Kia and Hyundai are not insured for theft

stolen in US cities in the past two years Kia and Hyundai popular number of cars TikTok The increase was seen with the support of the trend in part. the car driverKia and Hyundai have been sued in Seattle for not installing enough anti-theft technology in some of their vehicles, according to reports.

Due to the increase in theft, it has been known that some insurance companies, such as Progressive or State Farm, refuse to insure damaged vehicles in certain cities.

Kia and Hyundai continue to feel the effects of the TikTok trend known by the so-called “Kia Boyz”, which leads to a continuous increase in car thefts from both brands.

NO ENGINE LIMITATION

Cars from these manufacturers are particularly targeted because many of their older cars lack an important anti-theft device known as an engine immobilizer, and thieves can easily break the rear windows and steal the cars without activating the alarm system.

Theft has become so common that some major insurance providers are reportedly refusing to issue new policies for the affected Kias and Hyundais, with some drivers with existing insurance paying higher premiums.

Denying coverage or raising prices is becoming a common solution for many insurance agents. Louis Post-Dispatch, Progressive, Hyundai and owners of Kia St. Louis and other heavily impacted areas, it generates an automatic rejection message when you apply for a quote online.

The same report states that other insurance companies have also chosen to increase driver premiums for these types and models.

Kia and Hyundai are passing local laws to provide steering wheel locks, and Hyundai has begun selling Firstech/Compustar safety devices that add immobilizers to cars without using them. Both companies have standardized the controller, Hyundai replacing all vehicles manufactured in November 2021, and Kia on all 2022 model vehicles.

23 CARS ARE STOLEN PER DAY

Theft rates continue to rise, with car owners hoping for a tougher response from manufacturers. After those events, several municipalities took the companies to court over this issue.

According to the Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Kia and Hyundai threatened to sue the brands after the number of thefts spiked to nearly 23 a day in August.

Seattle took it a step further and filed a complaint in federal court against Kia and Hyundai for not installing adequate anti-theft technology in some of their vehicles.

“From last July to this July, we’ve seen 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.

EXPLANATION FROM HYUNDAI

Hyundai said it is offering free steering wheel locks whenever possible to select law enforcement agencies across the country, including the Seattle area, for distribution to local residents who own or lease the affected models.

He explained that owners can also bring their cars to a local Hyundai for service and purchase special safety equipment. He also apologized to affected customers for the inconvenience they experienced.

KIA MAKES AN ANNOUNCEMENT

Kia also said it did not want to comment on the ongoing lawsuit, adding that it was looking into finding additional solutions for vehicles that were not equipped with a silencer, including developing and testing advanced safety software designed to prevent the operation of car ignition system.

It is also speculated that Kia will roll out a software update for the most affected vehicles in the next few months.