A selection of trim levels have seen an increase in car thefts, which Kia America is aware of. An immobiliser is installed on all 2022 models and trims either at the start of the year or as a running change.
Because thieves merely need to break in and use a USB wire to drive the vehicle away, a wave of thefts is targeting Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Worse still, there are videos on social media that show how to carry out this crime.
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According to Automotive News, the afflicted cars don’t have engine immobilisers. This enables starting the generator without a key or fob by plugging the cord into a specific location.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Hyundai models beginning with the 2015 model year and Kia vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year were impacted. To stop the thefts, municipal police even started giving steering wheel locks to owners of these products last year.
Videos of stolen Hyundai and Kia vehicles are purportedly being posted online by a group of individuals known as “Kia Boys.” Then they show themselves having fun driving these cars.
Some Hyundai and Kia Cars Can be Easily Stolen With Only a USBÂ Cable https://t.co/nTbVQkSQf0
— Sahu News (@TheSahuNews) August 4, 2022
Wisconsin’s Milwaukee appears to be a main hub for this issue. According to Milwaukee’s TMJ4 News, thefts of Hyundai and Kia automobiles increased by 2,644% in 2021 over the previous year. The police reported that as of September 2021, 20 of the affected models were taken every day.
However, the issue is not limited to one area since there are increasing instances of these models being stolen in other parts of the nation.
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As of now, new Hyundai and Kia automobiles feature engine immobilisers, therefore they are unaffected by this issue.