- Kia and Hyundai are defendants in a new lawsuit with the City of Seattle, which filed a complaint in federal court against the company for failing to install adequate anti-theft technology in some of its cars.
- Cities across the US have seen a sharp increase in the number of stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles over the past two years, helped in part by the popular TikTok trend.
- As a result of the increase in theft, some major insurance providers such as Progressive or State Farm are reportedly refusing to cover affected vehicles in select cities.
Kia and Hyundai continue to feel the effects of the TikTok trend popularized by the so-called “Kia Boyz,” which has unleashed a steady increase in the theft of vehicles produced by either brand. Vehicles from those manufacturers are specifically targeted because many of their older vehicles lack a critical anti-theft device known as an engine immobilizer, and thieves know they can break the rear window without triggering the alarm system.
Theft has become so common that there are reports of some major insurance providers refusing to open new policies on affected Kias and Hyundais, while some drivers with existing coverage are paying higher and higher premiums. A resident of the suburbs of St. Louis started shopping for a new insurance provider when the six-month Geico premium for his 2020 Hyundai Elantra went up about $200 when he renewed the policy in December—from about $600 to $800—according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Residents of St. The same Louis was denied coverage by Progressive and quoted up to $350 a month by other providers.
Denying coverage or raising prices is a common solution for many insurance agencies. Progressive generates an automatic denial message when Hyundai and Kia owners apply for online quotes in St. Louis and other areas are disproportionately affected, according to a spokesperson Progressive spoke to St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The same report notes that instead of blanket denials, Nationwide and Geico have opted to raise driver premiums on those makes and models.
You may remember from when we discussed the issue in the fall that both manufacturers started a process to limit theft. Kia and Hyundai both supplied local law enforcement agencies with steering wheel locks, and Hyundai began selling the Firstech/Compustar security kit, which adds an immobilizer to vehicles without one. Both companies also make the immobilizer standard, with Hyundai making the switch for all vehicles produced in November 2021, and Kia making the switch for all 2022 model vehicles.
But theft rates continue to rise, with owners left hoping for a more aggressive response from manufacturers, and several municipalities taking the company to court over the issue. Last August, city leaders of St. Louis threatened to sue the brand after the number of Kia and Hyundai theft incidents rose to about 23 per day in August, according to After Delivery. Seattle took it a step further, filing a complaint in federal court against Kia and Hyundai for failing to install adequate anti-theft technology in some of their cars.
“From last July to this July, we saw a 625 percent increase in stolen Kias and Hyundais in the City of Seattle,” said Seattle city attorney Ann Davison, as reported by Fox 13 Seattle. Davison said the theft had become a public nuisance and accused the two companies of deliberately cutting the road.
Ultimately, Davison said he expects widespread recalls from every company, which would force manufacturers to fund repairs and (hopefully) deter thieves from continuing to target the vehicles. We reached out to Hyundai and Kia for comment on the increased pressure from both customers and insurance companies, as well as the new lawsuit. Their answers follow.
“Hyundai believes this legal action is unjustified and unnecessary. In response to increased theft targeting our vehicles without push-button ignition and disabling anti-theft devices in the United States, Hyundai Motor America has made engine immobilizers standard on all vehicles produced as of November 2021. Additionally, Hyundai has taken a series of actions to prevent theft-affected vehicles, including future software updates scheduled to be available starting next month and provided at no cost to customers.
“Hyundai is also providing free steering wheel keys, as available, to select law enforcement agencies nationwide, including in the Seattle area, for distribution to local residents who own or lease the affected models. Owners can also bring their vehicles to a local Hyundai dealers for the purchase and installation of custom safety kits. We apologize for the inconvenience to affected customers.”
Kia offered a similar response, although the company stated that its policy is not to comment on pending litigation.
“Kia remains concerned that criminals are targeting certain Kia cars with steel locks and ‘turn-to-start’ ignition systems. Kia continues to provide steering wheel locks to customers through interested local law enforcement agencies, subject to availability, at no cost. to the owner of this vehicle in question.
“Kia is also continuing its efforts to develop additional solutions for vehicles not originally equipped with an immobilizer, including the development and testing of enhanced security software designed to block the operation of the vehicle’s ignition system. Kia has begun notifying owners of certain models of the availability of this software upgrade without any cost, and Kia expects that it will provide software upgrades for most affected vehicles in the coming months.“
This content is imported from polls. You may be able to find similar content in other formats, or you may be able to find more information, on their website.