Thieves are still targeting Hyundai and Kia cars, but new software is stopping them

CNN
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More than a year after Hyundai and Kia released new anti-theft software updates, vehicle thefts with the new software are down — even though overall theft remains shockingly high, according to a new analysis of insurance claims data.

The carmakers rolled out the updates last February after a tenfold increase in thefts of certain Hyundai and Kia models in just the past three years – sparked by a series of social media posts showing people how to steal the vehicles.

“Whole vehicle” theft claims — insurance claims for the loss of the entire vehicle — are 64 percent lower among Hyundai and Kia cars that have had software upgrades compared to cars of the same make, model and year without upgrades, according to to the Highway Loss Data Institute.

“The companies’ solution is highly effective,” Matt Moore, senior vice president of HLDI, an industry group backed by auto insurers, said in a statement.

The cars in question are certain older Hyundai and Kia models manufactured before 2023, which are particularly vulnerable to theft. Less expensive versions of these vehicles were equipped with keyless ignition rather than push-button start and are about twice as likely to be stolen as other vehicles of a similar age, according to HLDI.

Many of these vehicles also lack basic auto-theft prevention technology, such as electronic immobilizers, included in most other vehicles made in the same years, HLDI says. Immobilizers rely on a computer chip in the car and another in the key communicating to confirm that the key is genuine and really belongs to that vehicle.

Between the beginning of 2020 and the first half of 2023, thefts of Hyundai and Kia models increased by more than 1,000%.

As part of a $200 million settlement related to the issue, Hyundai and Kia — closely related car brands based in South Korea — have begun offering free anti-theft software upgrades for some of these older models in February 2023. So far, more than 2 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles have received the update, according to the automakers.

Thefts remain high

HLDI analyzed insurance claims data for calendar year 2023. By the end of that year, only about 30 percent of vehicles eligible for the security software had it installed.

So far, about 61 percent of eligible Hyundai vehicles have the software update, a Hyundai spokesman said. That said, not all vulnerable Hyundai and Kia models have the proper hardware to allow the software update. For those vehicles that cannot get the software, Hyundai and Kia have provided steering wheel locks.

And even with the new software, these older Hyundai and Kia vehicles are still stolen and broken into more often than others, HLDI found.

One reason may be that owners aren’t using new vehicle security software properly, Moore said. For the anti-theft software to work, the vehicle must be locked using a button on the remote, not by turning the metal key in the door lock.

Hyundai and Kia theft rates are likely to drop now that more vehicles are getting the security software, Moore said in an interview with CNN.

In addition, he added, the wave of Hyundai and Kia thefts was partly a fad spread through social media. Tik Tok and YouTube videos showed how easy it was to steal these vehicles, and many of those who did were not serious car thieves, he said.

“There are certainly news reports that indicate that some of the people who are doing this are just doing it for fun,” Moore said. “It’s probably reasonable to assume that at some point … stealing these vehicles as a fad will die out.”