NEW YORK (CNN) Hyundai and Kia are offering a new free software patch to owners of 8.3 million vehicles that are so easy to steal that some insurance companies are refusing to offer them coverage in certain markets.
The vehicles in question, 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia models with turnkey ignition – as opposed to push button start – are about twice as likely to be stolen as other vehicles of a similar age. Here’s why, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, many of these vehicles lack some of the basic anti-theft car technology found in most other vehicles even in those years.
The models in question do not have electronic immobilizers, which rely on a computer chip in the car and another in the key communicating to confirm that the key belongs to that vehicle. Without the right key, an immobilizer should do just that – stop the car from moving.
These models became the subject of a social media trend, with thieves filming themselves and others stealing Hyundai and Kia vehicles and taking them for spins. Thefts of these vehicles resulted in at least 14 accidents and eight deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The two South Korean automakers have developed a software patch to fix the problem, the automakers and NHTSA announced on Tuesday. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia, and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering.
The patch is installed for free on vulnerable models with software that requires it a real key in the ignition to turn on the vehicle. (Thieves used the tips of USB cables to turn the ignition switch) The software also prevents the car from starting after locking the doors with the key fob remote. The vehicle must be unlocked before it can be started. The software also extends the length of the alarm tone from 30 seconds to a full minute. Hyundai dealers also put window stickers saying the vehicle has anti-theft software.
Hyundai will immediately start providing the software for the most popular – and most stolen – vulnerable models. Kia dealers will begin installing the software later this month.