Hyundai and Kia car thefts fall sharply after software upgrade, study finds
A social media trend, dubbed the "Kia Challenge," has appeared to compound the automakers' problems in recent years, with people posting videos showing how to steal Hyundai and Kia cars. At its height, the Kia Challenge was linked to at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities, according to figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
About 9 million vehicles have been impacted by the rash of thefts, including Hyundai Elantras and Sonatas as well as Kia Fortes and Souls. Hyundai and Kia earlier this year agreed to pay $200 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by drivers who had their vehicles stolen.
Technology is helping foil car thieves making life miserable for owners of Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Hyundai and Kia upgraded their cars' anti-theft tech in early 2023. Vehicles equipped with the enhanced software will only start if the owner's key, or an identical duplicate, is in the ignition.
The rate at which the Korean automakers' cars are stolen has fallen by more than half since the companies upgraded their anti-theft software, according to new research from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). Hyundai and Kia thefts have soared in recent years after criminals discovered that certain car models lacked engine immobilizers — technology that has long been standard in other vehicles.
Here's my simple solution: drive a super old car. My car:
There are some downsides, but at least I don't have to deal with this nonsense.
Here's my simple solution: be unable to operate a car.
Simpler solution: Drive stick
I once got into my car and was surprised how the seat was farther back then when I left it. I glanced around and it was clear someone had jimmied the passenger door open.
I'm fairly confident, although I have nothing to back this up, that when they realized it was a stick, they decided not to try and steal it.
I miss my stick. My starter went out, so I push started it for a few months until I had the time and money to get it fixed. With an automatic, I'm just screwed...
I went from an 07 Escape to a 2023 RAV4. The thing just won’t shut the fuck up. Mike any kinda of parking the detection beeps. Console software is annoying.
Miss my relatively dumb car.
The legal requirement that cars just beep within zero seconds if you start them without a buckled seatbelt is just actively harmful to safety. It trains you to despise and ignore all safety alarms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alarm_fatigue
But that’s not actually a thing. I start both of my newer vehicles before I’m buckled. No beeping until I actually put it in drive.
It rarely happens because I always buckle
Oh thank fuck they finally fixed that. Or maybe it’s a California thing?
My wifes genesis is the same. Beeps if you do something beeps if you don't beep beep beep beep. All the telemetry bullshit and bad ui combined with cheap hardware and latency. It sucks ..
Bonus: If it's old enough and you get into a collision, your car will be fine and just tear through the other one like a hot knife through butter.
That is painfully untrue. Check out this video of an old Bel Air vs an 09 Malibu. Both cars get fucked up, but only one of those drivers has any chance of walking away from the accident, and it's sure as fuck not the one in the classic. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fPF4fBGNK0U&si=zJ7tDE4RrMWlaCOt
Clearly that car isn't old enough.
Try this one:
Ah shit, you got me. That front stone wheel alone probably weighs as much as a modern sedan.
Nah, newer cars are much bigger than mine, I'm pretty sure they'll tear through me regardless.