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HYUNDAI, AAA TEAM TO HELP CUSTOMERS OF CARS TARGETED BY THIEVES

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

by CORY SMITH | The National Desk

Sat, April 15th 2023, 12:25 AM GMT

6
VIEW ALL PHOTOS

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, photo, a 2017 Santa Fe sports utility
vehicle sits outside a Hyundai dealership in the south Denver suburb of
Littleton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

(TND) — Hyundai announced new actions aimed at protecting customers with
high-theft vehicles.


Some Hyundai and Kia models have been targeted by thieves who appear to be
exploiting their lack of anti-theft immobilizers – a device that prevents the
engine from starting if the matching, properly coded key fob isn't detected.

Immobilizers were standard on 96% of other manufacturers’ vehicles sold in the
U.S. by 2015, but Hyundai and Kia, both from Hyundai Motor Group, didn’t make
them standard until about six years later.

The Highway Loss Data Institute says thieves took note of the comparative ease
in stealing the cars without the immobilizers, with word spreading on TikTok and
other social media channels.

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And the Highway Loss Data Institute says theft claims were nearly twice as
common for 2015-19 Hyundai and Kia vehicles compared to all other makers for
those model years.

Nearly two dozen state attorneys general sent a letter to Hyundai and Kia
demanding they do more for their customers affected by this problem, calling the
"surge in thefts of these vulnerable vehicles ... truly shocking."

The problem has gotten so bad that some insurance companies are turning away
some Hyundai and Kia drivers.

On Thursday, Hyundai said it was partnering with AAA to ensure Hyundai drivers
are covered if they’re having difficulty getting insurance.



FILE - This photo provided by Hyundai Motor America shows the 2016 Hyundai
Tucson. (Morgan Segal/Hyundai Motor America via AP)



AAA said coverage will be available in all states in which it offers insurance.


“Collaborating with Hyundai on this issue to help provide customers with a
viable solution felt like a natural fit for us,” Marshall Doney, CEO and
president for AAA Inc., said in a news release.

Hyundai is also offering owners of most affected models a free anti-theft
software upgrade.

The upgrades for almost 4 million vehicles began in February, but some customers
were having to wait until June.

Now, Hyundai says all affected vehicles can get the upgrade, two months ahead of
the original schedule.

"I’m glad to see Hyundai taking some action to address the ongoing crisis of
thefts of automobile models that are not equipped with anti-theft immobilizers,"
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement Friday. He was
one of the signatories to the letter sent to the carmakers.

> "I hope they continue to look for effective solutions to curb the shockingly
> high rates of Hyundai thefts and to help customers who have been impacted," he
> said.

The affected vehicles have turn-key starters, as opposed to push-button
ignitions.

The software upgrade will arm the car with an “ignition kill” feature, guarding
it against the popularized theft method.







The upgrades, which the company says will take less than an hour to install at a
dealership, come with new window decals that warn a would-be thief that the
vehicle is equipped with “enhanced anti-theft technology.”


The software update won’t work on certain 2011-22 models, which was another
complaint of the state attorneys general.

Hyundai said it will reimburse those customers for the purchase of a steering
wheel lock or a different anti-theft device, such as an alarm kit. Those drivers
can visit this website for more information.

The National Desk reached out to Kia, which didn't respond by the time this
story was published.


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