Kias and Hyundais Keep Getting Stolen by the Thousands and Cities Are Suing | A viral Tiktok trend that began in 2021 demonstrated how the companies failed to install a basic anti-theft technology …::A viral Tiktok trend that began in 2021 demonstrated how the companies failed to install a basic anti-theft technology that made them trivially easy to steal.
It’s worth mentioning that this impacts only US vehicles from those brands.
“Push to start” may stop someone driving off in the car, but they are still targets.
Thieves smash the windows, hop in, see the lack of key startup, then hop out. You still will end making a call to the police or insurance company.
Having “Hyundai” or “Kia” anywhere on the car makes them a target of thieves, even with push to start.
More needs to be said. Insurance companies have raised the rates of basic, liability only, for a salvage title car, by more than 70% increase in the last 3 years. $440/6mo > $770/6mo.
This is an attack on all motorists in a way I’ve never seen. Financially attacking everyone for two car models that have been designed to be targets of “model”, and to allow children to make a mess of their futures.
What leverage can we possibly have against this exploitation?
No, but it is the result of deregulation. Similar models sold in Canada don’t have this issue because (drumroll please), federal regulations require immobilizers on new cars. Free market at work folks.
But Canada operates as a free market without the issue…sounds more like a US govt with a weak regulator problem.
Are you sure? This stuff is happening in Australia too. Something about the key hole size being the exact size as a USB-A cable.
That’s only a small part of it. The bigger issue was that Hyundai/Kia removed like a 10 cent chip that would have prevented this issue on the US and a few other markets to save money.
Still, everyone puts the blame on Hyundai, and while they definitely deserve some blame in all this, let’s not forget the fact that people are still actively stealing these cars. These are still scumbag criminals doing this. An average person could see a car with its doors unlocked and the engine running and they won’t hop in and steal it, because they’re not asswipes.
Here it says that this should not be possible in Australia due to the immobilizers.
https://www.drive.com.au/news/us-kia-and-hyundai-thefts-what-it-means-for-australia/
Maybe some thieves believe all KIAs and Hyundays are targets and eventually some are stolen due to other factors.
Car thefts are up here anyway, but a lot of it is break and enters where they just get into your house to grab the keys.
There is a diagnostic USB port in the steering column of the car, they are plugging a cable into that then the car just starts without the key.
Immobilizers are required here in Australia so it’s not that, I think it just inspired a bunch of kids to go steal cars in other ways.
Can you link any additional information regarding that ? I just got my Hyundai stolen in the EU (from 2019) and last week apparently another one was stolen in the same area.
Did you have an immobilizer on your car? Where I live the insurance basically requires one if you want to be insured, so virtually all private cars have one installed.
The original article on the TikTok video that has “started” the trend refers only to low end models without one installed, so starting it without a key becomes trivial.
the companies failed to install a basic anti-theft technology
Failed to install or weighed the cost of not installing it and kept the profit?
Was it a requirement by law? Obviously not as this seems to be an America thing. So why not change the laws and mandate antithetical devices in cats
Technically no, but standards do dictate that measures to prevent unauthorized use be present so I imagine those legal battles will be around that second part, especially with immobilizers being practically standard for every other manufacturer. Changing the laws will be a tough part, we can’t even get reasonable automotive lighting laws on the books or enforced.
I also have to wonder how much it was fueled by the silicone shortage, omitting electronics in order to get a car out the door, as other manufacturers did (albeit in a smarter way, so not that any of this stuff exempts Hyundai/kia from criticism)
I was one of the victims. My Hyundai Elantra was stolen. Smashed out the back window and ripped out the ignition to steal it. My insurance company has totaled the vehicle and paid me the value of the car. They totaled it because the thieves colored all over the seats and ceiling of the vehicle and the repair shop can’t get replacement parts. I’ve started car shopping and I’ll be damned if I buy another Hyundai at this point. Even though I’m seeing them for $3-5k cheaper than comparable sedans.
The most eye opening part was that my car was spotted at a McDonalds down the road from my work with the smashed window, and the person called the police. An office didn’t arrive to the restaurant for over an hour and the thieves had already driven off. I think the police are overwhelmed with thefts, and the thieves, even if they’re caught, are underage and released with a court date that they aren’t attending. When I was at the impound lot to release the vehicle to the repair shop, two more Hyundais arrived while I was there!
On a positive note, I needed new tires and rear brakes that I’d scheduled to complete after my summer vaca so I can add that money to the down payment.
It’s getting near impossible to insure Kias/Hyundais in some states now because this is so bad. I’d actually be considering buying one of their EVs or Hybrids if it wasn’t such an issue.
Are insurers refusing all Kia/Hyundai or just the affected ones?
None of the push to start ones are affected, only the base model key operated ones because they didn’t install immobilizers on them.
There are other auto makes besides KIA/Hyundai, to be considered… that didn’t overlook a “easy to steal with a USB” type problems.
If you’re trying to find a manufacturer that hasn’t had some colossal/nefarious fuck up in the past, good luck to you because they don’t exist.
Seriously wtf is with the state of cars today?
Or were they always shitty and we just never told people how easy they are to steal?
I can’t afford to buy new vehicles, so I’m stuck still driving around in my 2004 - but even that car has a factory-installed immobilizer. It’s weird that it’s not considered a standard option on all models for modern vehicles.
