Kia and Hyundai plan anti-theft software update
Car manufacturers Kia and Hyundai announced Tuesday it will provide a theft deterrent software update for millions of their vehicles that lack an engine immobilizer. The update will require the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the vehicle on and the length of the alarm sound will be changed from 30 seconds to one minute.
Kia and Hyundai models have been targeted across the country following a TikTok social media challenge that encourages the stealing of these vehicles and shows viewers how to steal the vehicle without a key.
The vehicles affected are 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia models with turn-key ignitions, as opposed to a push-button start. The models don’t have electronic immobilizers, which confirms that the key belongs with that vehicle.
The rise of stolen Kias and Hyundais started in Milwaukee with a notorious car-theft group known as the “Kia Boys” because they primarily target Kias and Hyundais. The group learned how to easily steal the cars using nothing but a screwdriver and USB charging cord from watching videos online.
Certain models of Kias and Hyundais have also been found to have a design flaw that makes them vulnerable to theft without setting off an alarm.
The local car-theft group went on to gain more notoriety from a viral YouTube video last year. The video led to a Milwaukee Police investigation and resulted in criminal charges for one the video’s participants, 17-year-old Markell Hughes. His trial will begin in midMarch.
According to police, Milwaukee saw a record 10,487 car thefts in 2021, which were mainly Kias and Hyundais. There was a reduction in car thefts of 23% in 2022, and year-to-date in 2023, car thefts are down 29%.
Despite the decline in car thefts in Milwaukee, other cities began to experience a rise in car thefts of Kias and Hyundais due to promotion on social media. The latest trend is the TikTok challenge, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said has resulted in 14 crashes and eight deaths.
According to the NHTSA, Kia and Hyundai will provide the software update free of charge and will be handled in a phased approach. Hyundai also will provide customers with a window sticker alerting would-be thieves that the vehicle is equipped with anti-theft protection.
The upgrade modifies vehicle control modules on Hyundai vehicles that have standard “turn-key-to-start” ignition systems. Once the systems are upgraded, locking the doors with the key fob will set the factory alarm and activate an “ignition kill” feature so the vehicles can’t be started when thieves try to take off with them.
Customers have to use the key fob to unlock their vehicles and deactivate the ignition kill feature, Hyundai said.
Kia has also promised some customers enhanced security software that should be available over the next few months, the company said in a statement Tuesday.
Mostly Kia cars newer than 2011 and Hyundai cars newer than 2015 have been impacted.
The Highway Loss Data Institute said the vehicles are easier for car thieves to steal because they don’t have electronic immobilizers to prevent thieves from taking them. Because of this, people can break in and bypass the ignition.
According to Hyundai, all of the company’s vehicles produced since November 2021 have an engine immobilizer.
Kia and Hyundai said they will also continue to give impacted customers free steering wheel locks through law enforcement agencies.
Last month, Alds. Milele Coggs and Khalif Rainey issued a joint statement calling on the two car manufacturers to provide long-term solutions to car owners, after Progressive and State Farm announced they were dropping insurance coverage of some older Kia and Hyundai models because of a rise in thefts.
“Frankly, we believe the city should seriously consider suing them both,” Coggs and Rainey said. “We are asking both Kia and Hyundai to step up and provide a long-term, effective and free solution to the ongoing issues caused by their cars. Our residents deserve nothing less.”
Coggs and Rainey were not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
NHTSA urges owners of these vehicles to contact Hyundai (toll-free at 800-633-5151) or Kia (toll-free at 800333-4542) for information on the free update.