Hyundai’s anti-theft update has reduced vehicle thefts by 64%
- Some Hyundai and Kia cars are the most frequently stolen models of any brand
- The automaker released a software update as a solution
- Thefts have since dropped dramatically
Published on Aug 12, 2024 at 6:08 PM (UTC+4)
by Siddharth Dudeja
Last updated on Aug 13, 2024 at 11:25 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Hyundai and Kia models underwent a massive fiasco a few years ago when someone handed out instructions on how to steal these vehicles easily.
Last year, Hyundai responded by rolling out an anti-theft software update, which seems to be working.
Hyundai or Kia, cars were formerly the most stolen across the US, now, reports from a third-party organization say that these thefts have dropped by over 50 percent.
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Hyundai and Kia models were easy targets
During the global pandemic, a series of social media posts were posted on apps like TikTok.
Posted by a community that called itself the ‘The Kia Boys,’ these posts had step-by-step instructions on how to gain access to a car from these two brands.
How easy could it be, you ask?
Well, it could be done using something as simple as a USB cable, and it affected around nine million vehicles.
Moreover, it was only applicable to vehicles manufactured between 2015 and 2019 from these Korean brands.
Cars produced during this timeframe lacked electronic immobilizers, which would ideally prevent any thieves from stealing them.
Unlike the Cybertruck, which routinely stops would-be-thieves in their tracks, Hyundai and Kia models don’t have these high-tech anti-theft features.
A software update to fix the problem
Hyundai’s solution to this problem was a software update that sounded the alarm for longer durations and further required a key in the ignition switch for someone to start the car.
All things considered, cars from the two automakers do have lucrative offerings worth stealing, like the Kia EV 9’s wheels and the extensive interior inside modern Hyundais.
According to research from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), the update has been a resounding success.
It says that theft claim frequency had dropped by 53 percent for cars with the new update installed.
Meanwhile, the overall thefts of the affected models dropped by 64 percent since the automaker rolled out the update.
Although these numbers are promising, there are still more car thieves trying to steal cars from these Korean brands than trying to steal other brand’s models.
If this software update hasn’t gone far enough to help you feel safe, the only permanent solution might be to replace your car with a newer model.
