United States and the District of Columbia (excluding U.S. territories), who (1) presently own or lease a Class Vehicle or (2) who previously owned or leased a Class Vehicle.  

The Class also excludes (1) Kia America, Inc. (formerly Kia Motors America, Inc.), its subsidiaries and affiliates, officers, and directors; (2) insurers of the Class Vehicles; (3) all persons or entities claiming to be subrogated to the rights of Class Members; (4) issuers or providers of extended vehicle warranties or providers of extended service contracts; (5) individuals and/or entities who validly and timely opt-out of the Settlement; (6) consumers or businesses that have purchased Class Vehicles deemed a total loss (i.e. salvage) (subject to verification through Carfax or other means); (7) current and former owners of a Class Vehicle that previously have released their claims against Kia America, Inc. (formerly Kia Motors America, Inc.) with respect to the issues raised in the Litigation; (8) individuals or entities that have purchased and/or leased Class Vehicles as “fleet” vehicles (i.e., rentals or company vehicles); (9) any judge to whom this matter is or may be assigned, and his or her immediate family (spouse, domestic partner, or children); and (10) dealerships (i.e. any authorized, unauthorized, or third-party seller of new or used Kia vehicles) that owned the cars during the time it needed a Window Regulator Repair.

If you are still not sure whether you are a Class Member, you can check your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the VIN Lookup page of this Settlement Website or call (833) 930-0988, or call Class Counsel at the phone numbers below. Whether you visit the VIN Lookup page or call the toll-free number, you will need to have your Vehicle Identification Number (“VIN”) ready. The VIN is located on a small placard on the top of the dashboard and is visible through the driver’s side corner of the windshield. It also appears on your vehicle registration card and probably appears on your vehicle insurance card. Your VIN should have 17 characters, a combination of both letters and numbers. Please do not call the Court.

The Settlement benefits are outlined generally below. 

Under the Settlement, Kia will provide, on a claims-made basis, reimbursement for “Out-of-Pocket Cost(s),” which are defined as amounts actually paid by a Class Member for parts and labor for a Window Regulator Repair at an authorized Kia dealership or at a reputable third-party repair facility whose legitimacy may be verified, at the discretion of the Claims Administrator, by resort to local government business license, tax certificate, permit, or other records. A “Window Regulator Repair” is a repair of a power window regulator in a Class Vehicle at a Kia dealership or third-party repair facility to address a contention that one or more of the power windows on a Class Vehicle do not roll up or down. Here is a listing of the part numbers involved in a Window Regulator Repair: 

Reimbursement for Out-of-Pocket Costs will be made consistent with a tiered limitation as agreed to in the Settlement Agreement to any Class Member who submits a Claim and establishes that such Class Member paid out of pocket for an eligible repair (i.e., replacement of one or more of the window regulators in a Class Vehicle, up to a maximum of 4x per VIN). The amount of the reimbursement is based on a tiered system by mileage, and a total dollar cap, as follows:

Alternatively, in lieu of a claim for reimbursement of an Out-of-Pocket Cost, for current Class Vehicle owners only, Class Members may make a Claim to receive a Dealer Service Card valued at $40 as an alternative to submitting a reimbursement claim for Out-of-Pocket Costs for Window Regulator Repair(s). Both a Claim for Out-of-Pocket Costs or a Dealer Service Card must be submitted with Required Documentation. Please see the Claim Form for Required Documentation for each Claim.

Unless you exclude yourself from the Settlement, you will be treated as part of the Settlement Class which means you cannot sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against Kia, or other related entities or individuals (listed in the Settlement Agreement) about the claims released in this Settlement. It also means that all the Court’s decisions will bind you. The Released Claims and Released Parties are defined in the Settlement Agreement and describe the legal claims that you give up if you stay in the Settlement Class. The Settlement Agreement is available here. 

However, nothing in this Settlement will prohibit you from pursuing claims for: (i) death; (ii) personal injury; (iii) damage to property other than to a Class Vehicle; (iv) subrogation; or (v) any and all claims that relate to something other than a Class Vehicle and the alleged defect here. 

You can talk to one of the lawyers listed in Question 16 below for free or you can, of course, talk to your own lawyer at your own expense if you have questions about the Released Claims or what they mean. 

To receive a reimbursement or Dealer Service Card, Class Members must complete and submit a timely Claim Form signed under penalty of perjury and submit additional documentation as set forth on the Claim Form (i.e., Required Documentation). The Claim Form can be obtained or submitted online clicking "Submit Claim" or by writing the Claims Administrator at the contact information listed below. All Claim Forms and applicable proof must be submitted to the Claims Administrator electronically or postmarked no later than November 23, 2026, 90 days after the date of this Class Notice (“Claims Deadline”).  If you choose to submit your Claim Form and documents by mail, please send to:

Kia Window Regulator Settlement
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
PO Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391

Click here to file a claim online.

Please keep a copy of your completed Claim Form and all documentation you submit for your own records.

If you do not submit a valid Claim Form by the Claims Deadline, you may not receive payment, but you will be bound by the Court’s judgment. Sending a Claim Form late will be the same as doing nothing. 

In general, valid Claims will be paid as they are approved after the Effective Date. The Effective Date for the Settlement will be the date following the entry of the Final Judgment and Order with respect to the class benefits provided under the Settlement Agreement, if there are no objectors to the Settlement. If, however, there are any objections to the Settlement, the Effective Date of Class Settlement shall be the date on which the time for any appeal expires, or the date on which all appeals from the Final Judgment and Order are finally decided or terminated, whichever date is later. It is always uncertain whether these appeals can be resolved and resolving them can take time. Please be patient. When the date becomes known it will be posted on this Settlement Website.

What if my Claim is found to be deficient?

If a Claim is found to be deficient and is rejected during the review process by the Claims Administrator, the Settlement Class Member will be notified of the deficiency. The Class Member will then have an opportunity to remedy the deficiency within 30 days of the notice. 

To exclude yourself from the Settlement, you must submit a valid written request saying that you want to be excluded from the Settlement. Your request must include the following:

• Your full name and current address;

• Identify the model year, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and the approximate date(s) of purchase or lease; 

• Clearly state that you wish to be excluded from the Settlement and the Class; and

• Provide a signature. An attorney’s signature is not sufficient.

Please also identify the model of your Class Vehicle and the case name and number (Le Beau, et al. v. Kia America, Inc., et al., Case No. 8:22-cv-01545-FWS-JDE).

You cannot ask to be excluded from the Settlement over the phone. You must mail or deliver your letter with your exclusion request postmarked no later than October 23, 2026 to: 

Kia Window Regulator Settlement
c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC
PO Box 225391
New York, NY 10150-5391

If you ask to be excluded, you will not get any Settlement payment, and you cannot object to the Settlement. You will not be legally bound by anything that happens in this lawsuit, and you will keep your right to sue (or continue to sue) Kia about the claims in this case. The deadlines found in this Settlement Website may be changed by the Court. Please check this website regularly for updates regarding the Settlement.

IF YOU DO NOT EXCLUDE YOURSELF BY OCTOBER 23, 2026, YOU WILL REMAIN PART OF THE SETTLEMENT CLASS AND BE LEGALLY BOUND BY THE ORDERS OF THE COURT IN THIS LAWSUIT.

No. Unless you exclude yourself (opt out), you give up any right to sue Kia for the claims that this Settlement resolves. If you do not exclude yourself and the Settlement is finally approved, you will be permanently enjoined and barred from initiating or continuing any lawsuit or other proceeding against Kia about the issues in the lawsuit.

If you have a pending lawsuit against Kia, speak to your lawyer in that lawsuit immediately. You must exclude yourself from this Class to continue your own lawsuit if it concerns the same legal issues related to the Class Vehicles and the alleged defect in this case. 

If you properly exclude yourself from the Settlement, you will not be bound by any orders or judgments relating to the Settlement. You will retain your right to separately assert any claims you may have against Kia. Any separate litigation you choose to bring may be subject to a statute of limitations, or other time-sensitive requirements.

No. If you exclude yourself, you will not get the Settlement benefits and you will not be bound by anything that happens in this lawsuit. If you ask to be excluded, you cannot object to the Settlement or submit a Claim Form asking for a reimbursement or Dealer Service Card. 

Only request exclusion if you do NOT wish to participate in this Settlement, you do NOT wish to be bound by any judgment in this case, and do NOT wish to share in any benefits provided by the Settlement.

Yes. The Court appointed two law firms to represent you and other Settlement Class Members as Class Counsel. Their contact information is as follows:

You will not be charged for these lawyers. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.  

Defendant has its own attorneys. The attorneys representing Defendant are:

Class Counsel will apply to the Court for an order awarding: (1) Class Counsels’ Fees, Costs, and Expenses in an amount not to exceed $1,244,000.00; and (2) Service Awards to the Class Representatives in the amount of $1,500.00 each, for their time and effort spent representing the Class Members in this lawsuit.

The Court must approve the request for Class Counsels’ Fees, Costs and Expenses and the request for Class Representative Service Awards. The Court may award amounts different than what Class Counsel seek. Class Counsel will file the motion for Class Counsels’ Fees, Costs and Expenses and the request for Class Representative Service Awards with the Court, which will then be posted on the Settlement Website. Please check this website for updates.

If you stay in the Class, you do not need to hire your own lawyer to pursue the claims against Kia because Class Counsel is working on behalf of the Settlement Class. However, if you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense and cost.

If you are a Class Member, and you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement, you may object to the fairness, reasonableness, or adequacy of the proposed Settlement, the requested award of attorneys’ fees and costs, and/or the requested Class Representative Service Awards. 

For an objection to be considered by the Court, the objection must: (1) either be filed electronically with the Court or be sent by mail to the Clerk of the Court and (2) sent to both Defendant’s Counsel and Class Counsel. This must be done not later than October 23, 2026. If you want to mail your objection to the Court, you must send your objection to all of the addresses below. If you file your objection electronically, you must only send it to Defendant’s Counsel and Class Counsel.

To be valid, your objection must include the following: 

(a) the case name and number of the Action; 

(b) the objector’s full name, current address, and telephone number; 

(c) the model year and VIN(s) of your Class Vehicle(s); 

(d) a statement of the objection(s) including all factual and legal grounds for the position; 

(e) copies of any documents that the objector wishes to submit in support of his/her position;

(f) a list of any other objections submitted by you and/or your counsel to any class action settlements submitted in any court in the United States in the previous five years or, if none, a statement that you and/or your counsel have made no such objections; and

(g) your signature, in addition to the signature of any attorney representing the objecting Class Member in connection with the objection, and the date of the objection.

If you fail to comply with the above requirements for stating a valid objection, you will waive any rights you may have to appear separately and object to the Settlement, and will be bound by the terms of this Settlement, the release, and the Court’s judgment. 

Objecting is simply telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You can object to the Settlement only if you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement. Excluding yourself from the Settlement is telling the Court that you don’t want to be part of the Settlement. If you exclude yourself from the Settlement, you have no basis to object to the Settlement because it no longer affects you. If you object to the Settlement, you are bound by the release in the Settlement. If you exclude yourself (opt out), you keep your rights and are not bound by the release in the Settlement.

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on January 7, 2027, at 10:00 a.m. PST at the United States District Court, Central District of California, Courtroom 10D. At the hearing, the Court will consider whether to give final approval to the Settlement, grant Class Counsel's Fees, Costs, and Expenses, and grant Class Representative Service Awards. If there are objections, the Court will consider them at this time. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. We do not know how long these decisions will take, so please be patient. The date of the Final Approval Hearing may change without further notice, so please check this Settlement Website regularly for updates.

No. You do not need to attend the hearing. Class Counsel will present the case for the Plaintiffs, and lawyers for Kia will present on its behalf. You or your own lawyer are welcome to attend at your own expense, but it is not necessary. If you submit an objection, you don’t have to come to Court to talk about it. As long as you filed and served your written objection on time to the proper addresses, the Court will consider it. 

Yes. You may ask the Court for permission to speak at the Final Approval Hearing. To do so, you must send a letter saying that it is your “Notice of Intention to Appear in Le Beau, et al. v. Kia America, Inc., et al., Case No. 8:22-cv-01545-FWS-JDE (C.D. Cal).” Your request must include your name, address, and telephone number, the model year and VIN for your Class Vehicle, and signature, as well as the name, address, and telephone number of the person that will appear on your behalf, as well as copies of any papers, exhibits, or other evidence that you or your counsel will present to the Court in connection with the Final Approval Hearing. Your notice of intention to appear must be filed with the Clerk of the Court and served upon Class Counsel and Defendant’s Counsel at the addresses in Question 16 on or before October 23, 2026.

If you do nothing, you will not get a reimbursement or Dealer Service Card from the Settlement. Unless you exclude yourself, you won’t be able to start a lawsuit, continue with a lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuit against Kia about the legal issues in this case, ever again. You will also be legally bound by the Settlement.

This Settlement Website summarizes the Settlement, the Class, and the nature of the Litigation. For more information, you may contact Class Counsel or the Claims Administrator using the contact information below. You may also access the Court’s docket in this case, for a fee, through the Court’s Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system at https://ecf.mdd.uscourts.gov/; or by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court for the United States District Court for the Central District of California, 411 West 4th Street, Room 1053, Santa Ana, CA 92701-4516, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Court holidays.

If you need to update or change your address, please visit the Contact Us page of this Settlement Website or call 1-(833) 930-0988.

PLEASE DO NOT CALL OR WRITE TO THE COURT OR THE COURT CLERK ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT OR THE LITIGATION PROCESS. INSTEAD, PLEASE VISIT THE CONTACT PAGE OF THIS SETTLEMENT WEBSITE OR CALL 1-(833) 930-0988.