1y ago

Kias and Hyundais Keep Getting Stolen by the Thousands and Cities Are Suing | A viral Tiktok trend that began in 2021 demonstrated how the companies failed to install a basic anti-theft technology ...

www.vice.com Kias and Hyundais Keep Getting Stolen by the Thousands and Cities Are Suing

A viral Tiktok trend that began in 2021 demonstrated how the companies failed to install a basic anti-theft technology that made them trivially easy to steal.

Kias and Hyundais Keep Getting Stolen by the Thousands and Cities Are Suing | A viral Tiktok trend that began in 2021 demonstrated how the companies failed to install a basic anti-theft technology ...::A viral Tiktok trend that began in 2021 demonstrated how the companies failed to install a basic anti-theft technology that made them trivially easy to steal.

69 comments

It's worth mentioning that this impacts only US vehicles from those brands.
- And only the key operated ones. Push to start are not affected.
  
  "Push to start" may stop someone driving off in the car, but they are still targets.
  Thieves smash the windows, hop in, see the lack of key startup, then hop out. You still will end making a call to the police or insurance company.
  Having "Hyundai" or "Kia" anywhere on the car makes them a target of thieves, even with push to start.
- I hope it's the result of not using the metric system.
  
  No, but it is the result of deregulation. Similar models sold in Canada don't have this issue because (drumroll please), federal regulations require immobilizers on new cars. Free market at work folks.
- Are you sure? This stuff is happening in Australia too. Something about the key hole size being the exact size as a USB-A cable.
  
  That's only a small part of it. The bigger issue was that Hyundai/Kia removed like a 10 cent chip that would have prevented this issue on the US and a few other markets to save money.
  Still, everyone puts the blame on Hyundai, and while they definitely deserve some blame in all this, let's not forget the fact that people are still actively stealing these cars. These are still scumbag criminals doing this. An average person could see a car with its doors unlocked and the engine running and they won't hop in and steal it, because they're not asswipes.
  
  Here it says that this should not be possible in Australia due to the immobilizers.
  https://www.drive.com.au/news/us-kia-and-hyundai-thefts-what-it-means-for-australia/
  Maybe some thieves believe all KIAs and Hyundays are targets and eventually some are stolen due to other factors.
  
  Car thefts are up here anyway, but a lot of it is break and enters where they just get into your house to grab the keys.
  There is a diagnostic USB port in the steering column of the car, they are plugging a cable into that then the car just starts without the key.
  Immobilizers are required here in Australia so it's not that, I think it just inspired a bunch of kids to go steal cars in other ways.
- Can you link any additional information regarding that ? I just got my Hyundai stolen in the EU (from 2019) and last week apparently another one was stolen in the same area.
  
  Did you have an immobilizer on your car? Where I live the insurance basically requires one if you want to be insured, so virtually all private cars have one installed.
  The original article on the TikTok video that has "started" the trend refers only to low end models without one installed, so starting it without a key becomes trivial.

the companies failed to install a basic anti-theft technology
Failed to install or weighed the cost of not installing it and kept the profit?
- Was it a requirement by law? Obviously not as this seems to be an America thing. So why not change the laws and mandate antithetical devices in cats
  
  Technically no, but standards do dictate that measures to prevent unauthorized use be present so I imagine those legal battles will be around that second part, especially with immobilizers being practically standard for every other manufacturer. Changing the laws will be a tough part, we can't even get reasonable automotive lighting laws on the books or enforced.
  
  This is a law in Canada and to my knowledge these kinds of thefts aren’t happening here. This should be an easy fix.
- I also have to wonder how much it was fueled by the silicone shortage, omitting electronics in order to get a car out the door, as other manufacturers did (albeit in a smarter way, so not that any of this stuff exempts Hyundai/kia from criticism)
  
  These are pre-2020 models
  Kias are just shit cars for shit people

I was one of the victims. My Hyundai Elantra was stolen. Smashed out the back window and ripped out the ignition to steal it. My insurance company has totaled the vehicle and paid me the value of the car. They totaled it because the thieves colored all over the seats and ceiling of the vehicle and the repair shop can't get replacement parts. I've started car shopping and I'll be damned if I buy another Hyundai at this point. Even though I'm seeing them for $3-5k cheaper than comparable sedans.
The most eye opening part was that my car was spotted at a McDonalds down the road from my work with the smashed window, and the person called the police. An office didn't arrive to the restaurant for over an hour and the thieves had already driven off. I think the police are overwhelmed with thefts, and the thieves, even if they're caught, are underage and released with a court date that they aren't attending. When I was at the impound lot to release the vehicle to the repair shop, two more Hyundais arrived while I was there!
On a positive note, I needed new tires and rear brakes that I'd scheduled to complete after my summer vaca so I can add that money to the down payment.
- Police don't care abkut property crimes against people
  
  Against poor people. If someone smashes a Ferrari, they will be arrested in a matter of minutes.
- Even though I’m seeing them for $3-5k cheaper than comparable sedans.
  And why do you think the Elantra was $1K cheaper than a Corolla and $3K cheaper than a Jetta? 🤔

It’s getting near impossible to insure Kias/Hyundais in some states now because this is so bad. I’d actually be considering buying one of their EVs or Hybrids if it wasn’t such an issue.
- Are insurers refusing all Kia/Hyundai or just the affected ones?
  None of the push to start ones are affected, only the base model key operated ones because they didn’t install immobilizers on them.
  
  My wife has an affected model, but a push to start version. Getting insurance was fine. They did call to verify that it was the push to start before they finalized the policy, though.
- There are other auto makes besides KIA/Hyundai, to be considered... that didn't overlook a "easy to steal with a USB" type problems.
  
  If you're trying to find a manufacturer that hasn't had some colossal/nefarious fuck up in the past, good luck to you because they don't exist.
  
  Of course, I just really like the styling and price range on a lot of their newer models. I’m not seriously looking to buy right now, but if these problems didn’t exist they’d be the top of the list probably.

I can't afford to buy new vehicles, so I'm stuck still driving around in my 2004 - but even that car has a factory-installed immobilizer. It's weird that it's not considered a standard option on all models for modern vehicles.

It's such a shame, I had a 2011 Kia Soul that was my favorite car I've ever owned (and notably not in the model years with the immobilizer problem). Unfortunately some moron crashed into me earlier this year and totaled it. My first thought was to replace it with another Soul but their reputation is so bad at this point that I had to go with something else. Six months later a Soul that I test drove is still sitting at the same used car dealership. No one will touch them.

I recently shopped auto insurance. There are now policy carriers that refuse to insure Kia and Hyundai for a new policy. It has been one of the very first questions a rep asks so they can figure out if the call needs to be ended right away.
- Good to know. Hopefully sticking with my current carrier works...
- Can't get them insured at all? Why wouldn't they offer liability, collision, and comprehensive (except vandalism) and just deny theft/vandalism coverage?
  
  Because they are being used to joyride, often causing property damage, wrecks to other vehicles and all that. The owner’s insurance is usually made to cover it even though they weren’t driving.

I dunno about suing them. Lots of things are easy to steal. If there were a Tik Tok trend of stealing garbage cans, I might make an effort to secure the ones I have, but I wouldn't sue the garbage can manufacturer for not addressing the possibility of theft if mine were stolen. These cars do have some theft protection, at least to the extent that you can't accidentally steal them. Car owners should probably do what they can to deter theft, Tik Tok & YouTube should dissuade users from encouraging kids to steal, parents should be more responsible, and (not that it would necessarily help) all cops should stop being bastards
- The lawsuit is because those companies have done nothing to fix their issue.
  If your phone caught fire if you put it near a magnet, you can't say "Well phone owners should be more responsible." And at some point, you have to say, "Why the fuck was this allowed to ship?"
  
  Most cars used to be ridiculously easy to steal, and people dealt with this situation in a variety of ways. Suing the car manufacturers was not one of these methods.
  I don't think your phone analogy is at all comparable. A phone catching fire during what anyone might consider normal use isn't the same kind of product design issue as a car that is no easier to steal than most cars were for most of the history of cars. The old covertible that I had years ago would have been way easier to steal than these cars, for example, both because of simple wiring and simple access to the car interior.
  We can pass the blame for this issue around pretty widely. I don't think we should just pin all the blame on the car makers
- Found the European. In America everything is always someone else's fault, it says so in the constitution.

Just got home to find out my neighbor's kia was stolen. Managed to get it back and catch the guys. But his steering column is busted now.
- ... Batman? Did you bust the steering column with one of their faces?
  
  they SWORE TO HIM

Maybe just encourage the cops to do their job? Or at least shoot different people.
- They get PAID suspension for not doing their job right...
  
  Slaycation
  
  Right? You wouldn't know it from the downvotes I'm getting above
- And have cops murder a dude? Nah. I'm not trying to get a guy killed because he stole a car.
  Because I'm not a disgusting piece of shit who thinks a piece of machinery that gets 100% insurance coverage is worth more than a person's life.
  
  You know, there's already like a dozen other comments under mine discussing how nobody today can detect sarcasm online. You're not helping.
- Are you kidding me? We want people summarily executed in the streets because they stole a fucking CAR??
  
  I think they wanted to highlight that first, let's not shoot exclusively innocent, then let's not shoot anyone
  (ik they didn't put the /s but remember this reactionary behavior is what keeps us separated)
  
  I see sarcasm is still as elusive as ever on the Internet

Are the models with immobilizers safe?
- Yes, but you might be more likely to be targeted by thieves who don't know the difference.
- To the beet of my knowledge, yes.
  
  To the carrot of my knowledge, I agree.

Trash cars. Had a Hyundai that started falling apart after a year of being brand new

Waste of time and resources for what amounts to content for a political ad.
These companies did absolutely nothing wrong. Broke no laws. They sold cheap fucking cars.

If you bought a cheap Korean car for misers you deserve to have it stolen and you deserve to find metal shavings at the bottom of your oil pan when the cops get it back for you.
- "If you can't afford nice things, then you deserve to have your things stolen from you."
  You are a dick.
  
  refuses to buy a used Passat like a normal person
  buys Kia Soul
  Soulstolen.webp
  how could this happen
  the stupid deserve this and worse tbh
- Note that this only affects the US. Hyundai and Kia are fuckin excellent cars in Europe, it's just that they can get away with selling any old shite in the states due to the lack of consumer protection and the fact that them daft cunts will buy shit like TVs with advertising built in and internet that costs $100 a month lol
  
  Hyundai and Kia are fuckin excellent cars in Europe
  How's that GDI doing? lol
  lack of consumer protection
  Kia was the only group doing this lol everyone else has had immobilizers since dinosaur times
  the solution here is to just buy ANYTHING ELSE

69 comments