Hyundai and Kia software upgrades cut theft rates by more than half, HLDI finds

Anti-theft software updates provided to Hyundai and Kia vehicles regularly targeted by thieves have cut theft rates by more than half, according to new research from the Highway Loss Data Institute.

Theft rates of the affected cars rose after thieves discovered that certain car models lacked engine immobilizers, an anti-theft technology that has long been standard on other vehicles. Thieves used a technique popularized on TikTok and other social media platforms to take the vehicles.

The software update began in February 2023 after numerous claims of theft that began during the Covid-19 pandemic.

For vehicles that have the new software installed, the car will only start if the owner’s key or an identical duplicate is in the ignition. Vehicles with the software also get a window sticker designed to deter would-be thieves.

About two dozen 2011-22 Hyundai and Kia models are eligible for the software upgrade. Those vehicles that received it from December 2023 – a total of 30% of eligible Hyundais and 28% of eligible Kias in the HLDI database – had 53% lower claim rates than vehicles that did not received the upgrade. at HLDI.

These claims are not all for whole vehicle thefts. These also include claims for damage to vehicles that have been stolen and recovered, theft of vehicle parts and items stolen from inside the vehicle. Total vehicle theft rates, which HLDI calculates by matching the cost of the claim to the amount insurers pay for the same model if it’s totaled in an accident, fell 64 percent higher for upgraded vehicles.

The HLDI study ended in December. The organization said Hyundai and Kia have continued to roll out software updates to the vehicles since then. Automakers said about 60 percent of eligible vehicles had been upgraded since last month.

HLDI said the frequency of theft claims for Hyundai and Kia vehicles remains high, even for models with the new software. The organization believes that one of the reasons for this may be that the software-based immobilizer only activates if the driver remembers to lock the vehicle with a fob, while many people are in the habit of using the switch on the door handle.

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