(CNN) Spikes in auto thefts of certain Hyundai and Kia models, a trend that began in the American Midwest and has been circulated through how-to videos on social media, have reached America’s largest city.
About 100 of these high-risk Hyundai and Kia vehicles were stolen in New York City in December alone, according to New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. Thefts began to rise in September last year.
“Before, on average we probably had 10 to 12 thefts of these cars a month,” she said in a news conference on Thursday, “and in December we were at about 100.”
The vehicles in question, Hyundai and Kia models from 2015 to 2019, such as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson as well as the Kia Forte and Sportage, if they are equipped with turnkey ignitions – as opposed to cars where just a button is pressed to start must be stolen – are stolen about twice as often as other vehicles of a similar age. According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, an industry group that tracks insurance statistics, many of these vehicles lack some of the basic anti-theft car technology found in most other vehicles even in those years.
Joy rides Tik Tok
These models became the subject of a viral social media trend, with thieves filming themselves and others stealing and driving around Hyundai and Kia vehicles. In some parts of the country, the problem got so bad that some insurance companies refused to issue new policies for these Hyundai and Kia models in places where thefts had become very common.
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.
The New York thefts were first noticed in the Bronx, the detective said, but they soon happened in other parts of the city as well.
Most of the SUVs and cars are later found abandoned and appear to have been just for “joy-riding,” Sewell said, but there are also concerns that the stolen cars could be used to commit other crimes as well.
New York Mayor Eric Adams blamed social media for spreading the criminal trend. In particular, videos have been posted on TikTok showing a technique where a USB charging cable could be used to start a car via a partially disassembled ignition switch.
Big theft car
“We see it not just as stealing a vehicle, but stealing the future of our young people,” Adams said. “If you’re arrested for stealing a car, that’s a crime. It stays on your record. It affects your life.”
The mayor reminded owners who have potentially vulnerable vehicles that Kia and Hyundai dealers can offer security upgrades to protect their vehicles.
The two South Korean automakers have created a software patch to fix the problem, the automakers said. 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 installs for free on models that require it, with software that requires a real key in the ignition to turn on the vehicle. The software also blocks the vehicle from starting after the doors have been locked 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 immediately started providing the software for the most popular – and most stolen – vulnerable models. Kia said it has started offering the update to some customers and expects to make it available to more affected vehicles. Hyundai also said it has initiated a program to compensate owners for purchasing steering wheel locks.